Chief Commercial Officer (CCO001)
Job Description:
Foreground is partnering with a leading Saudi conglomerate with active operations in infrastructure, logistics, and energy services to appoint a high-impact and strategy-driven Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Based in Riyadh and reporting directly to the Group CEO, this role carries full executive responsibility for building and optimizing commercial strategy across project delivery, revenue growth, and client partnership development throughout the Kingdom and select GCC markets.
Role Purpose
To define and lead a group-wide commercial strategy that strengthens client relationships, enhances bidding and pricing effectiveness, improves project win rates, and supports long-term revenue and margin growth across the companys core sectors in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and implement a high-performance commercial operating model across business development, key account management, tendering, pricing, and post-contract client management.
- Oversee the full business development lifecycle for major projects, including stakeholder mapping, opportunity qualification, proposal strategy, and executive client engagement.
- Introduce governance around pricing, deal structuring, and commercial risk assessment to enhance profitability and project selectivity.
- Manage the central commercial team and embed commercial accountability across project managers, sales leads, and operational heads.
- Lead negotiations for large-scale government and private sector contracts, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and risk tolerance.
- Introduce CRM systems and deal analytics to improve commercial decision-making and forecasting accuracy.
- Collaborate with project delivery and finance to ensure commercial alignment throughout the lifecycle, from pre-bid to project closeout.
- Act as the commercial face of the company in strategic partnerships, industry forums, and public-private dialogues.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- 15+ years of progressive commercial leadership experience, with at least 5+ years in a CCO, Commercial Director, or group-level BD leadership role.
- Strong background in capital-intensive industries such as infrastructure, energy, logistics, or EPC project delivery.
- Proven track record of winning and managing high-value projects in Saudi Arabia, with deep familiarity with governmental procurement, NEOM/Giga Project ecosystems, and public sector commercial frameworks.
- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Business, or Economics; MBA or relevant commercial certifications (e.g., CIPS, PMP) preferred.
- Strong command of deal structuring, risk-based pricing, and stakeholder negotiation in the Saudi context.
Preferred Skills & Traits
- Strategic, structured, and highly collaborative across finance, operations, and executive teams.
- Fluent in Arabic and English, with strong cultural literacy and established networks within Saudi Arabia.
- Charismatic leader with a high-performance mindset and hands-on execution style.
Required Skills:
Operations Project Delivery Strategic Partnerships Logistics CRM Arabic Partnerships Energy Accountability Risk Assessment Decision-Making Account Management Government Forecasting Analytics Infrastructure Economics Procurement Strategy Business Development Negotiation Finance Design Engineering Business English Leadership Sales Management