Lifecycle Operations and Maintenance Manager (m/f/d)

About the Role
As the Lifecycle Operations & Maintenance Manager, you will play a crucial role in developing and managing Lifecycle Operations activities across the Middle East. Collaborating closely with the Director of Lifecycle Operations and various internal teams (Project Management, Design & Engineering, Commercial, and Procurement), you will take ownership of the ongoing service and maintenance requirements for our permanently installed AVL and media technology projects, including museums, theatres, and other venues.
Combining a strong AVL technical background with project, operational, and account management skills, you will serve as a vital interface between our clients and internal teams. Your responsibilities include coordinating preventive, operational, and reactive maintenance activities, managing service requirements and SLAs, maintaining project and service documentation, and ensuring our clients receive reliable and responsive support throughout the lifecycle of their installations. Additionally, you will help establish and develop our Lifecycle Operations function in the Middle East, introducing efficient processes, structures, and solutions as our portfolio continues to grow.

Your Responsibilities Will Include:

• Develop and implement comprehensive operations and maintenance concepts for permanently installed AVL, media, and technology systems across our projects.
• Manage the lifecycle of service and maintenance assignments, including preventive maintenance, operational maintenance, reactive maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs.
• Coordinate service activities and ensure contractual Service Level Agreements (SLAs), response times, and client commitments are understood, monitored, and met.
• Act as a key point of contact for clients, building strong long-term relationships and ensuring clear, proactive communication throughout service and maintenance activities.
• Assess technical issues, coordinate appropriate resources and specialists, and drive practical solutions through to successful resolution.
• Coordinate internal teams, external specialists, suppliers, and subcontractors required for individual maintenance and service assignments.
• Support the preparation and calculation of service and maintenance requirements, cost estimates, and maintenance concepts, working closely with the Commercial team.
• Coordinate the commercial administration of completed service assignments, including preparation for invoicing and commercial follow-up.
• Maintain a comprehensive overview of ongoing service activities, client requirements, open issues, maintenance schedules, and project documentation.
• Ensure accurate and structured documentation of services rendered and maintain relevant information within Salesforce, Jira, and other internal systems and databases.
• Develop clear reporting structures to ensure technical issues, service activities, and outstanding actions are communicated to appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
• Support supplier sourcing and negotiations in collaboration with Procurement to ensure suitable technical solutions, availability, and commercial value.
• Help build and develop the Lifecycle Operations & Maintenance function in the Middle East, introducing new processes and continuously improving existing workflows and ways of working.
• Work independently as the regional point of contact while collaborating closely with the wider Lifecycle Operations team and leadership based in Germany.
• Provide first-level technical support and coordination when required, ensuring issues are appropriately assessed and escalated to relevant technical specialists.
• Travel regularly to project sites across the Middle East, including Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and other locations, as needed.

Your Profile

• Several years of relevant experience in AVL, media technology, technical operations, project management, service management, or lifecycle operations within permanently installed AV environments.
• Previous management experience within AV service, maintenance, project, or technical operations.
• Strong technical understanding of audio, video, and lighting (AVL) systems, media technology, and related infrastructure.
• Good understanding of IT and networking fundamentals relevant to integrated AV and media systems.
• Experience with permanently installed technology environments such as theatres, cultural venues, museums, immersive experiences, entertainment destinations, malls, or similar complex venues would be highly advantageous.
• Strong understanding of preventive and reactive maintenance, troubleshooting, service coordination, and SLA-driven support environments.
• Ability to understand technical issues and coordinate appropriate solutions without necessarily being the hands-on technician performing every intervention.
• Strong client-facing and account management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and confidently manage client expectations.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of how technical service delivery, client satisfaction, and commercial performance work together.
• Experience coordinating suppliers, subcontractors, and specialist technical resources; previous exposure to supplier negotiations would be advantageous.
• Strong organizational and documentation skills, with confidence managing multiple projects, service requests, and priorities simultaneously.
• Familiarity with CRM, ticketing, and project management systems such as Salesforce and Jira, as well as a good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• A proactive, flexible, and solution-oriented mindset, with the energy and motivation to build processes, challenge existing approaches, and drive improvements independently.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly throughout the Middle East.
• Fluent English and Arabic are strongly preferred; German language skills would be an additional advantage.

Why Us?

• Unified Premium Medical Insurance provided as standard to all team members – yes, you read that correctly, we all enjoy the same insurance category benefits!
• Worker’s Compensation and Accident Insurance.
• Annual Flight Allowance.
• Recruitment Referral Bonus Scheme for team members who refer successful applicants for open positions.
• Project Referral Bonus Scheme for team members who refer successful project leads.
• Community & Diversity Programme, including an annual Culture Day celebrating our international and multicultural team.
• Opportunity to work in an international and multi-cultural team with collaboration across our offices in the Middle East and Europe.
• Collaborative and motivated working environment.
• Trusting and partnership-based cooperation across all units.
• Innovative and growth-oriented company with a matrix organizational structure and an open corporate culture.
• Further training opportunities and support in acquiring further qualifications as well as opportunities for further development in new technologies.