Engineering Manager

Engineering Manager – Design and Engineering – Campus & Community

Join our dynamic team as an **Engineering Manager** within the **Design and Engineering – Campus & Community** division, where innovation meets excellence. In this pivotal leadership role, you will oversee the full spectrum of engineering services, from technical support and project development to the execution of major capital projects and facility upgrades. Reporting directly to the **Head of Design and Engineering**, you will play a strategic role in driving engineering excellence, ensuring operational efficiency, and delivering high-impact solutions that align with institutional goals.

As the Engineering Manager, you will be responsible for leading a team of engineers and consultants to deliver technically sound, cost-effective, and sustainable engineering solutions. Your expertise will be instrumental in shaping the future of KAUST’s infrastructure, ensuring that every project adheres to the highest standards of quality, safety, and performance. This role demands a blend of technical acumen, strategic foresight, and exceptional leadership to navigate complex projects while fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.

Key Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Strategic Project Leadership: Develop and oversee the conceptual scope of engineering projects, ensuring accurate cost estimates, energy savings projections, and alignment with project objectives. Lead design reviews and provide technical guidance across all disciplines to ensure project integrity and innovation.
• Technical and Operational Excellence: Serve as a technical advisor to business development, estimating, and onsite engineering teams, ensuring seamless collaboration and problem-solving. Establish and enforce engineering standards that prioritize safety, sustainability, and value-driven outcomes.
• Resource Optimization: Design and implement robust planning and prioritization processes to align multidisciplinary resources effectively, maximizing project delivery efficiency and minimizing delays.
• Stakeholder and Third-Party Coordination: Manage relationships with external design consultants and third-party vendors, ensuring outsourced engineering work meets KAUST’s stringent quality and performance benchmarks. Coordinate deliverables with stakeholders to ensure project milestones are met with precision.
• Performance and Compliance: Develop and execute measurement and verification plans for all assigned projects, ensuring compliance with KAUST obligations and tracking progress against key performance indicators (KPIs). Regularly report engineering activities to senior management, providing transparent and data-driven insights.
• Cost and Documentation Management: Lead cost estimation processes for projects while maintaining meticulous documentation of all project-related records. Collaborate with internal and external teams to ensure documentation accuracy and compliance with institutional procedures.
• Continuous Improvement and Problem-Solving: Identify and remove technical barriers that hinder team progress, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Apply analytical and problem-solving skills to resolve complex challenges and drive innovative solutions.
• Team Leadership and Development: Manage and mentor engineering teams, conduct performance reviews, and address attendance, disciplinary, and procedural matters with fairness and professionalism. Build a high-performing team culture rooted in transparency, accountability, and customer-centric values.
• Process Enhancement: Participate in the refinement of **PDE&C’s** procedures and contribute to the development of KAUST’s engineering standards, ensuring they remain at the forefront of industry best practices.

Core Competencies

To excel in this role, you will bring:

• **Deep Technical Expertise:** Extensive knowledge of engineering codes, standards, and design processes, with proven experience in university or research-driven projects.
• **Strategic Leadership:** A track record of leading engineering teams through complex projects, balancing technical rigor with operational agility.
• **Exceptional Communication:** Fluent written and spoken English, coupled with strong interpersonal skills to engage stakeholders, consultants, and cross-functional teams.
• **Customer-Centric Mindset:** A commitment to delivering solutions that prioritize the needs of KAUST stakeholders while driving value and sustainability.
• **Problem-Solving and Adaptability:** The ability to analyze challenges, propose actionable solutions, and adapt to evolving project requirements.
• **Organizational Excellence:** Strong project management skills to coordinate resources, timelines, and deliverables with precision.

Qualifications and Experience

We are seeking a **highly qualified Engineering Manager** with:

• A **Bachelor’s degree in Engineering** (or equivalent) from a recognized institution.
• **Six or more years of experience** in engineering design, project management, or a related field, with a focus on university, research, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Proven leadership experience in managing engineering teams, third-party consultants, and multi-disciplinary projects.
• Familiarity with **KAUST’s** operational procedures and a commitment to upholding the institution’s standards of excellence.

This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on KAUST’s engineering landscape. If you are a visionary leader with a passion for driving technical and operational excellence, we invite you to apply and be part of our mission to shape the future of innovation.