Water Infrastructure Lead

• Requisition #: ENG-L9.37
• Job title: Water Infrastructure Lead
• Category: Engineering
• Contract type: Permanent (Employee)
• Work schedule: Full Time
• Office location/s: Saudi Arabia – Riyadh, 1 11461 SA (Primary)

Description

Zutari: Co-creating an Engineered Impact

Zutari is a purpose-driven, management-owned engineering and advisory firm with over 90 years of experience across the Middle East and Africa. We are human-centred consultants who collaborate with clients, communities, and partners to co-create sustainable infrastructure solutions that leave a positive and lasting legacy.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Zutari is playing a critical role in supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals by delivering innovative, sustainable water solutions that address water scarcity, urbanization, and environmental stewardship.

Role Overview:

We are looking for a dynamic and highly driven and commercially astute Water Infrastructure Leader to drive the growth and delivery of our water sector strategy across the Middle East with a primary focus on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and other high-growth areas within the GCC region. Based in Riyadh, this senior leadership role is an opportunity to shape and deliver transformative water projects that are central to the Kingdom’s infrastructure and sustainability agenda. The successful candidate will drive sustainable growth focussing on large-scale water engineering and related infrastructure projects. This is a strategic senior leadership role responsible for building strategic client relationships, securing long-term contracts and positioning Zutari as a trusted advisor and technical partner across the GCC region. In addition, the candidate will lead Zutari’s water infrastructure portfolio across KSA and GCC region, overseeing multi-disciplinary teams to deliver complex projects in potable water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, stormwater management, desalination, and water reuse (i.e. purified recycled water).

The candidate for this role is required to integrate technical credibility with business savvy, be deeply networked in the region, and have a proven track record of winning work and growing market share in high-value engineering or advisory environments. This role requires a candidate with a “Seller-Doer” mindset and will report to the Managing Director of the Water Business Unit and form part of the management committee (Manco) in an “ex officio” capacity.

Key Responsibilities:

Market strategy and positioning

• Develop and execute the go-to-market strategy for the Middle East aligned with the wider business/ corporate strategy.
• Lead the strategic direction and expansion of Zutari’s Water Infrastructure services within Saudi Arabia, aligning with national priorities such as Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative.
• Identify priority sectors, clients, and partners across KSA, UAE and other Gulf markets.
• Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of business development opportunities.
• Establish our brand presence by leveraging regional market intelligence, regulatory knowledge and client expectations.

Client and stakeholder engagement

• Cultivate executive-level relationships with government/ public entities such as Ministries and Royal Commissions, as well as private entities such as, developers (such as public investment funds), contractors, and financial institutions.
• Represent Zutari in key forums, industry events and high-level client engagements and technical working groups to position the firm as a thought leader in sustainable water infrastructure (to build eminence/ visibility and trust with stakeholders).

Sales, revenue growth and market capture

• Drive sales efforts to achieve revenue and business growth objectives whilst still meeting profit and working capital expectations.
• Develop and implement a sales plan, proposals, and bids tailored to new markets.
• Monitor sales performance and adjust strategies to maximise success – prepare regular reports on work winning as well as business development activities, market insights, and performance metrics.
• Lead the identification, pursuit, and conversion of strategic projects and framework agreements, i.e. own client engagement and opportunity conversion.
• Drive profitable growth while ensuring risk-aware commercial negotiations and contract terms.

Cross-functional collaboration and co-ordination

• Work closely with internal teams, including project management, engineering, and operations to ensure successful market entry and project execution.
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration across all of Zutari’s business units in different geographies to maximise the projects’ success.
• Co-ordinate cross-functional efforts to align resources and capabilities with market opportunities.

Team building and leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing team comprising both business development and project delivery capacity
• Mentor and guide multi-disciplinary engineering and project teams in client engagement, proposal writing, and market analysis based across Saudi Arabia and the region.
• Work closely with delivery teams in other geographic regions to ensure client satisfaction and repeat business.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum 15 years of experience in business development, client relationship management, at least 10 years in project delivery in engineering and build environment, infrastructure, or consulting sectors.
• Bachelor’s degree in civil and/or Water Engineering (or similar equivalent) is essential; a master’s degree in Water Engineering or business administration/ leadership or management is preferred.
• Strong understanding of Middle Eastern (GCC) business culture, regulatory environments, and public procurement practices, specifically experience in water infrastructure, with substantial exposure to the Saudi Arabian market.
• Demonstrated ability to win complex, high-value work through strategic selling and client persuasion.
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to price, negotiate, and close deals aligned with profitability targets.
• Proven experience in expanding into new geographies or markets, ideally with a focus on KSA, UAE, or GCC countries.
• Strong understanding of market dynamics, competitive landscape, and industry trends.
• Professional registration (e.g., Saudi Council of Engineers, CEng, PE or Engineering Council of South Africa, PrEng) or eligibility for local registration is preferred.

Key Attributes:

• Technically credible and able to engage senior engineering and infrastructure decision-makers.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for market-building and long-term value creation.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication (fluent in English and Arabic proficiency is a strong advantage), and influencing skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Results-oriented, proactive, and resilient in high-stakes and ambiguous environments.
• Collaborative leadership style with a global mindset and high cultural intelligence.
• Understanding of shorter project timelines and rapid delivery model expected from GCC clients.
• Ability to travel frequently to new geographic areas and meet with potential clients.
• The candidate will be based in Zutari’s Riyadh office in Saudi Arabia.

Performance Metrics

• Achievement of revenue and sales targets whilst still meeting profit and working capital targets
• Successful market entry and expansion
• Client satisfaction and retention
• Effectiveness of business development strategies
• Growth in market share and brand presence

We believe that a diverse workforce is key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills, qualifications, and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment, and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employ.