Director - Operation

Redefining Sustainability | Innovating for the Future | Creating a Lasting Impact

Botanica is a subsidiary of Red Sea Global and is part of the Red Sea Global Group of companies. We specialize in providing dedicated sustainable greenery across Red Sea Global’ s destinations ensuring careful integration of new species with local flora.

As a subsidiary, Botanica benefits from shared strategic goals and collaborative initiatives within the Red Sea Global group of companies, enhancing our ability to serve our clients effectively.

Spanning over 1 million square meters, driving our planet-first approach to sustainability. Since 2020, we have cultivated over 5 million plants, with an ambitious goal of 30 million by 2030, shaping the natural landscapes of The Red Sea & Amaala. With a team of passionate professionals—40% from the local community—and an unwavering commitment to ecological harmony, we are pioneering new global benchmarks in sustainable development.

Why Join Us?

• Sustainability at Scale: Be part of a project that’s transforming landscapes and preserving biodiversity.
• Innovate & Grow: Work with industry experts in a fast-evolving environment.
• Global Recognition: Join a company shaping the future of sustainable tourism and development.
• Work in a Natural Paradise: Contribute to world-class projects in breathtaking locations.

Be the Change. Join the World’s Most Visionary Developer

Job Purpose:

• Lead the operational backbone of the 180-hectare (1,850,400 m²) Botanica site: field operations and plant maintenance, plant protection, irrigation and water management (2,000–4,000 m³ per day from TSE and desalinated sources), soil mix and growing media, logistics, receiving and dispatch, and facilities, fleet and workshops.
• The role ensures that plants stay healthy, orders leave on time and complete, and the site runs safely and efficiently for every business unit.

Job Responsibilities:

Field Operations & Plant Maintenance:

• Keep all nursery areas organized and ready: planting zones (1,533,100 m²), shading (173,800 m²) and mother stock areas.
• Run routine maintenance of nursery stock (weeding, pruning, spacing, cleaning) and monitor plant health daily.
• Apply plant protection measures under the IPM and biosecurity programme set by R&D & Biosecurity.

Irrigation & Water Management     

• Design, operate and maintain the irrigation network and pump stations; set irrigation schedules by zone and season.
• Monitor water quality, flow and consumption; reduce freshwater use through TSE, drip and smart irrigation.
• Maintain contingency plans for water supply interruption and system failure during peak heat.

Soil Mix & Growing Media    

• Source raw materials with Procurement and produce consistent soil mixes and substrates to approved recipes.
• Supply internal sections and external clients (soil revenue stream); test and record batch quality.

Logistics, Receiving & Dispatch      

• Receive local and imported plants and materials; hand over to Biosecurity for inspection and quarantine where required.
• Plan and execute dispatch against confirmed orders: picking, loading, transport and delivery documentation.
• Coordinate imports through the bonded facility with Procurement; keep stock movement records accurate.

Facilities, Fleet & Workshops          

• Run preventive and corrective maintenance plans for facilities, greenhouses, shade structures and equipment.
• Manage fleet availability, utilization and compliance; run the workshops and the asset register.

Cost, Resources & Performance      

• Own the Nursery Operations budget: labour, water, energy, fuel, spares and maintenance.
• Allocate manpower, machinery and transport across sections and support Production and Landscape Maintenance requests.
• Report KPIs monthly and name operational risks early with corrective actions.

People, HSSE & Leadership 

• Lead section heads, supervisors and operatives; set competency and training standards.
• Control high-risk activities: machinery, chemicals, lifting, driving and heat stress, with HSSE.
• Deliver the fixed responsibilities of a Department Head (Section 11.1).

Policies, Systems, Processes & Standards 

• Follow and enforce all relevant Botanica and RSG Group policies, delegation of authority (DoA), processes, standard operating procedures and instructions so that work is carried out in a controlled, auditable and consistent manner.

Safety, Quality & Environment        

• Apply and champion the safety, quality and environmental management system (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001) and the compliance management system (ISO 37301) to ensure employee safety, legislative compliance, high-quality products and services, and a responsible environmental attitude.

Continuous Improvement    

• Identify and lead opportunities to improve the department's systems, processes and practices against international best practice, with a focus on cost reduction, productivity improvement and client value.

Job Requirements:

Qualification and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering, Agriculture, Horticulture, or Mechanical or Civil Engineering.
• Minimum 15 years in nursery, agricultural, landscape or facility operations, of which at least 7 years leading field operations with a workforce of 200+.
• Proven experience in irrigation and water management in arid climates, logistics, and fleet and facility maintenance, preferably in KSA or the GCC.

Skills:

• Irrigation systems, pump stations and water efficiency.
• Logistics, dispatch planning and stock control.
• Maintenance planning (CMMS) and asset management.
• Cost control and HSSE leadership; fluent English, Arabic preferred.

Job Context:  

• Nursery Operations serves every business unit: Production depends on it for water, soil and site care, Landscape Maintenance for soil, transport and equipment, and Commercial for on-time dispatch.
• Failures are fast and expensive: an irrigation outage in summer heat can kill stock within days, and equipment breakdowns at peak dispatch delay client projects.
• The role must run on prevention and redundancy, and raise risks before they become losses.

Functional (Technical) Competencies:

• Field & Site Maintenance Operations - Expert
• Irrigation Systems Design & Management - Expert
• Preventive Equipment & Facility Maintenance - Advanced
• Soil Mix Preparation & Media Consistency Control - Advanced
• Inventory & Logistics Coordination - Advanced
• Operational Performance Monitoring & Reporting - Advanced
• Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance - Advanced
• Integrated Pest & Disease Control Application - Intermediate