Operations Readiness

About us:

Dokainish & Company is a global organization that has been providing world class professional consultancy services since 2011. We have recently launched our MENA operations, headquartered in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. This opportunity will also expand our operations into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to support major government and private sector clients across aviation, infrastructure, construction, and large-scale capital development programs, reinforcing our long-term commitment to the region and our role in supporting visionary national transformation initiatives.

Overview:

Dokainish & Company is seeking an experienced ORAT (Operations Readiness & Airport Transfer) Specialist to support operational readiness, transition planning, and operational trials for major airport and complex facility programs. The role will lead ORAT planning and delivery activities, manage stakeholder readiness, develop training and SOPs, and coordinate operational trials to ensure a safe, efficient, and risk-aware handover to operations.

This is a full-time position, and the selected candidate must be based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead preparation and delivery of ORAT plans, readiness checklists, and transition schedules for airport and complex facility handovers.

• Plan, coordinate, and execute operational trials and rehearsals (simulations, process walkthroughs, dry runs, live trials) to validate processes, systems, and interfaces.

• Develop stakeholder readiness programs, including role-based training, briefings, command center exercises, and continuity plans.

• Design and deliver training curricula, competency matrices, SOPs, job aids, and training assessment frameworks for operational teams.

• Prepare and maintain readiness dashboards, risk registers, issues logs, and action trackers to support executive reporting and decision making.

• Coordinate cross-functional readiness activities across operations, security, IT, terminal systems (BHS, FIDS, CUTE/CUSS), ground handling, catering, and contractor teams.

• Manage transition governance, handover protocols, and acceptance criteria including KPIs for operational readiness.

• Facilitate stakeholder workshops, tabletop exercises, and change management interventions to embed new processes and behaviours.

• Oversee data collection and performance measurement during trials, analyse results, and drive corrective action plans.

• Support contingency planning, crisis response rehearsals, and resilience verification during the handover phase.

Candidate Profile

• Practical ORAT practitioner with a track record of delivering operational readiness for airports or similarly complex environments.

• Highly organised, analytical, and delivery-focused with the ability to translate trial outcomes into practicable corrective actions.

• Strong communicator and trainer who can influence stakeholders from frontline staff to executive sponsors.

• Comfortable working in cross-discipline teams and under tight project timelines to achieve safe and measurable readiness outcomes.

• Proactive problem solver who anticipates risks, drives mitigation, and ensures a disciplined handover to operations.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Aviation, Operations Management, or a related discipline.

• 10+ years of ORAT experience in airports or other large/complex operational facility projects.

• Proven experience in planning and delivering operational trials, stakeholder readiness, transition planning, and training/SOP development.

• Demonstrable experience coordinating with airport operators, ground handlers, regulators, and internal/external stakeholder groups.

• Must have full professional proficiency in the English language.

Technical Skills

• Skilled in ORAT methodologies, operational trials design, and readiness assessment frameworks.

• Experience with passenger/process flow modelling, queuing analysis, and operational KPI development.

• Competent with project and reporting tools (Primavera P6 or MS Project preferred), Power BI, and advanced Excel for dashboards and reporting.

• Familiarity with airport systems (BHS, FIDS, CUTE/CUSS, resource management systems) and operational command centre practices is desirable.

• Strong facilitation skills for workshops, training delivery, and multi-stakeholder coordination.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Aviation, Operations Management, or equivalent.

• Preferred certification: IATA ORAT Training or equivalent aviation operations / ORAT certification is advantageous.

Location & Mobility

• KSA-based

• Regional travel flexibility required

Note: This role description is intended to provide a general overview of the position. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, or qualifications required.