Projects Planning Engineer (Architect)

Role overview

The Projects Planning Engineer (Architect) will steer the planning and design stage for academic, research, administrative, support facility, infrastructure, and KAUST community projects from the earliest concept work through the design phase. This role acts as the Facilities Management link with a broad mix of internal and external stakeholders, while handling the design direction, budget, timeline, and scope of several high-priority projects at the same time.

What you will do

• Act as the main point of contact between Facilities Management and university, research, and community stakeholders.
• Collect, clarify, and record project needs, scope, and goals from project launch through the design stage.
• Build project plans, milestones, schedules, and related planning documents.
• Create executive reports and presentations for senior leadership.
• Drive feasibility work, programming studies, and early design development directly or with consultant support.
• Coordinate and manage outside consultants, architects, and engineering firms.
• Develop and monitor project budgets with support from cost consultants and internal teams.
• Make sure projects meet quality expectations, sustainability targets, and institutional standards.
• Support procurement activities for appointing design consultants and contractors, working with procurement and legal teams.
• Draft and review tender packages, contracts, and technical submissions.
• Assess design proposals and suggest value engineering and cost-saving options.
• Track project risks, claims, variations, and change orders.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Planning, Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 5 years of experience in architecture, planning, or project management.
• Background in managing large capital works or infrastructure projects.
• Solid understanding of project planning, design development, and construction workflows.
• Hands-on ability with project management and scheduling tools such as MS Project, Primavera, and BIM tools.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Excellent written, spoken, and presentation skills.
• Capability to handle multiple complex projects at once.
• Good stakeholder coordination and relationship management skills.

Additional information

This position is based in Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia and is a full-time onsite role. The job focuses on managing complex projects through the planning and design phase, with close coordination across multiple teams and external partners.