Head of Development

About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Head of Development to lead, grow and manage our Infrastructure Development business across the Middle East. The role involves providing strategic leadership across development management, infrastructure, and multidisciplinary pre-construction services. The Head of Development will position the business as a trusted strategic adviser, converting client investment objectives into commercially viable projects from early engagement through to delivery. This role carries accountability for the Development P&L and the responsibility to build a high-performing multidisciplinary team aligned with market demand.

Responsibilities

Business Leadership and Strategy

• Define and deliver the Middle East Development strategy and annual business plan, aligned with regional sector priorities.
• Establish an integrated market proposition spanning development management, design, infrastructure, and advisory services.
• Champion a sector-first, client-led approach, focusing on priority clients, programmes, and geographies with the strongest commercial potential.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and client investment plans, adapting the strategy and service offering accordingly.

Client Care and Key Account Leadership

• Build trusted relationships with senior clients, investors, developers, and government entities, acting as executive sponsor for priority accounts.
• Establish structured key-account plans covering relationship mapping, engagement priorities, opportunity pipelines, and account-growth objectives.
• Actively seek client feedback and intervene early where satisfaction, project performance, or commercial relationships are at risk.
• Ensure clients experience one integrated business, using successful outcomes to secure repeat and adjacent work.

Winning Work and Market Growth

• Own a qualified pipeline sufficient to meet revenue and growth targets, applying disciplined bid/no-bid decisions.
• Develop capture strategies well ahead of procurement, positioning the business for sole-source appointments, frameworks, and follow-on services.
• Lead major pursuits, shaping the win strategy, value proposition, team, fee, and commercial position.
• Track pipeline value, probability, sales stage, and conversion, and represent the business at senior client and industry forums.

P&L and Commercial Accountability

• Own the Development P&L, including orders, revenue, margin, utilisation, working capital, and cash collection.
• Manage the annual budget and rolling forecast, taking early corrective action on variances.
• Ensure fees, scope, resourcing, and risk are robustly reviewed before contractual commitment, in collaboration with commercial, finance, and legal teams.
• Provide commercial oversight of major projects, including change control, cost-to-complete, and debt management.
• Make balanced investment decisions and promote a culture of commercial ownership among project leaders.

Resource and Capability Management

• Maintain a strategic resource plan aligned with secured workload and pipeline, balancing utilisation, project needs, and employee wellbeing.
• Address capacity constraints and skill gaps, leading recruitment and mobilising regional and global expertise.
• Build a scalable operating model with clear roles, accountabilities, and decision rights.
• Develop succession plans and hold the leadership team accountable for client service, delivery, financial performance, and people development.

Development Leadership and Multidisciplinary Integration

• Provide executive leadership for major development programmes from inception through planning, design, approvals, and transition into delivery.
• Translate client aspirations and investment objectives into clear briefs, strategies, and delivery plans.
• Ensure effective mobilisation and controls, while empowering project leaders to manage day-to-day delivery.
• Integrate master planning, architecture, infrastructure, transport, sustainability, and specialist disciplines early, balancing placemaking, commercial viability, and deliverability.

Governance, Leadership and Culture

• Maintain effective governance and assurance across the portfolio, actively managing material contractual, financial, technical, and reputational risks.
• Ensure major bids and projects receive appropriate executive review, with issues escalated early.
• Provide clear, visible, and inclusive leadership, communicating strategy, priorities, and expected standards.
• Build a culture of client care, commercial ownership, collaboration, and integrity, coaching senior team members as client leaders and work winners.

Key Performance Outcomes

• Achievement of agreed orders, revenue, margin, utilisation, working-capital, and cash targets, supported by accurate forecasting.
• A strong, qualified, and well-balanced pipeline, with improved conversion of priority pursuits.
• Growth in repeat, sole-source, and multidisciplinary commissions, with high client satisfaction across priority accounts.
• Effective mobilisation and delivery of major commissions, with consistent governance and risk management.
• Appropriate capacity, capability, and talent retention, with strong collaboration across sectors and geographies.

Qualifications

• Typically 15+ years’ experience, including senior leadership in development management, master planning, multidisciplinary design, or programme management in the Middle East.
• Proven P&L accountability, including business planning, revenue, margin, forecasting, utilisation, working capital, and investment decisions.
• Strong track record of senior client relationships and winning major, complex commissions.
• Strong understanding of development economics, approvals, procurement and delivery interfaces, with sound commercial awareness.
• Degree in architecture, engineering, planning, real estate, or a related discipline; professional or chartered status is advantageous.
• Demonstrable experience leading large-scale, complex developments or infrastructure programmes through feasibility, business case, planning, design, procurement, and delivery readiness.
• Established network and market credibility with major developers, investors, government authorities, and delivery partners across the Middle East, with the ability to originate and convert opportunities.
• Experience building and leading high-performing multidisciplinary teams across multiple locations, including workforce planning, recruitment, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Strong knowledge of regional development and procurement models, consultant appointments, contractual risk, commercial governance, and the management of joint ventures or strategic delivery partnerships.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.
Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.
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