Safety Assurance Director

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!   At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.   Job Description: Parsons are looking for a highly experienced Safety Assurance Director to join their team! The Director, Safety Assurance leads the development and implementation of safety assurance (SA) strategies, plans, systems and processes for infrastructure, the built environment and related assets (e.g. rolling stock etc.) across Qiddiya’s Transport Business Unit (TBU) portfolio of projects. This strategic leadership role involves working closely with multi-disciplinary project teams and their supply chains to ensure safety and technical requirements and outputs support TBU’s objectives and ensure compliance with regulatory and industry standards frameworks. The post holder works closely with TBU functions and project teams and QIC Districts to ensure alignment QIC’s “Safety First” culture, and TBU safety goals, objectives and internal and external stakeholder expectations. The role ensures that TBU portfolio SA requirements (e.g. meeting statutory obligations, complying with industry standards and codes, adopting international best-practice etc.) are clearly defined and fully integrated into the planning, design and execution of all projects within TBU to reflect industry best practice and ensure compliance with third-party authorizing agency requirements. The role complements a multidisciplinary systems engineering team committed to delivering an integrated, safe, high performance transportation system covering different modes, that meets user needs, regulatory standards, and long-term sustainability goals. Our mission is to guide the system lifecycle from concept to commissioning with clarity, discipline and integrity. The role will be a key part of the decision points between transitions from design and development, construction and handover into operations. What You'll Be Doing Develop and implement safety assurance strategies, plans and supporting processes and tools required to ensure TBU meets its statutory obligations for securing all necessary transport system safety and technical approvals authorizations across the TBU portfolio in a timely and efficient manner, supporting designated project Duty Holders’ as required. Act a role model for TBU leadership behaviors, in line with Qiddiya values, leading by example as a positive and engaging presence within the TBU team. Develop the TBU’s project lifecycle for safety assurance (incl. V&V and Safety Risk) and supporting processes, milestones, recommendations, analysis and any other required information for leadership, in conjunction with each TBU project’s requirements and industry best practice (e.g. ISO15288, EN50126/29, EN50716). Ensure TBU-specific safety assurance requirements are effectively communicated to, and shared with, relevant QIC Corporate Departments (e.g. Security & Resilience, Fire & Life Safety etc.) and other relevant BUs and Districts to ensure robust cross-BU alignment and efficient and compliant project delivery. Ensure that the system safety risks are managed to an acceptable level, demonstrating that system safety risk being both tolerable and as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Define the V&V strategy and evidence framework, ensuring requirements (including hazards, RAM targets and operational needs) are verified and validated prior to formal acceptance. Ensure TBU and suppliers (e.g. Duty Holders) meet their obligations with regard to the provision of mandatory independent assessment resources (e.g. Client’s Engineer, Product-level ISA, Approved Bodies (e.g. Notified Bodies etc.), TGA-approved Independent Competent Persons (ICP)) etc. Develop and enhance as required TBU leadership and projects teams’ knowledge and understanding of safety assurance requirements (e.g. TGA Railway Guidance, industry standards (e.g. ISO15288, IEC61508, NFPA 130 etc.) and industry best practice (e.g. through COMET benchmarking) to ensure effective and timely project delivery and legal compliance. Support the development of TBU safety risk tools and techniques (e.g. HAZOPs, FMEAs etc.) and conduct TBU-wide and project specific workshops as required in accordance with industry best practice and international standards (e.g. Common Safety Method (CSM), EN 50126 etc.). Plan and conduct TBU performance monitoring activities including systems assurance audits and planned inspections and co-ordinate, and participate in, as required, third-party Duty Holder and authorizing agency activities (e.g. TGA site inspections, supplier FATs, emergency planning exercises etc.). Work closely with the Director, Systems Engineering to ensure arrangements are in place to provide inputs, status reporting on project and supplier progress against related their Safety Plans and deliverables. Work closely with the Director, Safety Certification & Regulation to ensure arrangements are in place to provide inputs to securing authorizations from relevant authorizing agencies (e.g. Transport General Authority (TGA), Civil Defense, SASO etc.). Support project teams in securing engagement with authorizing agencies and the preparation, presentation and submission of the required phased submissions to TGA, Civil Defense and others as required, ensuring provision of sufficient advice to TBU project delivery teams and supply chain partners to enable them to discharge their corporate, TBU and regulatory obligations as required. Hold TBU project delivery teams and their delivery supervision consultants, supply-chain partners (e.g. TBU Duty Holders) to account for adherence to TBU and external regul