Design Manager

Job Role: Design Manager

Work Location: Dubai

1. Role Purpose

Manage and coordinate the design development of assigned projects, ensuring design quality, technical compliance, programme, budget, and constructability are maintained from design development through tender / IFC and construction support.

2. Scope of Responsibilities

* Manage architectural and multidisciplinary design development across Architecture, Structure, MEP, Façade, Fire & Life Safety, Vertical Transportation, Landscape, Interior Design, and specialist consultants.

* Manage appointed lead consultants and subconsultants, ensuring compliance with approved briefs, employer requirements, project objectives, and agreed deliverables.

* Review and coordinate design submissions through Concept, Schematic Design, Design Development, Tender, and IFC stages, as applicable to the assigned projects.

* Lead multidisciplinary technical coordination and ensure interfaces between architectural, structural, MEP and specialist systems are properly resolved.

* Monitor consultant deliverables against the approved design programme, identify delays or risks and drive closure of outstanding actions.

* Review drawings, specifications, schedules, reports and technical submissions for completeness, coordination, and design intent.

* Ensure compliance with UAE / Dubai authority requirements, applicable codes, master developer requirements, and company standards.

* Coordinate authority submissions, NOCs and technical requirements with consultants and relevant internal stakeholders.

* Oversee BIM coordination, clash resolution, and model development to achieve coordinated and constructible design packages.

* Review design for constructability, maintainability, operational efficiency and technical quality before tender and construction release.

* Participate in and manage Value Engineering and design optimisation, ensuring savings do not compromise product quality, saleability, statutory compliance, or customer requirements.

* Support design-to-budget exercises in coordination with Commercial / Cost teams and consultants.

* Review proposed materials, specifications and technical alternatives and provide design recommendations.

* Coordinate design requirements with Development, Projects, Commercial / Procurement, Sales & Marketing and other internal departments.

* Support tendering activities, including technical clarification, consultant responses, design addenda, and tenderer queries.

* Review contractor technical submissions, shop drawings and material submissions where Design Department input is required.

* Provide technical and design support during construction and resolve design-related RFIs and site issues in coordination with consultants and Projects.

* Attend design progress meetings, technical workshops and coordination meetings and maintain clear action tracking.

* Undertake site visits when required to verify alignment of execution with approved design intent.

* Maintain proper design records, approvals, decision logs and correspondence for assigned projects.

* Identify design risks early and escalate matters affecting cost, programme, approvals, quality, sold product or project delivery.

* Support lessons learned, standardisation and continuous improvement of Design Department processes.

3. Candidate Requirements

* Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Architectural Engineering or an equivalent recognised qualification.

* Approximately 10–15 years of relevant professional experience, preferably including UAE developer-side experience.

* Strong experience in residential, high-rise and mixed-use developments.

* Proven ability to independently manage several active projects and multidisciplinary consultants.

* Strong understanding of Schematic Design, Design Development, Tender and IFC documentation.

* Good knowledge of UAE / Dubai authorities, building regulations and approval processes.

* Strong technical coordination capability across architecture, structure, MEP and specialist disciplines.

* Practical knowledge of BIM / Revit coordination, clash detection and design QA/QC.

* Experience with consultant management, tender documentation, Value Engineering and construction-stage design support.

* Strong communication, reporting, stakeholder-management and problem-solving skills.

* Ability to become productive immediately with minimal onboarding, given the temporary nature of the assignment.