Planning Director

About the Role

This position leads the translation of a city-wide Digital Infrastructure Masterplan into structured, phased delivery packages. The role sits at the center of planning for fiber, mobile, data centers, smart systems, utilities, and critical infrastructure, with a strong focus on governance, phasing, and implementation control.

Core Responsibilities

• Set short-, medium-, and long-range planning horizons for fiber networks, mobile infrastructure, data centers, and smart systems.
• Lead planning review boards and make sure all work aligns with standards and masterplan goals.
• Ensure capacity, resilience, and cybersecurity considerations are built into the overall program plan.
• Direct demand forecasting and capacity modelling for fixed networks, mobile systems, and data center infrastructure.
• Create fiber routing and tower location strategies, and review district connectivity plans for accuracy and feasibility.
• Oversee siting and phased delivery plans for data centers and edge computing facilities.
• Assess and approve network plans for data centers, MMRs/POPs, duct banks, and right-of-way use.
• Coordinate planning inputs with power, water, district cooling, and other utility networks.
• Provide planning baselines to design and construction teams and monitor compliance with them.
• Manage change requests, planning exceptions, and schedule/phasing revisions.
• Contribute to constructability reviews, construction sequencing, and co-build opportunities across disciplines.
• Track progress against approved planning baselines and report deviations.
• Confirm planning alignment with standards for critical facilities.
• Embed sustainability goals such as LEED, PUE, and renewable energy targets into planning milestones.
• Coordinate planning approvals with relevant authorities including CST, SEC, NWC, MOMRAH, SDAIA, and others.
• Work with MNOs, TowerCos, FiberCos, and data center operators to align capacity plans and rollout schedules.
• Represent planning scenarios in steering committees and governance meetings.
• Ensure operations and maintenance requirements are reflected in planning, including access routes, bypass paths, and redundancy.
• Support operational readiness by aligning phasing with training, spares, and operations setup.
• Provide planning input for commissioning, IST programs, and staged handovers.
• Build and guide planning teams covering fiber, mobile, and data center domains.
• Coach planners and promote best practices, common methods, and knowledge sharing.
• Work closely with designers, construction managers, and external consultants to keep planning integrated across the program.

Qualifications & Experience

• A master’s degree in engineering, ICT, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, urban/infrastructure planning, or project management is required.
• Professional credentials such as PMP, PRINCE2, or chartered status are preferred.
• At least 20 years of experience in ICT, telecoms, fiber rollout, smart city programs, data centers, utilities, and critical infrastructure planning is expected.
• Experience on city-scale, giga-project, mixed-use, campus, or large infrastructure programs is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership in digital infrastructure planning, including masterplanning, phased delivery planning, planning horizon definition, fiber/mobile/data center/smart systems planning, forecasting, capacity modelling, and district connectivity.
• Strong multidisciplinary coordination background, working across design, construction, utilities, SEC, NWC, district cooling, authorities, MNOs, tower companies, fiber operators, data center operators, consultants, and contractors.
• Strong planning governance and delivery control experience, including review boards, baseline control, change management, phasing changes, progress monitoring, and risk management.

Additional Information

This employer is committed to equal opportunity at every level and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex including pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.

The organization emphasizes employee wellbeing and long-term growth, encouraging ambitious candidates to take on challenging opportunities.

Applicants should be aware of recruitment fraud and verify communications through official company channels only.