Project Director - Research Facilities PMC
Posted date [2026-08-21]
(ID: 49979)
Job Description and Requirements
Project Director - Research Facilities PMCJob Snapshot
Role: Project Director - Research Facilities PMC
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Industry: Civil Engineering
Function: Project-Program Management
Experience: Minimum 20 years in planning, design, management, and delivery of major capital projects
Job Type: Full-time
Position Overview
Project Director - Research Facilities PMC in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a Civil Engineering leadership opportunity focused on the delivery of major research, laboratory, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and advanced technology facilities. Parsons Corporation is hiring an accomplished project leader to direct multidisciplinary teams, specialist consultants, contractors, operators, and stakeholders while maintaining strong control over safety, quality, schedule, cost, commercial performance, technical integration, and project handover.
Job Details
Country: United Arab Emirates
City: Dubai
Industry: Civil Engineering
Function: Project-Program Management
Salary: 55000-80000
Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer.
Gender: Any
Candidate
Nationality: Any
Job Type: Full-time
Role Context
The Project Director will provide executive-level leadership for large-scale research and development facilities delivered under a Project Management Consultancy model. The position will oversee the complete project lifecycle, from initiation and design coordination through procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, operational readiness, and final handover.
The role requires close management of technically complex environments that may include research laboratories, cleanrooms, specialist utilities, critical building services, advanced digital systems, and operationally sensitive technical spaces.
As the senior project representative, the Project Director will coordinate client priorities with delivery teams, consultants, contractors, suppliers, operators, and authorities. Strong governance and disciplined decision-making will be essential to maintaining project objectives while resolving technical, contractual, commercial, and stakeholder challenges.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead overall delivery of major research and development facility projects from initiation through commissioning and handover.
* Provide executive direction across technical, commercial, contractual, operational, and project control functions.
* Act as the primary senior interface with the client, operators, authorities, stakeholders, consultants, contractors, and project partners.
* Establish clear project objectives, governance mechanisms, reporting structures, and decision-making processes.
* Mobilize and lead multidisciplinary project teams across design, construction, commercial, technical, and operational disciplines.
* Oversee the integration of research laboratories, cleanrooms, specialist technical systems, and critical utilities.
* Ensure building services and digital infrastructure align with facility performance and operational requirements.
* Direct coordination between specialist designers, consultants, vendors, contractors, and end users.
* Identify project interface risks early and drive coordinated resolution across responsible parties.
* Oversee procurement strategy and ensure package planning supports project sequencing and delivery objectives.
* Manage contractor engagement and monitor package performance against agreed milestones.
* Provide oversight of contract administration, commercial performance, claims, and change management.
* Lead project planning and scheduling activities and maintain focus on critical path requirements.
* Monitor cost performance and ensure effective budget control across project phases.
* Establish risk management processes and maintain visibility of significant project threats and mitigation actions.
* Direct project change control and ensure scope changes are properly evaluated before implementation.
* Maintain strong quality assurance processes throughout design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
* Ensure HSE requirements are embedded in project planning and site delivery.
* Monitor compliance with applicable codes, standards, authority approvals, and regulatory requirements.
* Lead coordination of testing, commissioning, validation, and operational readiness activities.
* Ensure specialist systems are fully integrated and tested before facility acceptance.
* Oversee preparation of handover documentation, as-built records, O and M manuals, warranties, and training requirements.
* Maintain executive reporting on project progress, commercial status, risks, quality, safety, and key decisions.
* Resolve high-level stakeholder conflicts and remove blockers that could affect delivery.
* Maintain alignment between technical performance, client expectations, schedule, cost, and long-term operational requirements.
* Support final closeout and transition of completed facilities to the client and operating teams.
Ideal Profile
Candidates should hold a bachelor\'s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Project Management, or a related discipline.
A master\'s degree is preferred.
A minimum of 20 years of experience in the planning, design, management, and delivery of major capital projects is required.
Candidates should demonstrate significant experience delivering complex research, laboratory, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, high-tech, or other advanced technical facilities.
Strong familiarity with the design and construction requirements of research and development environments is essential, particularly where projects include specialist laboratories, cleanrooms, critical utilities, technical building systems, and operationally sensitive infrastructure.
The role requires proven ability to manage large multidisciplinary teams, consultants, contractors, suppliers, specialist vendors, and facility operators.
Candidates should have strong commercial, contractual, procurement, and claims management capability.
Extensive experience with project controls is required, including schedule management, cost control, risk management, quality, reporting, and change management.
Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills are essential.
Professional accreditation such as PMP, RICS, CEng, PE, or an equivalent recognized qualification is preferred.
Skills Set
Project-Program Management
Project direction
PMC leadership
Research facilities
Research laboratories
R and D facilities
Laboratory construction
Cleanrooms
Pharmaceutical facilities
Biotechnology facilities
High-tech facilities
Advanced technical facilities
Capital projects
Multidisciplinary leadership
Design management
Construction management
Technical integration
Specialist utilities
Critical utilities
Building services
Digital systems
Procurement management
Contract management
Commercial management
Claims management
Change control
Project controls
Cost management
Schedule management
Risk management
Quality assurance
HSE
Testing and commissioning
Operational readiness
Facility handover
Stakeholder management
Client management
Authority coordination
Consultant management
Contractor management
Vendor coordination
Project governance
Executive reporting
As-built documentation
O and M manuals
Project closeout
Why Join Us
Large-scale research and advanced technology developments are among the most technically demanding areas of Civil Engineering and project delivery. This role offers the opportunity to lead facilities where laboratories, specialist systems, digital infrastructure, building services, and operational requirements must be integrated with exceptional precision.
