Director Transaction Advisory

Here at Buro Happold, expect the exceptional

From the projects you will work on to the clients we partner with. From career‑defining opportunities to an inclusive and diverse practice where everyone contributes to a more equitable world. From our reputation to our relationships. Wherever your Buro Happold career takes you, it will be anything but ordinary.

Buro Happold is supporting the transformation of cities and public services across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, aligned with Vision 2030, national transformation programmes, and public‑sector reform agendas. As Director – Transaction Advisory within our Municipal Services team, you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping, structuring, and delivering complex public‑sector transactions across the region.

Based in KSA, you will lead Transaction Advisory services across priority municipal sectors including urban services, mobility, utilities, public realm, mixed‑use development, sport and social infrastructure. You will work closely with senior public‑sector stakeholders and delivery entities.

This role offers a rare opportunity to combine deep KSA market understanding, strong knowledge of the local NCP PPP lifecycle framework, and global best practice to help public authorities structure bankable, resilient, and outcome‑driven transactions that deliver long‑term value for citizens.

• Lead the Transaction Advisory strategy in KSA and the GCC for public‑sector projects, aligned with Buro Happold’s regional growth.
• Originate and lead PPP, privatization, and transaction advisory engagements, including project screening, feasibility studies, business cases, value‑for‑money assessments, and procurement strategies.
• Advise public‑sector clients across the full PPP lifecycle, including project identification, structuring, market sounding, procurement, bid evaluation, and support through financial close.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior government, municipal, and delivery authority leadership, supporting decisions on service delivery models, private‑sector participation, and long‑term operating arrangements.
• Provide expert advice on commercial, contractual, and risk‑allocation structures, ensuring transactions are bankable, compliant with KSA frameworks, and aligned with policy and affordability objectives.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams (engineering, planning, operations, digital, economics) to deliver integrated, technically robust, and commercially sound transaction solutions.
• Lead high‑level client engagements, workshops, negotiations, and market‑facing interactions with government entities, investors, developers, operators, and lenders.
• Drive business development across KSA and the GCC, including strategic client relationships, opportunity origination, bid leadership, and framework participation.
• Represent Buro Happold with NCP, municipalities, ministries, and key industry stakeholders, strengthening our position as a trusted advisor in PPP and public‑sector transactions.
• Mentor and develop regional advisory talent, building a strong, locally grounded Transaction Advisory capability within the Municipal Services team.
• Oversee portfolio performance, ensuring quality assurance, commercial success, and effective risk management across advisory commissions.

You will bring a combination of regional credibility, transaction expertise, and senior‑level leadership experience.

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related discipline; a postgraduate qualification is highly desirable.
• Significant experience in Transaction Advisory, PPP, or Commercial Advisory, gained within a leading consultancy, advisory firm, or financial institution.
• Strong, demonstrable experience in the KSA market, including a clear understanding of government structures, procurement regulations, and the NCP PPP process/Framework.
• A proven track record delivering PPP, privatization, or investment transactions across municipal, infrastructure, or public‑service sectors in KSA and/or the GCC.
• Deep understanding of project delivery models, operating models, funding and…