Section I: Job Purpose
The role holder is responsible for overseeing the development of Prime master plan, detailed phasing plan, and plot packages in line with the development vision. The job holder is also responsible for ensuring compliance with Project Prime's design code, issuing clearance forms, and controlling project documentation.
The role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, government agencies, and stakeholders to create and execute master plans that align with Project Prime's community needs, sustainability goals, and regulatory requirements.
Section II: Key Responsibilities
Strategic Responsibilities
- Participate in the strategic planning process along with the Chief Development Officer to provide input for the overall strategy of Prime.
- Develop Master Planning Department business plan and yearly budget in line with strategic plans and directions.
- Ensure that the Master Planning Department business plan is well communicated and understood across all levels.
- Develop Master Planning Department objectives and KPIs and continuously monitor their progress towards business plan.
- Optimize resources and ensure Master Planning Department organization is efficient and provide recommendations for improvement.
- Oversee risk and external assessments (financial, urban, economic, social, cultural, historical, and environmental) to develop detailed feasibility reports.
Master Planning
- Ensure the proper development of Master Planning Department's framework, methodologies, techniques, and guiding principles for Prime considering land use, transportation, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
- Define list of evaluation criteria to assess modifications, receive master plan modification requests and evaluate options to develop/update list of projects to be included in master plan.
- Oversee the development of a comprehensive phasing plan for planned projects in alignment with overall project timeline to guide relevant stakeholder and enable timely delivery.
- Ensure coordination with relevant entities to monitor the phasing requirements for the transportation and utility infrastructure connectivity plan.
- Lead the preparation and evaluation of zoning decisions and plot divisions.
- Oversee the land use distribution and its integration with urban context including nature reserves.
- Conduct site analysis to gauge its integration with the surrounding environment.
- Lead the asset positioning exercise with regards to topography and soil conditions.
- Lead the team to make decisions on Block Planning of buildings, building footprint, public open spaces, and green areas.
- Lead the decisions on planning pedestrian networks within the community, strategy for parking space design and capacity.
- Brainstorm and recommend the wayfinding strategy and develop public realm schemes.
- Lead specialty topics / interests in urban planning e.g. wellness planning / placemaking.
- Ensure coordination with relevant transportation and utility infrastructure entities in order to review connectivity requirements and define guidelines for connectivity plan.
- Monitor projects in the masterplan and divide them into work packages to be handed over to the design management teams and third-party developers.
- Ensure the development of detailed masterplan for each work package and accordingly update documentation brief, master plan illustration, cost estimation, and funding plan.
Project & Design Support
- Oversee multiple urban development projects, ensuring they are completed in compliance with relevant regulations and master plan.
- Coordinate with architects, engineers, and other professionals to integrate planning goals into the design and construction process.
- Build volumes and design guidelines and share them with the Design team.
- Provide specific technical expertise in spatial planning, environmental and regional planning, developing.
- governance and implementation strategies and make recommendations to clients where relevant.
- Oversee the development of plot packages in coordination with relevant internal stakeholders and in line with strategic objectives to initiate design development phase.
- Review third-party developers design documents and oversee compliance checks against design code to identify nonconformity cases and provide remediation actions.
- Approve submitted designs, formulate clearance forms, and share required documentation to support concerned stakeholders in issuing construction permits.
- Oversee project development, enforce guidelines for design codes (including standards, look and feel, etc.), and liaise with transportation and utility development entities as needed.
- Review change orders and assess their impact on the project master plan as well as compliance with design code to provide technical recommendations to facilitate decision making.
- Monitor review of data and documents completeness and validity to ensure conformity to coding and indexing rules and regulations.
- Oversee development of full set of drawings including rendered master plan, land use mix, and circulation schemes and ensure coordination with model maker to build preliminary physical massing model.
- Monitor the development and dissemination of structural, architectural, and infrastructure design code and guidelines based on masterplan and project vision to ensure alignment with concerned stakeholders.
Policy, Methods, and Procedures Development
- Develop processes ensuring all activities are set and stakeholders identified.
- Stay informed about relevant urban planning trends, policies, and best practices.
- Determine the assumptions, methods, and procedures to be used in urban planning studies to develop and implement plans and policies for land use, transportation, housing, and public facilities.
- Advise senior leadership on policy matters related to urban and master planning.
- Oversee the establishment of development documents classification, naming, and indexing mechanisms to ensure standardization and implement document digitization procedures.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Management
- Work closely with government agencies, developers, community groups, and other stakeholders to foster collaboration and achieve common goals.
- Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to ensure successful project outcomes.
Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure that all urban and master planning projects comply with local, state, and federal regulations.
- Stay updated on changes in planning laws and regulations, adjusting plans accordingly.
Sustainability and Resilience
- Integrate sustainable and resilient design principles into urban plans, considering environmental impact, energy efficiency, and climate resilience.
- Develop resilience strategies for project Prime.
People Management
- Provide leadership within the function by establishing individual goals, overseeing performance management, cultivating team growth, delivering both formal and informal feedback, and conducting performance and talent evaluations.
- Build and promote an organization culture that encourages innovation and reward performance that leads to enhanced staff motivation and retention.
Section III: Qualifications, Experience & Skills
Minimum Qualification:
- Bachelor's degree in urban planning, Architecture, Engineering, or any related field.
- Master's degree is preferred.
Experience:
- At least 15 - 18 years of extensive experience in urban planning with at least 5 years in a similar scale master development.
- Experience with a consulting company dealing with Urban Planning and Development work is preferred. International experience, particularly in the Middle East preferred.
- Strong background and experience in Demographic survey, study and analysis is a must.
- Proven track record of successful project management working on large scale Community development projects.
Skills:
- Excellent ability to develop thought processes, criteria and methodologies for various types and scales of planning projects.
- A deep understanding of the urban planning process and the latest trends and technologies.
- Strong writing skills and ability to communicate planning /environmental solutions concisely and succinctly.
- Graphic capability in using computer software commonly used by Urban Designers and Architects is a plus.
- In-depth knowledge of urban design principles, zoning regulations, and land-use planning.
- Familiarity with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and other planning tools.
- Strong understanding of sustainability and resilience concepts in urban development.
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders.
- Ability to stay calm under pressure with the ability to motivate a team to work under tight deadlines.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite products (Word, Outlook, Advanced Excel, PowerPoint).
