Director - Emergency Response (MAS5-20003646)

Qiddiya Investment Company is seeking a seasoned and strategic Director to lead emergency response operations across Qiddiya’s expansive construction footprint. Reporting to the Senior Director, Security & Resilience Operations, the role is pivotal in steering emergency preparedness, directing incident response, and driving integrated security operations to safeguard all personnel and assets within the construction environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for emergency response and security operations across all Qiddiya construction zones, ensuring a rapid, effective, and coordinated approach to incidents.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous enhancement of emergency response frameworks, ensuring alignment with international standards and local regulatory requirements.
• Foster strong collaboration across internal stakeholders, engineering, construction, HSE, as well as with external emergency services to manage critical incidents with precision and professionalism.
• Oversee site-wide hazard assessments, guiding the identification, evaluation, and mitigation of high-risk vulnerabilities across construction projects.
• Ensure the readiness and performance of site-based emergency teams through oversight of shift-based operations and execution of comprehensive emergency protocols.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement by evaluating incident trends, leading after-action reviews, and embedding lessons learned into future response strategies.
• Lead audits and performance evaluations of third-party security providers to ensure service quality and strict adherence to emergency response requirements.
• Serve as a senior representative for emergency and crisis-related matters, providing expert insight and assurance to internal leadership and external partners.
• Mentor and develop a high-performance emergency response within the security team, embedding best practices and preparing future leaders through structured training and scenario-based exercises.
• Design, lead, and evaluate regular emergency drills and simulations to maintain operational readiness and to close identified preparedness gaps.
• Drive integration of emergency response capabilities with broader security and resilience programs, ensuring a cohesive operational model across Qiddiya City.

To thrive as Director, Emergency Response, candidates must bring strategic acumen, operational leadership, and deep field expertise in emergency and security operations.

Essential:

• Demonstrated leadership in directing large-scale emergency response operations within high-risk, fast-paced environments such as construction, industrial, or infrastructure megaprojects.
• Extensive experience liaising with blue light services, managing joint response scenarios, and overseeing complex incident resolution.
• Proven track record of managing multi-disciplinary security teams in critical situations, delivering operational excellence under pressure.
• Advanced knowledge of risk management, incident command systems, and emergency planning within large-scale, multi-contractor environments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience building effective partnerships across diverse, multicultural teams—preferably in the Middle East.
• Superior communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to present to senior executives and government authorities.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead with authority, make informed decisions rapidly, and direct field-level operations during dynamic emergency events.
• High level of flexibility and problem-solving ability in evolving construction environments.

Preferred:

• Experience with regulatory and compliance standards in emergency management specific to large construction sites.
• Familiarity with smart city or giga-project emergency response challenges.
• Proficiency in additional languages, particularly Arabic.

EDUCATION

Essential:

• Recognized professional qualifications in emergency management and crisis leadership.

Preferred:

• University degree in emergency management, security leadership, or a related discipline.