The position provides executive-level exposure to major capital project delivery, PMC leadership, complex procurement, commissioning, stakeholder management, and specialist facility development. Experience gained in this environment can support progression toward Program Director, Regional Project Leadership, Major Projects Executive, or broader infrastructure and capital delivery leadership roles.
About the Company
Parsons Corporation delivers engineering, infrastructure, technology, construction management, and program management solutions for complex projects worldwide. Its teams support major capital developments by combining multidisciplinary engineering, technical coordination, project controls, commercial management, construction supervision, and executive project leadership from early planning through final handover.
Job Type: Full-time
Role Context
The Project Director will provide executive-level leadership for large-scale research and development facilities delivered under a Project Management Consultancy model. The position will oversee the complete project lifecycle, from initiation and design coordination through procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, operational readiness, and final handover.
The role requires close management of technically complex environments that may include research laboratories, cleanrooms, specialist utilities, critical building services, advanced digital systems, and operationally sensitive technical spaces.
As the senior project representative, the Project Director will coordinate client priorities with delivery teams, consultants, contractors, suppliers, operators, and authorities. Strong governance and disciplined decision-making will be essential to maintaining project objectives while resolving technical, contractual, commercial, and stakeholder challenges.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead overall delivery of major research and development facility projects from initiation through commissioning and handover.
* Provide executive direction across technical, commercial, contractual, operational, and project control functions.
* Act as the primary senior interface with the client, operators, authorities, stakeholders, consultants, contractors, and project partners.
* Establish clear project objectives, governance mechanisms, reporting structures, and decision-making processes.
* Mobilize and lead multidisciplinary project teams across design, construction, commercial, technical, and operational disciplines.
* Oversee the integration of research laboratories, cleanrooms, specialist technical systems, and critical utilities.
* Ensure building services and digital infrastructure align with facility performance and operational requirements.
* Direct coordination between specialist designers, consultants, vendors, contractors, and end users.
* Identify project interface risks early and drive coordinated resolution across responsible parties.
* Oversee procurement strategy and ensure package planning supports project sequencing and delivery objectives.
* Manage contractor engagement and monitor package performance against agreed milestones.
* Provide oversight of contract administration, commercial performance, claims, and change management.
* Lead project planning and scheduling activities and maintain focus on critical path requirements.
* Monitor cost performance and ensure effective budget control across project phases.
* Establish risk management processes and maintain visibility of significant project threats and mitigation actions.
* Direct project change control and ensure scope changes are properly evaluated before implementation.
* Maintain strong quality assurance processes throughout design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
* Ensure HSE requirements are embedded in project planning and site delivery.
* Monitor compliance with applicable codes, standards, authority approvals, and regulatory requirements.
* Lead coordination of testing, commissioning, validation, and operational readiness activities.
* Ensure specialist systems are fully integrated and tested before facility acceptance.
* Oversee preparation of handover documentation, as-built records, O and M manuals, warranties, and training requirements.
* Maintain executive reporting on project progress, commercial status, risks, quality, safety, and key decisions.
* Resolve high-level stakeholder conflicts and remove blockers that could affect delivery.
* Maintain alignment between technical performance, client expectations, schedule, cost, and long-term operational requirements.
* Support final closeout and transition of completed facilities to the client and operating teams.
Ideal Profile
Candidates should hold a bachelor\'s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Project Management, or a related discipline.
A master\'s degree is preferred.
A minimum of 20 years of experience in the planning, design, management, and delivery of major capital projects is required.
Candidates should demonstrate significant experience delivering complex research, laboratory, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, high-tech, or other advanced technical facilities.
Strong familiarity with the design and construction requirements of research and development environments is essential, particularly where projects include specialist laboratories, cleanrooms, critical utilities, technical building systems, and operationally sensitive infrastructure.
The role requires proven ability to manage large multidisciplinary teams, consultants, contractors, suppliers, specialist vendors, and facility operators.
Candidates should have strong commercial, contractual, procurement, and claims management capability.
Extensive experience with project controls is required, including schedule management, cost control, risk management, quality, reporting, and change management.
Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills are essential.
Professional accreditation such as PMP, RICS, CEng, PE, or an equivalent recognized qualification is preferred.
Skills Set
Project-Program Management
Project direction
PMC leadership
Research facilities
Research laboratories
R and D facilities
Laboratory construction
Cleanrooms
Pharmaceutical facilities
Biotechnology facilities
High-tech facilities
Advanced technical facilities
Capital projects
Multidisciplinary leadership
Design management
Construction management
Technical integration
Specialist utilities
Critical utilities
Building services
Digital systems
Procurement management
Contract management
Commercial management
Claims management
Change control
Project controls
Cost management
Schedule management
Risk management
Quality assurance
HSE
Testing and commissioning
Operational readiness
Facility handover
Stakeholder management
Client management
Authority coordination
Consultant management
Contractor management
Vendor coordination
Project governance
Executive reporting
As-built documentation
O and M manuals
Project closeout
Why Join Us
Large-scale research and advanced technology developments are among the most technically demanding areas of Civil Engineering and project delivery. This role offers the opportunity to lead facilities where laboratories, specialist systems, digital infrastructure, building services, and operational requirements must be integrated with exceptional precision.
The position provides executive-level exposure to major capital project delivery, PMC leadership, complex procurement, commissioning, stakeholder management, and specialist facility development. Experience gained in this environment can support progression toward Program Director, Regional Project Leadership, Major Projects Executive, or broader infrastructure and capital delivery leadership roles.
About the Company
Parsons Corporation delivers engineering, infrastructure, technology, construction management, and program management solutions for complex projects worldwide. Its teams support major capital developments by combining multidisciplinary engineering, technical coordination, project controls, commercial management, construction supervision, and executive project leadership from early planning through final handover.
