Principal Specialist, Innovation Translation

Ma'aden is hiring a Principal Specialist, Innovation Translation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.

AI in this role

Bridge the gap between scientific discovery and industrial deployment by transforming high-potential technologies into scalable business solutions.

technology-translationscale-uptechno-economic-modelinginnovation-managementrisk-assessment

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.

Why This Role Matters

The Principal Specialist – Innovation Translation bridges the gap between scientific discovery and industrial deployment by transforming high-potential technologies into scalable, investment-ready business solutions. The role ensures innovation opportunities are technically proven, economically viable, and operationally integrated before significant capital is committed to industrial implementation. The role accelerates value creation by reducing technical uncertainty, validating performance, and establishing credible scale-up pathways that support confident investment decisions. Through rigorous techno-economic assessment and maturity governance, the role strengthens Ma’aden's ability to commercialize emerging technologies while minimizing delivery, operational, and investment risks. Working across Innovation, PD&E, operations, and external technology ecosystems, the role enables successful first-of-a-kind (FOAK) deployments and ensures innovation investments are translated into practical industrial capabilities that support long-term competitiveness, growth, and operational excellence.

What You Will Deliver Technology Translation & Scale-Up

Establish scalable pathways that convert scientific concepts into industrially deployable solutions.
Build robust design bases, operating parameters, performance criteria, and scale-up frameworks that enable confident progression through maturity stages.
Accelerate technology maturation while minimizing unnecessary cost, time, and development risk.

Techno-Economic Value Creation

Develop and maintain integrated techno-economic models that quantify value, risk, and investment attractiveness.
Strengthen investment decisions by providing clear assessments of economic viability, performance assumptions, and critical value drivers.
Enable evidence-based prioritization through continuous refinement of business cases and value realization forecasts.

Maturity Governance & Risk Reduction

Establish structured maturity assessment frameworks that guide progression from pilot validation to industrial deployment.
Reduce technical and commercial uncertainty through disciplined experimentation, testing, and readiness reviews.
Provide objective recommendations on progression, redesign, partnership, acceleration, or termination of innovation opportunities.

Industrial Integration & Deployment Readiness

Define technology integration requirements across process, operational, infrastructure, maintenance, and control environments.
Ensure technologies are prepared for successful industrial adoption through robust engineering-ready design information and handover packages.
Safeguard validated technology intent throughout engineering, commissioning, and FOAK deployment activities.

Strategic Technical Leadership

Provide expert technical leadership that strengthens decision quality across innovation programs and technology investments.
Challenge assumptions, validate technical claims, and apply rigorous scientific and engineering evaluation to complex opportunities.
Embed fact-based decision-making, technical discipline, and continuous learning across the innovation portfolio.

Ecosystem Development & Knowledge Transfer

Build high-value partnerships with technology providers, research institutions, OEMs, and specialist organizations.
Accelerate technology development by leveraging external expertise and innovation ecosystems.
Capture and transfer scale-up knowledge, lessons learned, and best practices across innovation initiatives.

What Success Looks Like

Innovation concepts progress through maturity stages based on clear evidence, validated performance, and quantified value.
Technology opportunities demonstrate reduced technical uncertainty and stronger investment readiness.
Scale-up pathways and industrial design bases are established with confidence and traceability.
FOAK deployments transition successfully from innovation into industrial execution environments.
Technology investment decisions are supported by credible techno-economic analysis and risk assessments.
Innovation projects deliver measurable business value while reducing implementation and operational risks.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a closely related applied science discipline.
Advanced technical degree is strongly preferred.

Experience

10+ years of experience in technology development, industrial innovation, process engineering, R&D scale-up, or project development environments.
Experience leading pilot, demonstration, and/or first industrial deployment initiatives.
Proven experience translating laboratory or pilot concepts into industrial-scale applications and operating environments.
Experience within mining, metallurgy, mineral processing, extractive technologies, industrial processing, or other asset-intensive sectors.

Skills That Matter Functional Expertise

Technology Translation & Commercialization
Industrial Scale-Up Methodologies
Process Engineering & Process Design
Techno-Economic Analysis
Technology Readiness & Maturity Management
First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Deployment

Business & Delivery

Investment Evaluation & Business Case Development
Risk & Uncertainty Management
Value Realization Assessment
Strategic Decision Support
Systems Thinking
Portfolio Maturity Governance

People & Collaboration

Technical Leadership
Cross-Functional Influence
Stakeholder Engagement
External Partnership Management
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Knowledge Transfer & Capability Building

Benefits

1. Career Growth
2. Competitive Salaries
3. Comprehensive Package
4. Inclusive Work Environment
5. Work-Life Balance
6. Employee wellness

How we rate this

Principal Specialist, Innovation Translation at Ma'aden rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Open the description and count.

Key facts

Principal Specialist, Innovation Translation is an open job at Ma'aden.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The job was posted on October 12, 2026.
Seniority: lead.
Applications are handled by Ma'aden. Apply on Ma'aden

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Technology TranslationScale UpTechno Economic ModelingInnovation ManagementRisk Assessment

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where technology translation was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where scale up was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where techno economic modeling was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where innovation management was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where risk assessment was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Technology Translation, Scale Up, Techno Economic Modeling, Innovation Management, and Risk Assessment. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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