Director of Cost – KSA Major Buildings

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Reference: DOC/KSA/26

Company: Premier International Cost Consultancy (Confidential Search)

Remuneration: 75,000 – 85,000 SAR per month total package (slightly negotiable for exceptional candidates) + Family Medical, Flights, and Full Visa Sponsorship.

The Opportunity: Succession Planning & Long-Term Division Leadership

Our client is a premier international cost consultancy seeking a strategic Director of Cost to spearhead, grow, and take ownership of their major buildings and sports assets division in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This appointment is a key element of the firm’s long-term executive succession plan. The current Division Lead is preparing for retirement. We are seeking a senior leader who is looking for a long-term commitment (targeting a 5–10 year horizon) to shape the division’s future, as well as to mentor the next generation of talent.

This is a high-profile, front-end leadership position. We require a true business developer and pre-construction heavyweight who can walk into C-suite client meetings, win work, and hold full Profit & Loss (P&L) accountability.

Key Responsibilities

  • Business Development & P&L Leadership: Drive front-end growth, secure new clients, win major commissions, and assume full operational and financial accountability for the division.

  • Pre-Construction Dominance: Lead the preparation of robust pre-contract paperwork, cost plans, feasibility studies, estimating, and commercial bidding strategies.

  • Technical & Strategic Direction: Act as the senior technical authority, guiding clients and internal teams through the earliest phases of major building projects.

  • Team & Division Scaling: Mentor and manage an existing team while actively scaling the division’s capabilities.

  • Client Engagement: Serve as the primary, high-level commercial face for key stakeholders, developers, and project delivery partners.

Candidate Requirements- Director of Cost KSA

  • Experience: Circa 15–20+ years of post-degree professional experience within a recognized cost consultancy environment. International experience is preferred; prior KSA experience is not mandatory.

  • Core Strength: Exceptional business development capability, commercial acumen, and expert pre-construction delivery.

  • Sector Background: Broad major buildings sector experience (commercial, residential, mixed-use, hospitality). Specific sports/stadium experience is welcome but not strictly mandatory for a top-tier PQS leader.

  • Location: Must be based in or willing to relocate long-term to Riyadh, KSA.

  • Career Stage & Tenure Commitment: This position is a long-term succession placement designed to replace an incoming retiree. To fulfill our client’s 5-to-10-year growth vision and align with regional employment/visa regulatory frameworks in KSA, we are seeking a career leader who is looking for a long-term home and sustained division leadership. (Note: This role is not suitable for candidates seeking short-term contracts or nearing retirement).

CRITICAL: MANDATORY CRITERIA 

To save both your time and ours, and due to the large number of applications we are receiving for this vacancy. Please review these non-negotiables carefully before applying. Applications that fail to meet these basic regulatory and executive criteria will be rejected.

  • DO NOT APPLY if you are leading projects or site teams for a consultancy. We are seeking a candidate who runs/has run a Cost Division or Commercial Practice for a consultancy—holding full P&L accountability, driving business development, winning fee revenue, and managing practice overheads. Project-assigned Commercial Directors, PMC Package Leads, or Project Cost Leads working within a consultancy will not be considered.
  • DO NOT APPLY if you come from a Main Contractor or Developer background. We require a candidate with a track record within a Third-Party Cost Consultancy (PQS) practice environment.
  • DO NOT APPLY if you do not hold active MRICS status. Professional RICS chartership is strictly mandatory for this post.
  • DO NOT APPLY if you are purely a Post-Contract/Site Closeout Lead. This is a front-end, growth-oriented practice role. If you have not personally run or helped lead a cost consultancy business unit, won new client business, written fee proposals, and led pre-construction estimates, this role is not suitable.

How to Apply for the Director of Cost KSA

If you satisfy ALL of the mandatory criteria above and want to build a long-term legacy in Riyadh, please submit your CV in strict confidence to victoria@staffordlawrence.com, quoting reference DOC/KSA/26.

(Note: Applications submitted without reading the basic mandatory requirements—specifically MRICS chartership, a QS degree, and a pure PQS consultancy background—will be automatically rejected upon receipt.)