Senior Technical Program Manager

Senior Technical Program Manager

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Level: Director

Mint Selection is partnering with a global venture platform operating at the forefront of critical and climate technologies. This organisation supports deep tech startups to commercialise and scale solutions that drive industrial decarbonisation, energy transition, and economic diversification.

As part of a major public-private initiative aligned with Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic transformation strategy, the platform is building sector-focused innovation studios designed to accelerate pilot deployment, industrial adoption, and investment into high-impact technologies.

We are seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager to lead complex, multi-stakeholder technical commercialisation programs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Opportunity

This is a senior leadership role responsible for designing, scoping, and delivering industrial innovation programs that connect startups with government entities, corporates, regulators, and investors.

You will operate at the intersection of engineering, strategy, and ecosystem development, bridging technical feasibility with commercial deployment. The role requires systems-level thinking, technical depth, and the ability to manage ambiguity across emerging technologies in mining, energy, mobility, and heavy industry.

You will serve as the accountable lead for end-to-end program delivery, ensuring pilots are technically robust, strategically aligned, and execution-ready.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical & Industrial Evaluation
• Source and evaluate emerging technologies and startups across mining, energy systems, mobility, and heavy industry.
• Assess technical readiness, engineering risk, commercial viability, and ecosystem fit.
• Conduct technical interviews, review market and investment trends, and synthesise findings into actionable program design.
• Pressure-test assumptions and troubleshoot complex technical and operational challenges.
• Balance engineering rigor with strategic commercialisation objectives.
• Ecosystem Intelligence & Strategic Insight
• Maintain strong awareness of startup, corporate, regulatory, and venture capital landscapes.
• Track technology signals, capital flows, and sector shifts to inform program development.
• Translate market intelligence into improved partnerships, stronger pilots, and higher-quality founder support.
• Proactively identify and cultivate strategic partners to expand commercialisation impact.Program Leadership & Execution
• Lead the full lifecycle of commercialisation programs, from scoping and defining success metrics to managing execution and delivery.
• Serve as primary point of accountability for milestones, deliverables, timelines, and stakeholder alignment.
• Build structured program plans, dashboards, reporting frameworks, and stakeholder communications.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with strategy, operations, finance, and ecosystem teams.
• Support the design of future programs and strategic growth initiatives.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or similar (Master’s preferred).
• 5-8+ years of progressive experience in technical leadership, industrial program management, or complex engineering environments.
• Strong background in mining, heavy industry, energy systems, mobility, or adjacent industrial sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-stakeholder technical programs from concept through implementation.
• High analytical capability with experience assessing engineering feasibility and commercialisation risk.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-accountability environments.
• Full professional fluency in English and Arabic is essential.

Highly Desirable

• Experience working with early-stage or growth-stage deep tech startups.
• Exposure to pilot projects, industrial demonstrations, or first-of-a-kind deployments.
• Background in venture diligence, open innovation, or corporate-startup collaboration models.

Why This Role?

This is a rare opportunity to sit at the centre of an emerging deep tech and industrial innovation ecosystem in the Middle East, shaping pilot programs that directly influence the deployment of next-generation technologies at scale.

You will work across government, industry, and venture stakeholders to accelerate solutions that matter globally.

If this aligns with your experience, or you would like to explore the mandate confidentially, please apply directly or reach out to Paula at Mint Selection for a discreet conversation.