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