Senior Technical Program Manager - Riyadh

Newlab has expanded its venture platform to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) through a cross-ministry public-private partnership. Newlab KSA is harnessing the ambition and velocity of Vision 2030  to catalyze a startup ecosystem aimed at accelerating economic diversification and de-risking technologies that can be scaled globally to advance the energy transition. Newlab KSA platform will be structured around four sector specific Studios which will serve as programmatic platforms to align industry and government partners, attract startups and drive targeted pilot and investment activities across four strategic growth sectors, starting with Mining.

We’re looking for a Sr. Technical Program Manager who can run complex technical & strategic programs while maintaining utmost quality, and strong attention to detail - juggling timelines, budgets, and the occasional curveball with grace. You’ll be the secret sauce behind programs that connect startups with key industry and government partners to build and deliver startup pilots that prove out critical technologies.

You'll build and sustain relationships with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders; including startup founders, regulators, investors, and experts to work collaboratively and design and deliver complex initiatives. You will play the role of researcher, strategist, relationship whisperer, and technical translator: leading in-depth interviews, co-design workshops, and concept development, as needed.

The ideal candidate will have an engineering background, strong project management skills and the ability to leverage their background to bridge the gap between technical research and innovation to inform strategic decisions and pilot designs. A strong technical background in energy, mining, mobility, and/or relevant areas is a plus.

Role & Responsibilities:

Technical & Industrial Expertise

• Source, evaluate and prioritize novel technologies, informing strategic decisions and pilot designs as well as supporting research (conducting interviews, reviewing startups, investment trends, market reports etc). Specifically, able to:
• assess startups holistically—team, technology readiness, engineering risk, market opportunity, and fit with Newlab and its industry partners;
• demonstrate a systems-level understanding of technical and commercial risks across complex industrial value chains, with depth in energy systems, mobility systems, and/or mining and heavy industry; and
• pressure-test assumptions and troubleshoot challenges across pilots and programs—knowing when to go deep technically, when to reframe strategically, and when to bring in the right experts

• Balance technical rigor with strategic vision, ensuring programs are grounded in feasibility while designed for real-world adoption and scale
• Apply strong critical thinking to navigate ambiguity—leveraging data, AI tools, and Newlab’s network to clarify risks, identify bottlenecks, and help founders de-risk and scale

Ecosystem Intelligence & Strategic Insight: 

• Maintain a strong pulse on industry, startup, and investment ecosystems—tracking emerging technologies, capital flows, policy signals, and shifting priorities of corporates and regulators
• Identify and interpret technology signals from major industry players and venture capital; tracking who’s-investing-in-who, company and sector strategic shifts, and how these shifts relate to Newlab’s strategy
• Turn insight into action. Funnel what you learn into smarter programs, stronger partnerships, and higher caliber programs for our founders and partners
• Proactively identify and cultivate new partners to sustain and grow Newlab’s commercialization efforts over time

Program Leadership & Delivery:

• Run the show. Lead the end-to-end definition, scoping and execution of Newlab commercialization programs—from aligning on client goals and success metrics, to managing startup participants, delivery timelines, and quality of outputs
• Serve as the primary point of accountability for program performance, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and scope of work commitments are met with rigor and consistency 

• Build and maintain relationships with a diverse set of external stakeholders including Newlab partners, entrepreneurs, academics, and industry experts
• Collaborate within and across Newlab strategy, membership, marketing, operations and finance teams to deliver on an array of SOWs
• Translate complexity into clarity. Build crystal-clear program plans with milestones, deliverables, roles/responsibilities, and all the behind-the-scenes infrastructure (CRM, decks, dashboards, the works)
• Support program leadership to shape what comes next - support creating and developing new programs with new and returning clients

Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline (Master’s degree preferred)
• 5–8+ years of progressive technical or program leadership experience in mining, heavy industry, energy, or adjacent industrial systems
• Demonstrated ability to define, scope and lead complex, multi-stakeholder technical programs from concept through execution
• Strong analytical skills with experience evaluating technical performance, operational constraints, and commercialization risk
• Proven strength in stakeholder alignment, quality control, and program troubleshooting in fast-moving, high-accountability environments
• Bilingual (English/Arabic) with full professional proficiency is required

Preferred Experience

• Experience working directly with early-stage or growth-stage deep tech companies
• Exposure to pilot-scale testing, industrial demonstrations, or first-of-kind deployments
• Familiarity with design-centered innovation, open innovation models, or corporate–startup collaboration
• Experience supporting technical diligence for venture investment or strategic partnerships

Compensation & Benefits: 

• We expect this role's base salary to be commensurate with a candidate's experience and work location starting at $200,000 USD
• Eligible for bonus