Executive Operations Manager

Position Information

- Organization: UNDP Saudi Arabia, through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC).

- VA No. VA26/159

- Project: Support to the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC)

- Position Title: Executive Operations Manager

- Duty Station: Jeddah/Makkah - RCMC Office

- Duration: 6 Months with possibility of extension

- National or International Consultant: Saudi National

- Vacancy Date of Issue: 7 September 2026

- Vacancy Closure Date: 13 September 2026

- Expected Starting Date: As soon as possible

Development and Public-Service Context This assignment forms part of UNDP's technical assistance to the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC), aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and supporting the delivery of sustainable, resilient, and high-quality public services in Makkah and the Holy Sites. Makkah experiences exceptional seasonal population pressures associated with Hajj and Umrah, placing significant demands on urban infrastructure, public services, institutional coordination, and service delivery. By strengthening executive operations, coordination, communication, and follow-through within RCMC, this assignment contributes to improved institutional effectiveness and supports broader development objectives related to urban resilience, sustainable service delivery, and the effective functioning of a city serving millions of residents, pilgrims, and visitors each year. To review the job description, please click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hwoedd4q2tcslW_qm3dOVv47sxco2yaA/view?usp=sharing Project Description Makkah City is one of the two holy cities of Islam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the other being Madinah City. The two holy sites attract millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims every year. Indeed, the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages are the backbone of Makkah’s economy. However, the total population of Makkah City over the Hajj period reaches over 4 million, almost doubling the population density and severely straining infrastructure and services. Nonetheless, a key goal of the Saudi Vision 2030 — the Kingdom’s long-term development blueprint launched in 2016 which aims to cut Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, while promoting new sectors, from manufacturing and financial services to culture and tourism — is to provide quality services to 30 million international Umrah visitors (in addition to ~15 million local visitors) every year by 2040, almost tripling the international Umrah capacity existing today. The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC) was established by Royal Decree as a result of KSA’s commitment to improve the pilgrimage experience within Makkah and to transform the city. Its primary mandate is to improve services in Makkah City and the Holy Sites in a manner that is commensurate with their sanctity, with the overall aim of enhancing, strengthening, and evolving the city of Makkah for the benefit of all. The RCMC’s vision for the City of Makkah is of a polycentric, liveable, cultural, tourist-friendly, resilient, and sustainable city in 2040. A Plan which consists of four Streams: Update of Makkah City’s Development Strategy (Stream A), development of a Spatial Development Framework (Stream B), development of a Detailed Masterplan for the Central Area (Stream C), and finally, development of Al Mashaer Concept Master Plan (Stream D) for the target year of 2040 (Plan) . Stream A covers the entire RCMC boundary (approx. 2700 km2); while taking the entire RCMC boundary, Stream B covers the Haram envelope (approx. 560km2), Stream C the Central Area inside holy Makkah’s second ring road (approx. 6km2), while Stream D covers the Masha’er area along with its recognized buffer zone (approx. 32 km2). Work on this Plan via a selected international consortium of over 10 world-renowned companies has commenced in February 2024. The RCMC seeks to be an effective contributor to the achievement of the ambitious objectives of KSA Vision 2030 and to provide quality services to 30 million Umrah visitors annually by 2040 as will be stipulated by the Plan. One of the main subject areas to be addressed in the Plan will be Utilities in a comprehensive manner with the aim of plugging in any existing gaps and providing an adequate and integrated utilities network that is efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly towards 2040. The RCMC is the main beneficiary of the Support to the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites Project through which UNDP will provide technical assistance, quality control, advisory services, and capacity development support over a period of 24 months starting from December 2023 to strengthen the capacity of the RCMC to deliver on its mandate, fulfil its responsibilities and achieve its vision for Makkah City and the specific objectives of the Plan while also contributing to the realization of KSA Vision 2030.

Scope of Work

The Royal Commission for Makkah City & Holy Sites (RCMC) is seeking a highly capable, experienced, and proactive Executive Operations Manager to provide dedicated operational and executive support to a senior executive within the RCMC. The primary purpose of the role is to maximize the executive's effectiveness by taking ownership of the administrative, coordination, communication, and follow-up activities surrounding their work, enabling greater focus on strategic priorities and decision-making. This is a high-trust role requiring exceptional organization, accuracy, judgment, written communication, and follow-through. The successful candidate will be expected to operate with a high degree of independence, progressively develop a strong understanding of the executive's priorities and working context, and take ownership of matters through to closure without requiring continuous direction or follow-up. Key Responsibilities a. Executive & Calendar Management - Take full ownership of the executive's calendar administration and s