OVERVIEW
NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a new future might look like. A region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, NEOM is being built from the ground up to include hyperconnected, cognitive cities, ports, next-generation infrastructure and industries, enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations.
As a destination, it will be a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation.
As a workplace, it is a place for people who share our core values of care, curiosity, diversity, passion, respect, and becoming a catalyst for change.
Are you ready to help NEOM find solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges? Are you prepared to create a legacy that benefits generations to come? Then we want to hear from you!
ROLE OVERVIEW
The Economic Development Director is responsible for engaging and managing relationships with key stakeholders across various sectors, including clients, partners, community groups, and internal teams.
The role requires a strategic approach to communication and engagement, ensuring that stakeholders are informed, involved, and supportive of the organization’s initiatives. The Economic Development Director will work closely with senior leadership and other departments to align stakeholder expectations with organizational goals.
REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY
- Experience: 12+ years in economic development, cluster/ ecosystem management, and policy formulation.
- Background: Roles in economic development agencies, consulting, government strategy units, or international organizations; private sector exposure preferred.
- Education: MBA, Engineering, Economics, or Public Policy degree from a top-tier institution.
- International Exposure: Experience across multiple countries; Middle East experience is a plus.
- Skills: Strong communication (written and verbal) and negotiation skills; Ability to manage public-private dialogue effectively.
- Expertise: Economic development policies and programs; Cluster development and market analysis; Trade and export dynamics.
- Language: Fluent in English; additional languages, especially Arabic, are a plus.
ROLE COMPETENCIES & ACTIVITIES
The Economic Development Director responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
- Orchestrate economic ecosystem activities jointly with
- NEOM industry leaders and regulators
- KSA key enablers and players
- Analyze global industry value chains and local implementation to develop ecosystem strategies and identify key competitive foundation enablers for ecosystems to develop growth initiatives and maximize competitiveness
- Formulate and implement strategies which would determine the future of industries, spanning the areas of innovation, productivity, internationalization, and human capital development, with a specific focus on the ecosystems of competence
- Play a key advisory role in steering ecosystems in their growth plans, providing recommendations for capability building, core acceleration actions, integration with other strategic projects and initiatives, and potential expansion
- Organize and facilitate collaboration and close coordination between ecosystem-specific stakeholders; prepare relevant data packs for ecosystem meetings
- Lead the execution and delivery of key projects and initiatives for ecosystem growth and enablement, coordinating with ecosystem stakeholders – including investment promotion and attraction
- Develop project management plans including current and critical path schedules for key initiatives and projects, taking steps to manage risks and ensuring timely escalations when critical path is impacted
- Liaise regularly with ecosystem stakeholders to ensure feedback on policies, regulations, land requirements and strategy is incorporated for continuous improvement
- Monitor progress of ecosystems against set KPIs (jobs and GDP contribution) and recommends areas of improvement and report on any major deviations from KPI targets; lead reviews with top management
Global Scanning & strategic positioning
- Actively participate in workshops and conferences to ensure connectivity with the latest thinking on economic development, and knowledge on new city developments around the world
- Build on the above to gain economic development within THE LINE
- Lend assistance to others in the senior leadership team on economic development
Change Management
- Stay informed about best practices in stakeholder management and apply them to enhance engagement strategies.
- Seek feedback from stakeholders to continuously improve the quality of engagement and communication.
- Promote transparency and accountability in all interactions with stakeholders.
- Identify potential risks associated with the change and develop strategies to mitigate them
- Develop a strategy that outlines the approach, resources and timelines for implementing the change.
Project Management
- Provide regular reports to senior management on stakeholder engagement status, risks, and opportunities.
- Use feedback and data to refine and improve stakeholder management strategies.
- Coordinate stakeholder involvement in projects, ensuring their feedback is integrated into planning and decision-making processes.
- Track and monitor stakeholder engagement activities and their impact on project outcomes.
Leadership
- Promote THE LINE’s vision, goals, economic development strategy and key results in support of NEOM’s objectives and in compliance with NEOM policies.
- Create and lead multi-disciplinary team and ensure the overall quality of its work
- Manage the performance of teams and individuals providing clear direction and regular monitoring and feedback on performance
- Provide coaching and mentoring to team and individuals and ensure their on-going learning and development
- Help instill a culture of development, guidance and performance
- Set performance objectives, provide necessary support, evaluate / appraise staff and provide regular feedback on performance
- Promote a high-performance working environment embracing NEOM’s values
- Implement a program of capacity development for the group
Culture and Values
- Embrace NEOM’s culture and Values https://www.neom.com/en-us/about.
- Act with honesty and integrity by following best practices, and upho
