Senior Development Director - Residential

Our client is seeking a Senior Development Director to lead the front-end development of a substantial portfolio of villas, apartments and townhouses in Riyadh.

The role sits within a major destination-led development and carries influence across product strategy, feasibility, design direction, commercial planning, and delivery readiness.

This is a senior client-side development appointment for someone who has created and delivered residential product, rather than managed construction after the principal development decisions have already been taken.

The role

You will lead a portfolio of villas and townhouse developments through the early and middle stages of the development lifecycle.

Your remit will include:

• Leading projects from initial feasibility through to delivery readiness
• Defining product strategy, unit mix, positioning, phasing, and development briefs
• Owning feasibility studies, financial modelling, business planning, and commercial optimisation
• Balancing market demand, product quality, design, cost, programme, and profitability
• Managing masterplanning, design development, consultants, approvals, and procurement strategy
• Testing and challenging assumptions across design, commercial, and delivery teams
• Representing the development function in senior stakeholder and investment discussions
• Building effective relationships with internal teams, external consultants, authorities, and delivery partners
• Improving development governance, decision-making, and processes across the portfolio

Although the role retains accountability across the full development cycle, its principal focus is the front end, where product, investment, and development strategy are established.

The person

You will be an experienced client-side residential developer with a strong record of delivering villas, townhouses, housing communities, or comparable low-rise residential product.

You should bring:

• Substantial residential development experience gained with a recognised developer, investor, or development organisation
• A clear record of leading multiple projects from feasibility and product definition through design and into delivery
• Strong financial appraisal, feasibility, and commercial decision-making capability
• Experience defining residential products, unit mixes, positioning, and development briefs
• The ability to balance design quality with commercial performance, programme, and delivery risk
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams, consultants, and senior stakeholders
• The credibility to present recommendations, defend a business case, and challenge constructively
• Stable career tenure and evidence of increasing responsibility
• Middle East development experience is preferred, but not essential
• A recognised university degree is required, with real estate, finance, or commercial qualifications advantageous

Candidates should be able to describe the residential projects they have led in specific terms, including unit numbers, product type, market positioning, project scale, development stages, and their personal accountability.

This is not a pure project management, design management, construction delivery, operations, asset management, sales, or marketing role. Candidates whose experience is predominantly contractor, PMC, consultancy, or site delivery-led will not match the mandate.

The opportunity

The successful candidate will join a residential business responsible for creating new neighbourhoods within one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant destination-led developments.

The villas and townhouses portfolio forms an important part of the wider residential strategy.

This appointment will help determine what is developed, how the product is positioned, how the commercial case is structured, and how projects are prepared for successful delivery.

The role offers long-term portfolio scale, direct access to senior decision-makers, and real influence over the development direction.