Senior Expansion Manager

About the team
Our Groceries team is at the forefront of Careem's mission to simplify and improve lives in the Middle East. Operating in one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving verticals, the Groceries team is focused on building a reliable, fast, and affordable grocery delivery experience. You will be joining a passionate group of builders and operators working together to scale and localize our offerings across markets.

About the role
As a Senior Expansion Manager, you will lead the strategic planning and execution of Careem Groceries’ market expansion in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on launching new cities and scaling existing operations in Riyadh and beyond. This role will require cross-functional leadership, analytical problem-solving, and strong stakeholder management to ensure successful end-to-end launch execution.

What you'll do

• Own and drive the strategy for expansion into new cities and regions across KSA.
• Conduct site assessments, feasibility studies, and commercial analyses to identify opportunities, risks, and investment priorities.
• Manage key store-level trade-offs (size, format, accessibility, capex, etc.) to arrive at optimal decisions for each new site.
• Lead and inspire cross-functional teams — including Scouting, Engineering, Procurement, Facilities, and Government Relations — to deliver new sites at exceptional speed and quality.
• Apply complex PMO management discipline to track timelines, budgets, and interdependencies across multiple parallel launches.
• Partner closely with Operations to identify improvement opportunities and embed them in the next wave of store development.
• Communicate progress, risks, and milestones effectively to senior stakeholders, synthesizing updates into clear executive-level narratives.
• Build and nurture strong internal and external relationships to drive alignment, collaboration, and the best outcomes for all parties.
• Travel frequently across KSA (and occasionally to the UAE) to stay close to the ground and ensure hands-on execution of launches.

What you'll need

• 7–10 years of experience in expansion, operations, strategy, or general management, ideally in tech, grocery, q-commerce, or logistics.
• Proven track record of launching or scaling operations in complex, fast-paced environments.
• Strong background in complex PMO or program management, with the ability to structure, plan, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ideally an engineering or technical background, with demonstrated understanding of large-scale project development in KSA.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building abilities — internally and externally — to align and influence across diverse teams.
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills, capable of synthesizing progress, risks, and opportunities for senior leadership.
• Strategic, analytical, and structured problem-solving skills, with a bias for action and comfort with ambiguity.
• Demonstrated team leadership and motivation skills, with the ability to inspire teams to deliver the unthinkable in both speed and quality.
• High attention to detail, with the ability to prioritize effectively, delegate intelligently, and ensure accountability across functions.
• Fluent in English; Arabic is a plus.
• A genuine passion for building and scaling businesses in the region, and for rolling up your sleeves to make things happen.

What we’ll provide you

We offer colleagues the opportunity to drive impact in the region while they learn and grow. As a full time Careem colleague, you will be able to:

• Work and learn from great minds by joining a community of inspiring colleagues.
• Put your passion to work in a purposeful organisation dedicated to creating impact in a region with a lot of untapped potential.
• Explore new opportunities to learn and grow every day.
• Work 4 days a week in office & 1 day from home, and remotely from any country in the world for 30 days a year with unlimited vacation days per year. (If you are in an individual contributor role in tech, you will have 2 office days a week and 3 to work from home.)
• Access to healthcare benefits and fitness reimbursements for health activities including gym, health club, and training classes.