Construction Manager | Rail Infrastructure MENA

Role Summary

An international infrastructure contractor seeks an experienced Construction Manager to lead the delivery of major rail infrastructure projects across the MENA region. This hands-on role demands deep expertise in railway construction, project controls, and multidisciplinary coordination to ensure projects are completed on schedule, within budget, and to the highest safety and quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end construction management for rail and transportation infrastructure projects, including trackworks, stations, depots, and civil structures.
• Develop and maintain detailed construction programmes using Primavera P6 or MS Project, monitoring progress against critical milestones.
• Manage subcontractor performance, commercial claims, and variation orders in alignment with contract terms (FIDIC, NEC).
• Enforce HSE compliance across all sites, implementing safety management systems per ISO 45001 and local regulations.
• Coordinate with design consultants, utility providers, and government authorities for approvals, permits, and interface management.
• Lead quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) processes, ensuring conformance to specifications, codes (AREMA, EN, BS), and employer's requirements.
• Prepare monthly progress reports, cash flow forecasts, and earned value analysis for senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Drive value engineering initiatives and constructability reviews to optimize cost and schedule.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or related field; Master's degree or PMP certification preferred.
• Minimum 15 years' total experience in heavy civil infrastructure, with at least 8 years in rail/metro construction in a senior management capacity.
• Proven track record delivering design-build or EPC rail projects valued over $500M in the Middle East or North Africa.
• Fluent in English; Arabic language proficiency is a strong advantage.
• Willingness to work on a rotational basis across MENA project sites.

Core Competencies & Skills

• Rail Systems Knowledge: Ballasted/ballastless track, signalling, electrification (OHL), rolling stock interfaces.
• Contract Management: FIDIC Red/Yellow/Silver Books, NEC3/4, claim preparation and dispute resolution.
• Planning & Controls: Primavera P6, Earned Value Management (EVM), critical path analysis, schedule risk assessment.
• Technical Standards: EN 50126 (RAMS), UIC codes, NFPA 130, local building and fire codes.
• Leadership: Multi-cultural team management, stakeholder negotiation, crisis management, mentoring site engineers.
• Digital Tools: BIM coordination (Navisworks, Revit), Aconex/Procore, drone surveying, 4D scheduling.