Government Relations Officer (Local Permitting & Regulatory Specialist) — KSA

Job Title: Government Relations Officer (Permitting & Regulatory Specialist – Construction)
Location: Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Industry: Automotive / Industrial Construction Projects
Experience: 10–12+ years (KSA civil/industrial projects mandatory)
Languages: English (required). Arabic (strong advantage)

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced GRO / Permitting & Regulatory Specialist to support an automotive industrial construction program in Saudi Arabia. You will advise the project owner on local regulations, permitting, utilities connections, importation processes, schedule baselines, and cost assumptions, while identifying project risks and mitigation actions.

Key Responsibilities

Local regulatory & administrative processes

• Lead and advise on KSA construction administrative processes and local regulations (building permits, environmental permits, site servicing approvals).

• Provide and manage a clear list of required procedures and step-by-step process including timelines, documentation, submissions, and approvals.

• Support interfaces with local authorities and stakeholders for permits, certifications, and compliance.

Permitting & environmental approvals

• Building permit process: dossier content, submission process, typical review duration, and conformity certification.

• Environmental approvals: impact studies and operational agreements (classified installations, hazardous studies), including process, timelines, and certification.

• Site servicing approvals: water, gas, electricity, wastewater/rainwater discharge authorizations.

• Owner responsibility controls and measurements (water/air discharges, waste, electrical/pressurized/lifting equipment compliance).

Construction execution support

• Advise on KSA local standards for workplace design and typical construction practices (project organization, Design & Build, GC management).

• Assess major risks for industrial construction in KSA (location, climate, organization, technical, schedule, cost, quality, HSE) and propose mitigation plans.

• Provide guidance on free zone-specific construction processes (if applicable).

Cost intelligence & market inputs

• Provide construction cost benchmarks and ratios for buildings, roads, and utilities items (engineering + construction).

• Estimate labor cost benchmarks for key roles (PM, design engineers, draftsman/technicians, site manager, works leader, skilled workers, workers).

• Monitor construction inflation and provide forward-looking cost assumptions.

• Advise on material availability (imported vs locally available) and cost impact.

• Identify potential savings on local taxation (subsidies, exemptions, reductions) where applicable.

Importation of equipment

• Define procedures and cost impacts for importation of new or modified (“carry-over”) equipment from Europe and other regions (e.g., China, Brazil).

Planning & schedule management

• Build/validate detailed schedules for design, procurement, documentation, preliminary works, site installation (life base, temporary utilities).

• Provide macro/micro schedules by lot for platform, buildings, facilities, and infrastructure (roads, parking, utilities).

• Provide local standard work calendar (week/year), including typical holiday periods and special events (e.g., Ramadan).