Director of Operations and Maintenance

The Director – Operations & Maintenance is responsible for leading the operational management and maintenance of city assets and public realm infrastructure, ensuring all assets are safe, efficient, compliant, and operationally ready to support the wider development objectives.

The role will oversee the delivery of both hard and soft services through a combination of in-house teams and outsourced service providers, ensuring high standards of operational performance, customer service, asset reliability, and stakeholder satisfaction across the portfolio.

The Director will lead a team of up to 10 professionals and will be responsible for managing contractor performance across multiple disciplines including public realm maintenance, electrical infrastructure, utilities, and wastewater treatment plant operations.

The role will also ensure assets are successfully transitioned from construction into operations through structured handover, snagging, defect management, and operational readiness processes.

Working closely with internal and external stakeholders, the Director will drive operational excellence, governance compliance, health & safety standards, budget control, and continuous improvement initiatives across all operations and maintenance activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all operations and maintenance activities across city assets and public realm infrastructure.
• Manage and develop a team of up to 10 staff, including performance management, team development, and annual reviews.
• Oversee third-party contractors delivering hard and soft FM services, ensuring performance aligns with KPIs, SLAs, and operational standards.
• Supervise the operational oversight of critical infrastructure through the delivery teams, including wastewater treatment plants, electrical infrastructure, utilities, and associated systems.
• Drive high levels of customer service and user experience across all delivery partners and operational activities.
• Manage operational and maintenance budgets, cost controls, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Lead stakeholder engagement with internal departments, authorities, consultants, service providers, and external partners.
• Support design and technical reviews to ensure maintainability, operational efficiency, and lifecycle considerations are embedded within assets.
• Lead asset handover and operational readiness activities including inspections, snagging, defect resolution, commissioning support, and transition into operations.
• Ensure compliance with governance frameworks, regulatory requirements, and health, safety, and environmental standards.
• Identify operational risks, troubleshoot issues, and implement effective problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and implement operational procedures, maintenance strategies, and performance standards to optimize asset reliability and efficiency.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in operations and maintenance management across large-scale city assets, infrastructure, public realm, or mixed-use developments.
• Proven experience managing hard and soft services contractors within complex operational environments.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure operations including utilities, electrical systems, and wastewater treatment operations.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams and service providers.
• Strong knowledge of operational governance, health & safety, compliance, and risk management practices.
• Experience managing operational budgets, contract performance, and service delivery KPIs.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience supporting asset operational readiness, handover, snagging, and transition from construction to operations.
• Ability to drive operational excellence, customer service standards, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience within the Middle East region is preferred.