Manager, Design Management

Manager, Design Management

Majid Al Futtaim invites you to join us in our quest to create great moments for everyone, everyday! We are the leading shopping mall, residential communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, serving over 560 million visitors a year. For the past two decades, we have shaped the consumer landscape across the region, transforming the way people shop, live and play, while maintaining a strong sustainability track record and the largest mall in the world to attain LEED Gold EBOM Certification. We have over 40,000 team members in 15 international markets representing over 100 nationalities – all keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do. If you enjoy being BOLD, PASSIONATE and TOGETHER, then Majid Al Futtaim is the destination for you.


Role Purpose:

The Design Manager will work in the Architecture & Design Studio (ADS) on Majid Al Futtaim Properties (MAFP) new developments or redevelopments projects for the Shopping Malls, Residential Communities and Hotels. The position will work with the in-house and consultant teams in delivering design packages in accordance with the project brief, budgets and timelines. The Design Manager is responsible to maintain the design intent from concept to delivery.

Role Details – Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

  • Manage the design of projects by effectively representing ADS in meetings with stakeholders, providing design expertise on specific topics, understanding the linear design process and managing expectations of delivery, providing clear direction to the internal and external design teams.
  • Create the Design Brief & Deliver a Design outcome that aligns with and incorporates all the business wide strategic initiatives, responds to the Development Brief and delivers first to Asset product
  • Manage the design packages being produced internally or externally by providing clear aligned directions, making decisions efficiently, managing the sign-off from all the internal stakeholders and making sure that the design packages submitted are in alignment to the original design brief and agreed deliverables whilst making sure that the current package has the correct level of coordination
  • Create the deliverables list and scope of works tailored to the Design Brief with clear understanding of the design team structure and procurement strategy
  • Manage the production of competent functional plans of shopping malls, with a strong understanding of layout principals for retail, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, and back of house servicing.
  • Understand the customer journey through a shopping mall, by designing stimulating touchpoints, spaces, and streets in accordance with the project brief and MAF standards
  • Understand master-planning and mixed-use assets designs, able to create the right balance between the different asset types and work on the unique selling points of the product
  • Lead the review of all the materials selections, control mockups sign-off and implementations on site, propose solutions or alternatives that delivers the original intent, highlight all site issues by producing site observation reports and monitor the rectifications on site
  • Work closely with the site team in reviewing contractors shop drawings, anticipate issues before implementations and provide solutions effectively, Work with the site team in creating mockup scopes and manage the mockup review & sign-off process, apply lessons learned from other completed projects and highlight operational issues that are currently being faced in other operating assets
  • Produce 3-Dimensional solutions and overall design proposals that are reflective of the project brief and the MAF brand.
  • Communicate design proposals in a technically sound and convincing manner.
  • Aligned outcomes & delivery of all projects with other business functions.
  • Ensure consistent update of project progress to all the stakeholders
  • Ensure consistent alignment and sign-off from all the stakeholders
  • Lead the in-house production team in the effective delivery of design tasks.
  • Be actively involved in the project in both creative tasks and in the production of high-quality design packages.
  • Assist the senior Design manger in his role as a member of the project team, by standing in when required, and preparing all support documentation.
  • Understand and incorporate stakeholder requirements (e.g. Leasing, Development, operations) in the project design while adhering to the Design Brief and maintaining MAF design standards.
  • Maintain a high level of presentation quality, ensuring that all projects meet internationally acceptable standards of Sketch-up modelling (or equivalent) and photoshop rendering.
  • Ensure compliance with MAF’s Code of Conduct, Departmental policies and Human Capital Policies and Procedures at all times.
  • Enhance the Design Standards content to cover the high-level principles and all other opportunities and implement the lessons learned in the Design Standards.
  • Adherence to Project Program and cost. Develop and implement initiatives beyond the current project procedures to provide time saving and design programme efficiency rolled out across all projects
  • Be the advocate and ambassador of aligning and cascading the MAF values and ensure that it is adhered to and exhibited all the time.
  • Lead by example – thrive to create an honest and open work environment where individuals collaborate /support each other as a team and are passionate to achieve a common business objective.

Disclaimer: This role description reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the principal responsibilities of the role identified and shall not be construed as an exhaustive description of all the work requirements inherent to success in the role.

Functional/Technical Competencies:

_ Adobe Creative Suite

_ CAD + BIM / Revit

_ Sketchup

_ MS Office Softwares

Personal Characteristics and Required Background:

Personal characteristics

  • Team player
  • Leader
  • Confident
  • Agile
  • Flexible
  • Forward thinker
  • Innovative


Minimum experience

  • 10-15 years of work experience in retail planning design, commercial building design, residential, mixed-use and masterplanning design with reputed companies in GCC or abroad.

Minimum Qualifications/education

  • Bachelor’s degree in Architecture or equivalent.

Related Articles

Sign Up