Principal Specialist, Innovation Portfolio

Maaden, established in 1997, is one of the fastest-growing mining companies in the world and the largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East. We are leading the development of the mining industry to become the third pillar of Saudi Arabia’s economy by building a world-class, unique, and fully integrated mining value chain.

We are pleased to share an exciting opportunity for the below mentioned position. This role offers a chance to contribute to our ambitious growth and play a key part in shaping the future of mining in the Kingdom.

Role Summary

The Principal Innovation Portfolio Specialist supports the innovation portfolio by progressing prioritized opportunities from concept to pilot readiness and scale-up. Reporting to the Innovation Portfolio Director, the role partners closely with the Senior Specialist for Scouting & Open Innovation to translate external ecosystem insights into qualified use cases and works in parallel with the Senior Specialist for Opportunities & Market Competitiveness to ensure alignment with business priorities, value drivers, and competitive positioning.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage assigned opportunities through the portfolio stage-gate (qualification → concept → business case → pilot → scale recommendation).
• Translate scouting insights into structured use cases: define problem statements, hypotheses, stakeholders, and value drivers.
• Conduct market and technology research, benchmarking, and vendor/startup engagement in coordination with the Senior Specialist (Scouting & Open Innovation).
• Develop business cases including ROI, risks, dependencies, resourcing, and implementation roadmap.
• Design and manage PoCs/pilots: scope, success criteria, KPIs, data plan, and governance.
• Coordinate cross-functional execution with BUs, Technology Enablement, Finance, Procurement, Legal, and HSSE.
• Prepare executive-ready materials (portfolio updates, decision memos, and presentations) for the Innovation Portfolio Director and governance forums.
• Track benefits realization, capture lessons learned, and support change management and adoption post-implementation.
• Partner with technology and business units (Aluminum, Phosphate, Gold) to embed validated innovations into Maaden’s technology and operational landscape.
• Develop mechanisms for tracking performance, adoption, and realized business value across the innovation portfolio.

Core Competencies

• Innovation management and portfolio governance
• Partnership development and stakeholder engagement
• Technology scouting and R&D collaboration
• Program management and pilot-to-scale execution
• Strategic communication and influence

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Engineering, Business, or Innovation Management (advanced degree preferred)
• 8 years’ experience managing innovation portfolios within large-scale industrial or digital environments
• Proven success in translating pilots into scaled, production-ready solutions with measurable outcomes
• Strong network across industry, startups, academia, and R&D ecosystems
• Ability to link emerging technologies with Maaden’s strategic and operational priorities

Benefits

• Career Growth
• Competitive Salaries
• Comprehensive Package
• Inclusive Work Environment
• Work-Life Balance
• Employee wellness