The Director of Masterplanning is responsible for leading and overseeing the strategic planning, design direction, and delivery of large-scale masterplanning projects across mixed-use, residential, hospitality, commercial, and infrastructure developments.
The role requires strong leadership, design vision, technical expertise, and stakeholder management skills to ensure projects are developed in alignment with client objectives, market requirements, regulatory frameworks, and company standards.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the development of large-scale masterplans from concept through detailed planning stages
- Establish project vision, planning strategies, and urban design principles
- Oversee land use planning, mobility strategies, public realm design, and development phasing
- Ensure integration of sustainability, infrastructure, and commercial objectives within masterplans
- Direct multidisciplinary teams including urban planners, architects, infrastructure engineers, landscape architects, and transport consultants
- Review and approve planning studies, design proposals, reports, and presentations
- Ensure compliance with local authority regulations, planning guidelines, and international best practices
- Drive innovation and design excellence across all masterplanning projects
- Act as the primary point of contact for clients, government authorities, and key stakeholders
- Lead workshops, presentations, and strategic planning discussions
- Build and maintain strong relationships with developers, authorities, and project partners
- Support business development activities and client acquisition initiatives
- Manage project budgets, schedules, resources, and deliverables
- Monitor project progress and ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs
- Identify project risks and implement mitigation strategies
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment across disciplines
- Lead, mentor, and develop masterplanning and urban design teams
- Support recruitment, resource planning, and capability development within the department
- Foster collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing across teams
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Urban Planning, Architecture, Urban Design, or a related field
- Minimum 15–20 years of experience in masterplanning and urban development projects
- Strong experience in large-scale mixed-use, residential, hospitality, and infrastructure developments within the UAE/GCC
- Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams and complex stakeholder environments
- Strong understanding of regional planning regulations, development frameworks, and approval processes
