Director - Business Planning. SN7

Role Overview

Director - Business Planning (SN7) at Qiddiya Investment Company. This role is based at the company's headquarters.

Role Purpose

Lead the development, implementation, and governance of standardized business planning processes, frameworks, and compliance standards across all business units. Provide structured planning support to development teams, oversee stage gate governance requirements, and ensure consistent application of business planning methodologies aligned with organizational investment and execution priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Business Planning Standards and Framework Development

• Lead the development and periodic update of standardized business planning processes, procedures, templates, and tools aligned with the stage gate process.
• Ensure the consistent application of business planning standards and methodologies across all business unit submissions, reviewing outputs for compliance and providing guidance to business unit teams where gaps or deviations are identified.
• Lead the maintenance of the central business planning repository, ensuring approved templates, standardized methodologies, and validated business plans are version-controlled, current, and accessible to authorized stakeholders.

Business Plan Development Support and Compliance Review

• Lead business unit Development Financial Analysis teams in the preparation of five-year execution plans, providing structured business planning guidance throughout the plan development process to promote consistency with established planning standards.
• Review, validate, and assess the compliance of development business plans submitted at each stage gate, ensuring submissions reflect approved scope, financial assumptions, realistic execution timelines, and established business planning standards prior to governance review.
• Provide structured feedback to business unit Development Financial Analysis teams on business plan submissions requiring refinement, ensuring identified gaps are addressed and submissions satisfy business planning and governance requirements prior to resubmission.

Strategic Planning Support and Governance

• Support development relevant stakeholders in strategic business planning by providing planning analysis, portfolio insights, and recommendations to inform development priorities and organizational decision-making.
• Liaise with business unit Development Financial Analysis leaders through the Finance Project Control Group to communicate business planning standards, gather implementation feedback, and promote the consistent adoption of approved business planning methodologies.
• Oversee the business plan governance process, ensuring governance requirements are effectively coordinated, business plan submissions comply with established governance obligations, and governance deliverables are prepared in accordance with committee and stage gate requirements.

Policies, Processes, and Procedures

• Lead the implementation of a comprehensive framework of policies and procedures for the Business Planning function, while establishing a system for monitoring and improving the framework, and drive the implementation of industry-leading practices.

Stakeholder Management

• Support the Business Planning Lead in engagements for the Business Planning function, building towards open communication and accountability among key stakeholders.

Change Management

• Lead initiatives for continuous improvement of the Business Planning function systems, processes, and practices, relevant in the QIC environment, and take actions where needed.

Reporting

• Support preparation of accurate and timely reporting for the Business Planning function, so that all reports support the wider business and meet Qiddiya's needs and standards.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field (required).
• Master's degree in Finance, Real Estate Finance, Business Administration (MBA), Economics, or a related field (preferred).
• Professional certifications or memberships within recognized finance, investment, or real estate institutes such as CFA, ACCA, CIMA, or RICS (preferred).
• 8–12 years of experience in development finance, real estate business planning, financial analysis, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in accountability of construction of real estate assets, business planning and financial analysis within a real estate development or comparable large-scale development environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting structured business planning and execution processes, reviewing and validating development business plans across multiple asset classes, and supporting structured stage gate governance processes.
• Deep expertise in development business planning with hands-on experience across diverse asset classes and development typologies.
• Advanced understanding of development governance and investment approval processes, including the ability to review and challenge business plan submissions against organizational standards to ensure they are accurate, complete, and ready for senior leadership endorsement.

Skills & Competencies

• Fluency in written and verbal English (required); proficiency in Arabic (advantageous).
• Interprets complex information and analysis to inform decision-making and address ambiguity.
• Manages relationships with internal and external stakeholders, facilitating cross-functional collaboration and ensuring alignment on priorities and initiatives.

Additional Information

• Management may assign additional tasks beyond those outlined in this job description as necessary.