Director Riyadh Expo 2030

Job summary

DBT’s Business Group strives to engage with and listen to businesses to shape Government policy and delivery more effectively; we help businesses to connect with domestic and international opportunities for growth, investment and export.

The Department for Business and Trade is leading preparations for the UK’s participation at Riyadh Expo 2030, taking place from 1 October 2030 to 31 March 2031. This Prime Minister‑endorsed programme presents a significant opportunity to showcase UK leadership, innovation and economic strengths on a global stage, while strengthening the UK’s international presence.

This Director will set the creative vision for the UK’s presence at Riyadh Expo 2030 and will be accountable for planning and delivering the programme across all phases of activity. The role includes leading cross‑government design and delivery with Ministers, the Cabinet Office and other departments, overseeing governance and assurance arrangements, and supporting Ministerial decision‑making through official‑level engagement to secure funding and delivery mechanisms. The post holder will also lead the commercial and sponsorship strands, manage the Expo budget to ensure value for money, and drive procurement activity beyond the current design tender stage.

We are looking for someone who can provide strong, visible leadership in a complex and fast‑moving environment, inspire and motivate a multidisciplinary team, and deliver through effective collaboration and partnership. You will bring sound judgement, strong negotiating and influencing skills, and experience of managing complex budgets, procurement and contractual arrangements. The ability to articulate and deliver a clear creative vision, while maintaining robust delivery oversight, will be essential. Experience of delivering large‑scale events, including internationally, is desirable. You will be part of the leadership of Business Group and of the wider departmental leadership, within a supportive organisation with strong values. We work in a flexible way, including flexing to different priorities. As an organisation, we welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and are keen to hear from qualified individuals from both the public and private sectors.

Candidate Information Call

The hiring manager for this position; Jaee Samant, will be hosting a virtual call for any interested applicants to discuss the role and answer any questions. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process.

This will be held via Microsoft Teams on 18/06/2026 at 14:00-14:45 (UK time).

Please click here for the meeting link.

Job description

The Department for Business and Trade is leading preparations for the UK’s participation at Riyadh Expo 2030, taking place from 1 October 2030 to 31 March 2031. With an expected 42 million visitors and 197 countries participating, this is a significant opportunity to showcase UK innovation, strengthen global presence and support the UK–Saudi relationship. The programme will run over five years with distinct phases, including an intensive period of foundational delivery over the next 18 months followed by a ramp up to opening. The Riyadh Expo 2030 directorate sits within Business Group, and the postholder will report to the Director General, Business. The role is the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) with overall accountability for delivery, outcomes and benefits realisation.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Set and lead the creative vision for the UK’s presence at Riyadh Expo 2030, ensuring a compelling, audience focused experience across the UK Pavilion
• Lead the full programme lifecycle, from early scoping and business case through to delivery, opening and operations.
• Own the business case and benefits realisation, ensuring outcomes justify costs and risks and maintaining delivery confidence.
• Oversee operational readiness for opening, ensuring a high-quality visitor experience delivered on time and within budget.
• Own workforce and resource planning, scaling the team and building capability to meet changing delivery demands, and contributing to wider corporate priorities.
• Secure and manage funding, including public funding and private investment, maintaining investor confidence.
• Be accountable for the programme budget (£60–70m), ensuring value for money and effective financial control.
• Lead commercial, procurement and sponsorship activity, including complex negotiations, partnerships and contractual arrangements.
• Establish and maintain governance, assurance and control frameworks, including oversight of risk, performance and delivery confidence.
• Monitor programme risk and escalate key issues, ensuring appropriate engagement with Ministers and governance bodies.
• Lead cross government delivery, working closely with Ministers, Cabinet Office and other departments to align priorities and manage interdependencies.
• Build strong external relationships, including with investors, creative industries, delivery partners and international stakeholders.
• Provide visible and confident leadership, fostering a high performing, resilient and multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced environment.

The role is UK-based - please refer to the Candidate Information pack for futher details on locations. There will be some international travel required. There will also be a period based in Riyadh during the Expo delivery phase.

Person specification

• Senior Leadership: An innovative senior leader with a proven track record of leading at scale within large complex, geographically dispersed operating environments, providing visible, inspiring and authoritative leadership that drives performance, alignment and delivery of strategic outcomes.
• Complex Programmes: Proven track record of leading large, high-risk programmes, with accountability for end-to-end delivery, ensuring strong governance, effective risk management, and the achievement of strategic outcomes.
• Commercial Delivery: Extensive experience leading commercial delivery at scale, including the management of high-value contracts and funding arrangements. Demonstrates strong capability in working collaboratively with investors and private sector partners to drive delivery.
• Collaboration and Influence: A strong track record of delivering through strategic collaboration and partnership at the most senior levels, including Ministers (or equivalent), across complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Demonstrates effective influencing skills, with the ability to shape direction, align diverse interests and drive collective ownership of outcomes, underpinned by strong personal impact and sound judgement.
• Communication: An accomplished communicator with a proven ability to articulate and embed compelling strategic visions, leading the design, implementation and successful delivery of complex, high-impact programmes at scale.
• Financial Acumen: Highly experienced in owning large-scale budgets and leading the procurement of goods and services agreed financial parameters. Demonstrates strong commercial acumen, ensuring effective allocation of resources, value for money and sound financial stewardship at scale.
  

Desirable Criteria:

• Demonstrable experience delivering large scale, high profile international events or public facing programmes.
• Experience of working with creative, design or visitor experience stakeholders to deliver a high impact offer.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Department for Business and Trade contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply​​​

Hays, an Executive Search firm, have been appointed to assist with this recruitment campaign. To apply for this post, you will need to submit documentation below via the following link, by no later than Monday 29th June at 1:00pm

LINK TO APPLY ON HAYS WEBSITE

​If you have any issues accessing the link or questions regarding the documentation, please contact:​​

​Andrew Timlin: 07887777735 Andrew.timlin@hays.com ​​

Owen Quant: 07525466357 Owen.quant@hays.com​​

​Documentation:​​

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.​​
2. A Supporting Statement of around two pages of A4 explaining how you meet the requirements of the person specification as far as you are able to, including your language ability for the role.​
   

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. Please ensure that both documents contain your full name.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Andrew Timlin
• Email : andrew.timlin@hays.com

Recruitment team

• Email : owen.quant@hays.com

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Georgia Defeo (at SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk) in the first instance.

Attachments

Candidate Pack - Director Riyadh Expo 2030 Opens in new window (pdf, 1854kB)2026-06-09- Accessible Candidate Pack - Director Riyadh Expo 2030 Opens in new window (docx, 154kB)