Assistant Manager – Net Zero

Welcome to Expo City Dubai, where innovation and sustainability meet to create a city of endless possibilities. We are a dynamic business hub, host a vibrant cultural scene, and deliver through innovative educational initiatives—we are the city of the future.

We are more than just a destination - we are an ecosystem of opportunity, offering a unique chance to be part of something extraordinary. Together, we are building a sustainable, tech-enabled and human-centric city that will inspire future generations. Here, you will support us in creating the future and experience a world of innovation, growth and prosperity for people and planet.

To lead the definition and delivery of the E&C division’s net zero strategy, with Terra Pavilion as the primary asset. The role is the single accountable owner of the building’s full carbon perimeter — from electricity demand reduction and renewable energy production, through to fugitive GHG emissions, water, and waste. It encompasses the data infrastructure needed to monitor, evidence, and improve performance across all these dimensions, translating operational data into decisions and executive reporting in alignment with UAE Net Zero 2050 and Expo City Dubai’s sustainability commitments.

The main responsibilities for this role include

- Strategic and Operational Responsibilities:

 Electricity Demand Management:

•  Develop and maintain an energy baseline and consumption model by venue and system

• Lead BMS/IoT platform optimization in coordination with the contractors — setpoint reviews, scheduling adjustments, sequence of operations validation, alarms/FDD rules, integrations

• Define, scope, and prioritize energy conservation measures (ECMs) or energy saving initiatives (ESIs) with CAPEX/OPEX classification and ROI estimates

• Document and monitor all ECM/ESI implemented

• Conduct/Supervise or commission periodic energy audits

• Report all relevant indicators and track against targets

 Key activities: ESI Pipeline, load profiling by system and time-of-use; peak demand analysis and demand-side response; BMS alarm review and setpoint drift identification; occupancy schedule alignment with HVAC/lighting control; incident-linked consumption analysis

Electricity Production Management — Solar:

• Oversee performance monitoring of Terra's solar canopy and E-Trees — yield vs. forecast, Performance Ratio (PR), specific yield

• Manage the economic optimization model for panel cleaning frequency (soiling loss vs. cleaning cost)

• Coordinate with FM on O&M scheduling and fault resolution

• Maintain generation records for carbon accounting and regulatory reporting

• Identify optimization opportunities (shading assessments, inverter performance, string-level anomalies, innovative approaches to cleaning, etc.)

 Key activities: daily/monthly yield reconciliation against irradiance data; PR trend monitoring and degradation tracking; cleaning frequency decision model updates; inverter fault log review; export/self-consumption ratio tracking; integration of generation data into the carbon inventory

 Water Demand Management:

• Map all water meters and consumption points (potable, irrigation, grey water recycling, etc.)

• Establish consumption baselines by end-use category and track against occupancy-normalised benchmarks

• Monitor for leaks, drift, and anomalies; coordinate investigation and resolution with the FM contractor

• Track and report water intensity metrics; identify and scope water efficiency initiatives

 Key activities: meter map development and gap analysis (unmetered circuits); bulk vs. sub-meter reconciliation; irrigation scheduling review vs. weather data; leak detection protocol (overnight flow analysis, pressure testing); water balance calculation by building zone

GHG Inventory Management:

• Establish and maintain a carbon inventory

• Own the fugitive emissions register

• Support carbon reporting to internal stakeholders and external schemes (Estidama, LEED, Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence)

 Key activities: refrigerant top-up log maintenance per asset with GWP conversion to CO2e; diesel consumption records (litres to CO2e via IPCC/DEFRA emission factors); suppression discharge volume tracking; Scope 2 calculation using DEWA grid emission factor; annual carbon inventory compilation; emission factor updates; Scope 3 boundary definition; carbon intensity KPI tracking

Waste Management:

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders, FM and waste contractors on segregation protocols, diversion rates, to establish consistent reporting for performance management/improvement of all material disposal

 Key activities: waste stream characterization and tonnage tracking by category; diversion rate calculation (landfill vs. recycled vs. recovered); waste contractor manifest collection and reconciliation; hazardous waste inventory and disposal certificate management; C&D waste tracking during refurbishments

Metering, Data and Reporting Infrastructure:

•  Develop and maintain a complete meter map across all utilities (electricity bulk and sub-meters, water)

• Own the data pipeline from collection (BMS, IoT platform, manual reads, FM contractor inputs) through to validated, analysis-ready datasets

• Build and maintain BI dashboards for real-time monitoring, drift identification, and performance reporting and improvement

• Define data quality standards, gap-filling protocols, and anomaly escalation thresholds

• Produce monthly/quarterly performance reports and annual sustainability reports for internal and external stakeholders

 Key activities: meter inventory and naming convention alignment with CAFM asset register; data collection protocol design (automated vs. manual, frequency, responsible party); data validation and cleaning (outlier detection, gap-filling, normalisation for occupancy/weather); Power BI dashboard design and maintenance; drift detection and alert threshold definition; data gap root cause analysis; monthly data pack preparation; annual sustainability report compilation

Strategy, Compliance and Stakeholder Management:

•  Own and maintain the building-level net zero roadmap with phased milestones, CAPEX requirements, and carbon reduction projections

• Prepare executive-ready presentations and briefings for the Chief of E&C and senior leadership

• Act as technical counterpart to the SVP Sustainability on E&C divisional matters

• Monitor regulatory changes (refrigerant phase-downs, UAE water tariff revisions, carbon pricing) and flag implications for the roadmap

• Support renewal or initial certification under Estidama, LEED, or equivalent schemes

 Key activities: net zero roadmap maintenance and annual refresh; CAPEX business case preparation with NPV/ROI framing; green building certification evidence compilation and gap analysis; regulatory watch (UAE Net Zero 2050, Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, Dubai Municipality updates); SVP Sustainability briefing preparation; FM contractor sustainability KPI review and SLA performance tracking

Knowledge, Qualifications and Skills required

Essential

5+ years of relevant experience as well as:

• Bachelor in Mechanical/HVAC engineering and/or HVAC automation.

• Proven experience in utilities management, with a focus on net-zero strategies and resource optimization.

• Strong proficiency in data collection, cleaning, integration, and analytics.

• Hands-on expertise with data visualization/BI tools for data visualization and reporting (preference for Power BI).

• Solid understanding of energy/utilities systems, including renewable energy technologies, metering, and waste management.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to derive actionable insights from data.

• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to present technical information to non-technical stakeholders.

• Familiarity with relevant sustainability standards and regulations.

Desirable

• Certifications in energy management or sustainability (e.g., CEM, LEED, WELL AP).

• Familiar with carbon accounting / GHG inventories.

• Experience in facility management or a similar operational context.

• Understanding of IoT systems and their applications in energy monitoring.