Area Director (Abu Dhabi)

Date : 06/01/2026

About The Role

Black & White Engineering is a multi-award-winning engineering consultancy, with over 1000 employees in teams based in our UK, European, Middle East and Asia Pacific offices. We have been providing a wide range of engineering consultancy services since 2007.

Reporting to the Regional Director/MD the purpose of this strategically important role is to lead and oversee a Black & White office, the team development, growth and profitable project delivery.

The Area Director will collaborate closely with the Black & White teams across locations on all facets of staffing, client development and delivery. They will strengthen and grow Black & White’s client and partner relationships and maintain surveillance on market conditions, emerging opportunities and key sectors for growth.

The Area Director will be responsible for developing and delivering the office business plan, aligned with the Regional business plan and objectives. Working in collaboration with business support functions, they will ensure the smooth and efficient running of the office, maintaining a positive

working environment for all.

Role Responsibilities

• Manage the Black & White office in line with the values and culture.
• Lead, mentor and develop the team to achieve project and business goals in line with the ARI and working to maximum efficiency, adhering/improving on the POW (Plan Of Work) hours.
• Manage difficult issues as they arise in a fair and reasonable manner.
• Assist in planning and managing office recruitment requirements in compliance with current process.
• Support the delivery of projects in accordance with the expectations of the project delivery process from a project management, financial management, QA/QC and technical review perspective.
• Proactively manage and monitor programmes, change process and financial reporting for assigned projects to ensure commercial and relationship risk avoidance and management.
• Identify design scope change and manage design fee change orders.
• Review and forecast project financial performance. Identify and mitigate forecast fee challenges, maintaining the GPF.
• Ensure teams are working to maximum efficient and POW (plan of work) efficiency.
• Ensure risk and performance monitoring analysis takes place through effective systems of internal control and delegation.
• Advise on all technical issues, planning, programming and sequencing of works, relationship issues, reporting, quality, philosophy and culture.
• Provide high quality management information and reports to line manager and other leaders as required.
• Attend and contribute to monthly management meetings (RMM), ensuring relevant cascade of business updates to project leads (LMM).
• Organise and present monthly office updates.
• Contribute to the collation of information for monthly regional reports to the board.
• Lead the delivery of the ongoing Black & White strategy for continuous improvement at an office level, bringing new ideas in innovations and systems.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with clients and client professional teams for all assigned Projects, personally troubleshooting as necessary.
• Represent the Company at technical meetings with customers, professional teams and contractor teams. Seek opportunities to attend industry events as a panel speaker for self and team.
• Travel locally and internationally as required to meet project and company needs
• Other reasonable duties as appropriate.
  
  

Additional Responsibilities (QHSE)

All roles include responsibility for health and safety in line with the requirements set out in the Employee Handbook.

• Proactively monitor project health & safety processes, culture and behaviours, ensuring compliance with the B&W QMS System
• Awareness of H&S policies and procedures and impact on yourself and team
• Ensure all staff members complete mandatory compliance training when required
• Report any accidents, incidents, near misses appropriately
  
  

Role Accountabilities

• Office management
• Client acquisition and management
• Leading a multi-disciplinary office, maintaining a productive and efficient working environment.
• Responsibility for leading a team of line managers who are accountable for developing a team of engineers.
• Responsible for managing team performance against team plan, with a focus on profitability
• Ultimately responsible for project decision making and resource management
  
  

Education and Training Requirement (minimum)

• BSc/BEng or HND/HNC in appropriate engineering discipline
• MCIBSE/MIET
• Chartered Engineer status (or working towards)
  
  

Experience Requirements (minimum)

• Prior experience of multi disciplinary people leadership
• Prior experience of leading complex MEP design for a range of building projects, particularly data centre applications.
• Experience and knowledge of relevant design software (e.g. AutoCAD, NES, Cymap)
• Prior experience of managing projects internationally.
• Prior working knowledge of applicable legal/regulatory requirements, codes and standards
• Prior experience of specification design for a range of building types
• Sound knowledge & working application of key Health and Safety issues and legislation
• Knowledge of MS Office applications Word, Excel etc
  
  

Getting Results and Working Together

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values:

ACCOUNTABILITY > Everyone is accountable.

INTEGRITY > We are straight talking, respectful and fair.

SIMPLICITY > Both in our approach and solutions.

SUPPORTIVE > We are approachable, inclusive and recognise success.

QUALITY > We strive to get it right first time, every time.

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