At A Glance
• Job Title: General Manager - Sports Turf Operations & Surface Solutions
• Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Salary: 40,000 - 45,000 AED/month (Approx. £8032 - £9036/month or $10,892 - $12,253/month)
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Start Date: ASAP
• Sector: Sports Turf Management
Are you an experienced leader in sports turf management looking for a dynamic role in a prestigious international organisation? Do you excel in both strategic oversight and technical leadership? This is an exceptional role for a General Manager to lead the Saudi Arabia operations of a leading company specialising in high-performance sports surfaces.
About Our Client:
Our client is a globally recognised leader in natural, hybrid, and artificial sports surfaces, delivering major projects for professional clubs, stadiums, training facilities, and sporting organisations worldwide. The Middle East division operates from Dubai and Riyadh, supporting a growing portfolio across the Gulf. In Saudi Arabia alone, the business maintains approximately 100,000m² of natural turf, predominantly within stadium environments.
About the Role:
Reporting to the Middle East Managing Director, you will lead the Saudi Arabia business while contributing to the wider GCC growth strategy. You will oversee senior managers across maintenance, construction, finance, and operations, with responsibility for budgets, P&L performance, business development, client satisfaction, project delivery, and people performance. Alongside this wider leadership remit, you will provide technical direction to the turf maintenance operation, ensuring agronomic programmes, machinery scheduling, maintenance budgets, and pitch-quality standards are consistently delivered across multiple sites.
Key Responsibilities:
• Lead the Saudi Arabia operation across maintenance, construction, finance, and commercial performance.
• Develop and implement strategic growth plans across Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC.
• Identify new business opportunities and build long-term relationships with clients, contractors, and strategic partners.
• Set and manage budgets, sales targets, P&L performance, and departmental objectives.
• Lead and develop senior managers, Turf Managers, supervisors, and operational teams.
• Oversee natural turf maintenance standards across multiple stadium and sports sites.
Skills and Experience:
Essential:
• Proven senior leadership experience within sports turf, grounds management, sports-surface construction, or a closely related sector.
• Strong technical knowledge of agronomy, fertiliser programmes, cultural practices, machinery, and pitch preparation.
• Experience leading large operational teams, ideally across multiple sites.
• Strong understanding of finance, HR, procurement, operations, and project delivery.
• Demonstrable experience managing budgets, cost control, and commercial performance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, client-management, and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• Ability to work effectively within an international and multicultural environment.
• Willingness to travel regularly throughout Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and internationally.
• Valid international driving licence.
Desirable:
• Previous experience working in Saudi Arabia, the GCC, or wider Middle East.
• Experience within professional stadiums, elite training facilities, or major sporting venues.
• Experience leading multicultural teams of 100–200+ employees.
Why Join our Client?
• Lead a high-profile operation within a globally recognised organisation.
• Work on prestigious projects for professional sports clubs and stadiums.
• Opportunity to influence strategic growth across the GCC.
• Collaborate with a diverse and talented team.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
To Apply
If you are a proactive leader with a passion for delivering outstanding projects, we want to hear from you! Join Chappell Enterprises UK in supporting our client's mission to deliver exceptional outdoor environments!
Chappell Enterprises UK is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and are a Disability Confident Employer, offering interviews to disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role.