Director – Project and Design

The Director of Project and Design provides strategic leadership for project management, design execution and construction delivery. The role ensures that projects meet business needs while maintaining agreed cost, schedule, quality and regulatory requirements. It develops design strategies for innovative, sustainable and functional spaces and oversees conceptual layouts and visual schemes. The director also leads project governance, tendering, contractor selection, stakeholder coordination and financial planning. Work involves collaboration with MEP engineers, facilities management, operations, IT, branding and technology teams, as well as external consultants and contractors. The role requires substantial leadership experience on large-scale and complex built-environment projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead project management, design execution and delivery to achieve defined scope, cost, schedule and quality objectives.
• Develop design strategies and oversee conceptual layouts that align with business requirements, brand standards and regulations.
• Govern requests for proposals, tender documents and contractor prequalification in accordance with FIDIC contracts and local requirements.
• Coordinate MEP, Facilities Management, Operations, IT, Branding and Technology stakeholders to establish integrated design and delivery plans.
• Build partnerships with consultants, vendors and contractors and evaluate their technical capability and compliance through site visits.
• Drive value engineering, budgeting and forecasting while identifying cost-effective solutions that preserve quality and design intent.
• Promote project, contract, safety and sustainability best practices and mentor team members in emerging design approaches.

Requirements and Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design or Civil Engineering.
• More than twelve years of project management, design and construction experience, including at least five years in a leadership role.
• Experience overseeing Class A office towers, flagship retail projects or mission-critical facilities is relevant.
• Experience managing large-scale projects and cross-functional teams.
• A master’s degree in Construction Management or Sustainable Design and PMP, LEED AP or WELL AP certification are preferred.

Skills and Employment Details

• Strategic leadership and project governance.
• Advanced use of AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, Photoshop, Illustrator and MS Project.
• Engineering standards, regulatory compliance and health-and-safety knowledge.
• Stakeholder management, negotiation, financial control and problem solving.

Full-time director-level position based in Dubai, UAE, with on-site project and stakeholder responsibilities.