Section Head Business Development & Strategy

Pak-Arab Refinery Limited Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO), an integrated energy conglomerate, is a Joint Venture between Pakistan and Emirate of Abu Dhabi. PARCO owns and operates Pakistan’s most modern refinery, over 2,000 kms of pipeline network, strategic storage facilities and marketing operations. The Company has Joint Ventures with renowned international companies and is continually following an aggressive growth strategy with planned expansions, acquisitions, and penetration into new markets.

PARCO is seeking applications for the position of Business Development & Strategy Lead.

PARCO is seeking a high-caliber, commercially sharp, and intellectually curious professional to head its Strategy & Business Development function. This is a leadership role for individuals who can operate at executive level, shape long-term corporate direction, and convert complex strategic opportunities into bankable and executable business cases.

The ideal candidate should bring strong financial modelling capability, strategic thinking, business development experience, executive communication skills and the ability to work across ambiguity with senior leadership, regulators, lenders, advisors, and cross-functional teams.

Candidates with demonstrated experience in energy, infrastructure, renewables, corporate finance, investment evaluation, transaction advisory, project finance, regulatory policy, M&A, consulting, business development, policy, or data analytics are strongly encouraged to apply.

Role Purpose

The Section Head: Strategy & Business Development will lead strategic opportunity evaluation, investment case development, financial modelling, policy analysis, and executive decision support across PARCO’s core and adjacent energy businesses.The role is responsible for converting strategic ideas into structured, financeable, and executable business cases while ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and long-term value creation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Opportunity Development

• Lead identification, evaluation, and prioritization of strategic growth opportunities across refining, pipelines, logistics, storage, petrochemicals, power, renewables, low-carbon fuels, trading, and infrastructure.
• Translate corporate strategy into structured workplans, feasibility studies, investment proposals, policy positions, and implementation roadmaps.
• Assess strategic fit, challenge assumptions, evaluate risks, and provide clear go/no-go recommendations.
  
  

Business Development, Investment & Project Finance

• Lead development and review of business cases, financial models, feasibility studies, investment memoranda, and transaction analyses.
• Drive financial modelling including IRR, NPV, WACC, DSCR, debt capacity, tariffs, sensitivities, and scenario analysis.
• Evaluate M&A, JVs, concessions, partnerships, and infrastructure investment structures.
• Coordinate with advisors, consultants, lenders, legal, and technical experts to ensure bankable project design.
  
  

Policy, Regulatory & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead policy and regulatory analysis covering tariffs, pricing frameworks, taxation, energy transition, infrastructure regulation, and sector reforms.
• Develop policy briefs, regulatory submissions, Board papers, and stakeholder engagement materials.
• Support executive leadership in negotiations with ministries, regulators, shareholders, and strategic partners.
  
  

AI-Enabled Productivity & Decision Support

• Use AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve market intelligence, scenario planning, policy research, financial analysis, knowledge management and executive reporting.
• Develop dashboards, decision frameworks, and knowledge systems to improve speed and quality of decision-making.
• Ensure responsible and secure use of AI tools with proper governance, validation, and judgment.
  
  

Executive Communication & Leadership

• Prepare Board, Investment Committee, and Executive Management presentations and decision memoranda.
• Lead, mentor, and develop team members while ensuring high analytical rigor and delivery standards.
• Build a high-performance, execution-focused, and collaborative team culture.
  
  

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business Administration, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, Data Analytics, or related discipline from an HEC-recognized institution OR Professional certifications such as CFA, CA, ACCA, FRM, PMP, or equivalent
• Master’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering, Public Policy, Energy Economics or related field will be preferred.
  
  

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience, preferably including 3+ years in strategy, business development, investment evaluation, consulting, project development, transaction advisory, regulatory policy or energy/infrastructure-related roles.
• Strong experience in investment evaluation, feasibility studies, business case development, strategic planning and executive decision support.
• Must be comfortable building, reviewing and challenging financial models independently, including assumptions, sensitivities, scenario outputs and investment recommendations.
• Candidates must demonstrate evidence of independently leading or materially contributing to business cases, financial models, feasibility studies, investment memoranda, tariff/regulatory analysis, project finance workstreams or senior management presentations.
• Prior exposure to Board / Investment Committee materials, regulatory submissions, project financing, lenders, consultants, legal advisors, technical teams or government stakeholders will be strongly preferred.
  
  

Industry Preference

Strong preference will be given to candidates with direct experience in:

• Energy, oil & gas, downstream, refining, pipelines, terminals, storage, power, renewables, and utilities
• Infrastructure investment and project finance
  
  

Candidates from transaction advisory, investment banking, consulting, corporate strategy or regulatory/policy roles may also be considered where they demonstrate strong energy/infrastructure exposure.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent business writing skills and executive communication skills, with the ability to prepare concise investment memos, regulatory notes, Board papers, executive summaries, and senior management presentations.
• Strong strategic thinking and commercial judgment
• Advanced financial modelling, valuation, and project finance capability
• Ability to build, review and challenge bankable business cases and investment materials independently.
• Strong understanding of energy, infrastructure, regulatory and policy dynamics.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with ability to coordinate across Finance, Legal, Technical, Commercial, Operations and external advisors.
• Ability to work through ambiguity, challenge assumptions and drive workstreams to closure.
• AI literacy and ability to use AI-enabled tools responsibly for market intelligence, policy research, financial analysis, scenario planning and executive reporting.
• High ownership, integrity, confidentiality, agility and execution discipline.
  
  

Location: Karachi

Why Join PARCO?

PARCO offers a unique opportunity to work at the center of Pakistan’s energy transformation. You will engage in high-impact strategic initiatives, work directly with senior leadership, and contribute to decisions that shape the country’s energy future.

This role provides exposure to large-scale investments, policy development, and complex strategic challenges in a high-performance environment.