Technical Director

Job Snapshot

Role: Technical Director - Metro Rail Systems

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad

Function: Project-Program Management

Experience: Minimum 25 years

Job Type: Full-time

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates

City: Dubai

Salary: 70,000 – 95,000 (Estimated range; final offer confirmed by employer)

Role Context

The Technical Director – Metro Rail Systems will direct the technical delivery of a complex Design and Build metro project while supporting the Project Director in overall programme leadership. The position requires broad technical command across stations, tunnels, viaducts, depots, architecture, MEP, BIM, railway systems, rolling stock, interface management, systems integration, and safety assurance. The successful professional will establish clear engineering direction, lead high‑level reviews, resolve major technical issues, and ensure that contractor designs are coordinated, compliant, buildable, and aligned with programme milestones.

The role will also provide senior representation to the client, authorities, stakeholders, and Design and Build contractor.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across civil works, railway systems, rolling stock, systems integration, interface management, and safety assurance.
• Act as Deputy Project Director and support programme‑level decisions affecting scope, quality, schedule, risk, and technical delivery.
• Lead multidisciplinary reviews of contractor designs, calculations, reports, drawings, specifications, and technical submissions.
• Oversee the review of stations, tunnels, viaducts, depots, architecture, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and BIM deliverables.
• Direct technical assurance across signalling, telecommunications, traction power, trackwork, platform systems, control systems, depot equipment, and associated railway technologies.
• Ensure engineering progress remains aligned with the approved project schedule.
• Monitor the technical performance and progress of engineering services across all project disciplines.
• Confirm that civil infrastructure, railway systems, rolling stock, and operational requirements are fully coordinated.
• Ensure compliance with Employer requirements, contract provisions, authority regulations, applicable standards, and recognised good practice.
• Chair senior design review meetings and Design Control Point gate reviews.
• Establish disciplined technical governance, decision‑making, and approval procedures.
• Review complex engineering issues and issue clear technical recommendations.
• Make or endorse high‑impact technical decisions within delegated authority.
• Review engineering change requests and assess their effect on performance, safety, cost, programme, and operability.
• Evaluate value engineering proposals and determine whether they preserve contractual, technical, and lifecycle requirements.
• Resolve major interfaces between stations, tunnels, viaducts, depots, systems, rolling stock, utilities, and external stakeholders.
• Lead coordination between civil engineering, railway technology, operations, maintenance, testing, and commissioning teams.
• Support integrated testing and commissioning of civil works, rail systems, and rolling stock.
• Ensure systems and safety assurance requirements are embedded throughout design and delivery.
• Review technical risks and direct the preparation of practical mitigation measures.
• Represent the Engineer’s team in senior meetings with client leadership, contractors, regulators, and strategic stakeholders.
• Present technical status, key risks, engineering decisions, and required actions to executive audiences.
• Coordinate with authorities and regulatory bodies on approvals, compliance, and technical acceptance.
• Guide discipline leaders and promote consistent engineering standards across the project.
• Support recovery planning where technical performance or design progress falls behind programme expectations.
• Maintain alignment between technical delivery, project controls, commercial management, construction supervision, and stakeholder commitments.
• Promote a project culture based on engineering integrity, safety, integration, accountability, and delivery certainty.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Master’s degree in engineering, transport systems, or project management is preferred.
• Professional Engineering registration or equivalent chartered status is desirable.
• Minimum 25 years of rail engineering experience.<