General Manager Engineering

Overview

Express Food Company seeks a dynamic leader to direct its Engineering division, supporting rapid growth in the Quick Service Restaurant sector. Reporting to the CEO, this executive will shape engineering strategies, oversee capital projects, restaurant development, maintenance, and daily engineering activities to ensure punctual restaurant launches, operational excellence, strict regulatory adherence, and sustainable expansion.

Role Purpose

The role involves guiding the Engineering department through strategic oversight of capital investments, restaurant projects, maintenance, and asset management to guarantee timely restaurant openings, compliance with regulations, optimized operational performance, and alignment with the company’s long-term growth and customer satisfaction goals.

Why Join Us

At Express Food Company, engineering is a core business driver fostering innovation, expansion, and high performance. As General Manager – Engineering, you will manage critical functions such as capital projects, development, maintenance, and governance for a fast-growing QSR chain, shaping future growth by ensuring efficient new openings, capital project delivery, asset optimization, and elevating the engineering team’s capabilities.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee the Engineering division, encompassing engineering operations, project management office (PMO), maintenance, and capital initiatives.
• Formulate and implement engineering strategies that promote business growth and operational excellence.
• Guarantee timely, on-budget, and quality-compliant execution of new restaurant openings, relocations, and refurbishments.
• Enhance engineering performance by improving asset reliability, equipment uptime, and maintenance efficiency across all outlets and facilities.
• Maintain engineering governance, uphold technical standards, and ensure compliance with Saudi health, safety, and regulatory frameworks.
• Manage capital and operational budgets for engineering while pursuing cost optimization and extending asset lifecycles.
• Develop a high-performing engineering team fostering responsibility, innovation, and continuous improvements.
• Build and sustain partnerships with consultants, contractors, suppliers, and stakeholders to secure successful project outcomes.
• Act as the top engineering consultant for the executive leadership by advising on engineering, infrastructure, and capital investments.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in civil, mechanical, electrical, industrial engineering, or a related field; a master's degree is advantageous.
• At least 10 years of progressive engineering experience, including a minimum of 8 years in senior management roles.
• Proven track record managing engineering, maintenance, PMO, and capital projects in large multi-site organizations.
• Experience in sectors like Quick Service Restaurants, Food & Beverage, Hospitality, Retail, FMCG, or Manufacturing.
• Successful history of managing large-scale expansion and time-sensitive construction projects.
• Strong financial skills managing CAPEX, OPEX, and engineering investments.
• Exceptional leadership, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and problem-solving abilities.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, CMRP, Lean Six Sigma are preferred.
• Fluency in English required, Arabic language skills are a plus.