Network Planning Manager - Water Transmission

The Role

We are seeking a Network Planning Manager to lead the planning, expansion, and optimization of a large-scale water distribution network in the UAE. The role is accountable for translating demand growth and service targets into hydraulically sound, cost-effective, and resilient network ...

The Role
We are seeking a Network Planning Manager to lead the planning, expansion, and optimization of a large-scale water distribution network in the UAE. The role is accountable for translating demand growth and service targets into hydraulically sound, cost-effective, and resilient network reinforcement plans—covering distribution mains, pressure zones, pumping/booster strategy, storage (tanks/reservoirs), and network control assets—while ensuring compliance with applicable standards and authority requirements. 1) Water Distribution Master Planning • Develop and maintain short-, medium-, and long-term (1–3 year, 5–10 year) network development plans aligned with population growth, master developments, and service level targets. • Define planning assumptions, demand allocation logic, and design criteria for distribution networks (pressure, velocity, fire flow where applicable, redundancy, resilience). 2) Hydraulic Modeling & Network Studies • Own and govern the hydraulic model(s) of the distribution system, ensuring they are updated, calibrated, and fit-for-purpose. • Perform and/or review distribution network studies including: • Capacity and constraint assessment • Pressure zoning and pressure management • Pump/booster station planning (duty/standby philosophy, head requirements, energy impacts) • Storage/tank sizing and operational balancing • Transient / surge risk considerations (in coordination with specialists where required) • Scenario planning for growth areas, outages, and supply interruptions 3) Pressure Management & Service Performance • Design and optimize pressure zones and define requirements for PRVs, control valves, and boosters. • Investigate recurring low-pressure/high-pressure issues and propose reinforcement and operational strategies with Operations. • Support service continuity planning for critical customers and priority zones. 4) Non-Revenue Water (NRW) & Network Efficiency • Contribute to NRW strategy by identifying priority areas for: • DMA planning / district metering • Pressure management initiatives • Main replacement / rehabilitation programs • Targeted leak reduction projects and performance monitoring frameworks 5) Developer Connections & Growth Readiness • Provide technical planning inputs for new developments and large customer connections. • Review developer submissions and network impact assessments; define connection requirements and reinforcement scopes. • Coordinate with customer connection teams to ensure connection timelines are aligned with network readiness. 6) CAPEX Planning, Business Cases & Prioritization • Build multi-year CAPEX portfolios for network reinforcement, renewal, and resilience projects. • Produce options analysis (least-cost, risk-based, constructability, operational impact) and support investment approvals with clear justifications and phasing. • Work closely with Projects/Delivery to handover planning outputs into executable scopes (concepts, sizing, routing, technical specs). 7) Data Governance, GIS Integration & Reporting • Ensure planning outputs are fully documented: assumptions, model versions, study reports, and decision records. • Integrate planning with GIS and asset systems, improving data quality and network traceability. • Develop dashboards/constraint maps and periodic planning reports for senior stakeholders. 8) Stakeholder Management & Leadership • Manage planning engineers/analysts (and external consultants) to deliver studies and plans to quality and schedule. • Act as the planning focal point in cross-functional forums (operations planning, capital planning, developer coordination). • Embed safety, risk, and compliance considerations in all planning outputs. This is a strategic planning role with strong cross-functional interface across Operations, Projects/Delivery, Asset Management, Customer Connections, GIS/IT, and HSE, and with external stakeholders such as developers, consultants, and relevant authorities.

Requirements
To be considered for this role, you need to meet the following criteria: • Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or related discipline. • Master’s degree is an advantage. • Typically 10+ years experience in water distribution planning and/or design within a utility, operator, or large engineering consultancy. • Proven experience delivering network master plans and translating them into CAPEX programs. • Experience in UAE/GCC utilities and authority coordination is a strong advantage. • Hydraulic modeling, model calibration, scenario planning • Pressure zoning, PRVs, control valves, booster planning • Distribution mains sizing/routing, network reinforcement strategy • Reservoir/tank storage planning, demand balancing • NRW/DMAs, leakage reduction planning, pressure management strategies • Understanding of resilience, redundancy, and emergency supply planning • Tools: InfoWorks WS / InfoWater / WaterGEMS / EPANET • ArcGIS or equivalent GIS platforms • Asset information systems / EAM exposure is a plus (e.g., enterprise asset registers, work order/asset data integration) • Strong stakeholder management (internal operations + external developers/consultants/authorities). • Able to explain technical planning outputs in business terms (risk, cost, timeline, service impact). • Structured, documentation-driven, governance mindset.

About the company
About Us Helping professionals grow. Supporting businesses thrive. Black Pearl is a HR consultancy and recruitment firm based in the UAE. We connect skilled professionals with leading organizations across the Gulf region, offering a personalized and thoughtful approach to hiring. Our team specializes in recruiting for roles across key industries, including but not limited to: - Healthcare and Life Sciences - Engineering and Construction - Technology and Digital - Finance and Accounting - Hospitality and Retail - Government and Emiratization Whether youre searching for your next opportunity or looking to hire, we work closely with you to understand your goals and find the right fit.