How to apply for General Manager, Middle East

About CarbonCure

CarbonCure is a Canadian cleantech company that injects recycled carbon dioxide into concrete during production to reduce its carbon footprint. The company operates in the low-carbon concrete space, which is a growing area as the construction industry faces pressure to cut embodied carbon. Working there means being part of a company that sells a technical solution to concrete producers, not just a consulting service.

About the role

This is a senior regional operational and commercial leadership role for the Middle East, based remotely. You would lead market expansion for low-carbon concrete across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider GCC, including go-to-market strategy, customer delivery, and building a regional operating model. The role combines business development with technical advisory work, since you would support testing, validation, certification, and standards engagement with customers and government stakeholders.

A typical day

A typical day might involve calls with concrete producers or developers in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, internal coordination with global teams on customer deployment, and work on regional staffing or partner agreements. You would also spend time on technical discussions about mix designs, testing, or certification with customers and consultants. Since the role is remote, expect frequent travel across the GCC to meet customers and stakeholders.

Who CarbonCure is looking for

• 10–15+ years in concrete, cement, construction materials, industrial gases, or sustainability, with previous commercial leadership across GCC markets.
• Technical understanding of ready-mix concrete, batching plants, admixtures, and cementitious materials, plus experience with decarbonization, embodied carbon, or carbon utilization.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, with a track record of negotiating and closing deals with concrete producers, developers, contractors, and government stakeholders.
• Experience building a regional operating model from the ground up, including staffing, vendors, distributors, and strategic partners, and managing the full customer lifecycle from deployment through retention and expansion.

Tips for this application

• Quantify your GCC commercial results: revenue closed, number of concrete producers signed, or volume of concrete supplied. CarbonCure needs proof you can sell into this specific industry.
• Name the concrete and cementitious materials you have worked with (e.g., ready-mix, admixtures, supplementary cementitious materials) and any batching plant or mix design experience. Generic construction management experience is not enough.
• Show Arabic and English fluency explicitly in your CV or cover letter, since the role requires both and the hiring team will screen for this.
• Reference any work with decarbonization, embodied carbon, or carbon utilization, even if it was a small part of a previous role. This is a preferred requirement and a differentiator.
• Explain how you would build a regional operating model for the Middle East, including which GCC markets you would prioritize and why. CarbonCure wants a plan, not just a list of past jobs.

What to cover in your cover letter

Emphasize your GCC commercial leadership in concrete or construction materials, with specific deals or market entries. Highlight your technical grasp of ready-mix concrete, batching, and admixtures, and connect it to low-carbon or carbon utilization work. Describe how you would structure a regional operating model across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the GCC, including staffing and partnerships. Mention your English and Arabic fluency and any experience engaging government stakeholders on standards or certification.

Research before applying

• Study CarbonCure's technology and how it is deployed at a concrete plant, including the injection process and any published case studies or third-party validation.
• Research the low-carbon concrete market in the GCC, including any government sustainability targets in the UAE and Saudi Arabia that could drive demand.
• Identify major concrete producers, developers, contractors, and government bodies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia that CarbonCure would likely target.
• Look into any existing CarbonCure projects or partnerships in the Middle East or similar markets, and check whether they have a regional presence already.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you build a go-to-market strategy for CarbonCure in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, given the different regulatory and construction environments?
• Walk us through a time you closed a deal with a concrete producer or contractor in the GCC. What technical objections did you face and how did you handle them?
• What is your understanding of ready-mix concrete production, batching plants, and admixtures, and how would you explain CarbonCure's technology to a skeptical plant manager?
• How would you handle testing, validation, certification, and standards engagement with government stakeholders in the Middle East?
• Describe how you would build a regional operating model from scratch, including hiring, vendors, distributors, and strategic partners.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without concrete industry experience or a clear technical understanding of ready-mix concrete and batching plants. This role requires both commercial and technical credibility.
• Focusing only on sales and ignoring the operational side. The job includes building scalable processes, customer delivery, and a regional operating model.
• Treating the Middle East as a single market. The role requires specific knowledge of UAE, Saudi Arabia, and GCC differences, including regulations and business practices.