Senior Project Manager - Utilities

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Project Overview:

This major mixed-use island development is being planned off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The program involves the creation and development of multiple reclaimed islands that will accommodate residential communities, retail and commercial districts, marinas, beaches, hospitality facilities, public realm, significant infrastructure works and supporting infrastructure. These works include strategic transportation links, roads, bridges, causeways, utilities corridors, marine infrastructure, coastal protection and related enabling works required to support the overall development. The Project Management Office (PMO) and Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services are responsible for providing program-wide leadership, governance, and delivery oversight across the entire development. The PMO/PMC manages planning, design, procurement, construction, interfaces, risks, approvals, cost, schedule, and stakeholder coordination.

Job Summary:

Bechtel is seeking an experienced and results-driven Senior Project Manager – Utilities to provide leadership and delivery oversight for utility infrastructure and associated enabling works within the Nisi Islands program. As part of the Project Management Consultant (PMC) team, the role will lead utility planning, design management, authority coordination, procurement coordination, construction oversight, testing, commissioning and handover, ensuring alignment with client objectives, contractual requirements, regulatory approvals, safety expectations and sustainability commitments.

The Senior Project Manager will act as the primary delivery lead for assigned utility packages, managing and coordinating the Lead Design Consultants, Construction Supervision Consultants, Executive Cost Consultant, contractors, utility providers, operators, developers and adjacent project packages. The role is accountable for integrating utility demand, capacity, routing, design, procurement, cost, schedule, quality, safety, risk, interfaces and stakeholder requirements and for driving timely resolution of issues affecting delivery.

The anticipated scope may include potable water, foul sewerage, stormwater drainage, irrigation, firewater, power distribution, substations, street lighting, telecommunications, ICT, district cooling, gas, utility corridors, bulk utility connections and transmission, utility buildings and plants, diversions, tie-ins, metering, testing, commissioning and associated enabling works. The final package scope will be confirmed as the design, procurement and contracting strategy develops. The Construction Manager – Infrastructure will support field execution where utility works form part of wider infrastructure packages, together with discipline engineers and the Construction Supervision Consultant.

Major Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership & Delivery: Provide strategic leadership for the safe, timely, and successful delivery of utility packages in accordance with program objectives, budgets, and schedules. Act as the primary client and PMC point of contact, providing clear advice, status reporting, and issue escalation.
• Team & Stakeholder Coordination: Lead, coach, and coordinate a multidisciplinary team. Oversee supervision consultants, design consultants, contractors, and suppliers. Foster collaboration with the client, delivery partners, utility providers, and regulatory authorities.
• Utility Strategy & Planning: Establish and implement the utility delivery strategy, including demand forecasting, capacity planning, utility phasing, resilience, governance, and execution priorities. Ensure utility corridors, reservations, and plant locations coordinate with the master plan, roads, and development parcels.
• Execution & Oversight: Oversee contractor planning, design coordination, procurement, mobilization, and construction. Review execution plans, methods, and temporary works proposals. Lead utility systems testing, commissioning, energization, connections, operational acceptance, and handover.
• Interface Management: Manage physical and operational interfaces between utility works, bridges, roads, island development, and adjacent packages. Oversee coordination between mainland connections, inter-island transmission, local networks, utility plants, and end-users.
• Program-Level Integration: Provide program-level leadership for strategy, capacity, design integration, and technical requirements. Coordinate with the SPM – Infrastructure for integrated infrastructure packages, construction access, diversions, and sequencing.
• Methodologies & Logistics: Oversee delivery methodologies, including network phasing, diversions, tie-ins, temporary services, and specialist utility logistics. Ensure relevant surveys, demand forecasts, capacity studies, and environmental requirements are factored into delivery decisions.
• Contract Administration & Controls: Support PMC’s Contractual/FIDIC Engineer responsibilities by ensuring package submissions and site records are complete and timely. Monitor scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, and risk baselines, directing recovery actions as needed. Support overall cost control and expenditure reporting.
• Compliance & Quality: Ensure works comply with approved designs, utility-provider requirements, inspection plans, and commissioning criteria. Verify environmental, sustainability, and operator requirements are incorporated into designs and contractor methods.
• Risk & Issue Resolution: Drive the identification and mitigation of delivery risks (e.g., capacity assumptions, crossings, long-lead equipment). Lead the resolution of technical, commercial, contractual, and interface issues, engaging specialist resources as required.
• Safety Leadership: Promote a strong safety culture. Verify that high-risk activities (excavations, confined-space, lifting, energization, live services work) are strictly controlled through approved plans and competent supervision.
• Handover & Asset Data: Ensure package records, as-built information, warranties, and handover requirements are progressively developed. Ensure asset data, GIS records, digital models, and O&M requirements are seamlessly integrated into final deliverables.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Requires bachelor's or master's degree (or international equivalent) and 15+ years of relevant experience or 19+ years of relevant work experience

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Proven leadership experience on large, complex utility and infrastructure programs involving multiple contracts, consultants, contractors, authorities, utility providers and delivery interfaces.
• Demonstrated knowledge of utility infrastructure planning and delivery, preferably including wet utilities, power distribution, telecommunications, district cooling, gas, drainage, utility corridors, bulk connections, utility plants and phased commissioning.
• Thorough understanding of the complete project lifecycle, including design development, contracting strategy, budget approval, procurement, mobilization, construction, commissioning, handover, closeout and warranty management. 
• Ability to integrate engineering, construction, project controls, commercial, procurement, quality, environmental and safety requirements into practical delivery decisions. 
• Working knowledge of utility authority approvals, environmental controls, construction logistics, temporary works and specialist utility systems and specialist equipment. 
• Strong commercial awareness, including change management, forecasting, cost control, contractor performance and contract administration. 
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, negotiation, communication, presentation and technical writing skills. 
• Ability to analyze complex information, make sound decisions under pressure and resolve non-standard issues using extensive professional judgment. 
• Experience within the UAE, Saudi Arabia or the wider GCC is preferred. 
• Fluent written and spoken English; Arabic language capability is advantageous but not essential. 
• Experience within a PMC or client delivery organization overseeing multiple consultants and contractors. 
• Experience managing interfaces between utility works and bridges, causeways, transport infrastructure, other utility systems and mixed-use development packages.

Total Rewards/Benefits:

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