Technical Program Manager

Newlab is seeking a dynamic Technical Program Manager (TPM) to join our growing Saudi Arabia team and lead the development, management and delivery of the Mining Studio’s commercialization projects. The TPM will play a key role in defining industry pain points, connecting and leading multi-stakeholder projects, scouting and qualifying emergent technology, designing pilots, and orchestrating the development of shared testing infrastructure.

The ideal candidate has strong project management skills and the ability to leverage their technical background in engineering, mining and/or other relevant fields to bridge the gap between technical research and emergent technology commercialization activities.

Role & Responsibilities:

Commercialization Project Development

• Work closely with a multidisciplinary team to conceptualize, design and execute time-bound commercialization projects in the form of lab-scale tests, engineering-scale feasibility assessments, and/or pilot deployments that help startups accelerate their commercialization journey through early product-market fit while reducing adoption risk for industry and government partners
• Support Newlab Ventures with technical and commercial diligence on startups that participate in Newlab commercialization projects
• Support the design and delivery of subject matter research, strategic analyses, and innovation priority setting for mining-focused programs
• Manage external advisors to the Mining Studio, synthesizing insights from their deep knowledge and experience in the sector to drive the Studio strategy and key decisions on startup selection + commercialization project design

Technical Market Intelligence

• Identify and maintain a deep understanding of innovation opportunities, technical challenges, and market dynamics across the mining and minerals value chain, both globally and within the Kingdom, through primary and secondary research
• Landscape and maintain a close pulse on venture and startup activity across the mining and minerals value chain to inform Newlab’s commercialization programming in the sector
• Diligence novel mining (or mining adjacent) technologies, assessing not only individual technical merits but also system-level synergies, dependencies, and integration pathways across the value chain
• Develop fluency in techno-economic drivers and constraints to define clear pilot pathways, including staged de-risking from lab validation and feasibility studies through on-site pilots
• Translate technical validation into localized KPIs that demonstrate feasibility, commercial viability, and broader economic impact (e.g., job creation, local value capture, and ecosystem development)

Program Management & Stakeholder Collaboration: 

• Manage and lead day-to-day activities within Newlab’s innovation programs and commercialization projects; including, stakeholder management, startup engagement, developing program plans with key milestones, establishing roles and responsibilities across internal stakeholders, CRM management, and client reporting
• Facilitate workshops and structured ideation sessions to surface priority challenges, align stakeholders, and translate complex problems into actionable projects
• Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders including Newlab partners/clients, entrepreneurs, academics, venture capitalists, and industry experts 
• Collaborate within and across Newlab business development / partnerships, membership, marketing, operations and finance teams in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment requiring strong prioritization and multitasking

Skills & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Geology, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred
• 3-5+ years of technical work experience in Mining or Mining adjacent field
• Demonstrated ability to understand, assess, and diligence emerging technologies, including their interdependencies within complex industrial systems 
• Strong familiarity with design-centered innovation, and open innovation
• Experience working in deep tech startup environment, directly with early stage technology companies (preferred)
• Empathetic and critical thinker with proven ability to translate complex challenges into tangible, executable projects, and to roll up sleeves alongside partners to deliver results

• Bilingual (English/Arabic) with full professional proficiency is required
• Experience with Google Suite and other digital tools such as CRM platforms (e.g. Hubspot) and project management software (e.g. Airtable)

Working Conditions:

• The position is based in Riyadh, with working hours in line with local business practices  
• This role may require some travel within Saudi Arabia

Compensation:
We expect the salary to be around $170,000 USD, depending upon experience
Eligible for bonus program