Associate Director - Design Management

Mace Group; Abu Dhabi; Hybrid; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction and consultancy firm is seeking a Design Director to lead strategic design efforts across diverse projects in Abu Dhabi. The role involves setting the design direction, monitoring performance, and ensuring high-quality outcomes while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders. Candidates should have significant experience at a senior level, a degree in architecture, and the ability to inspire and mentor teams. Mace values safety, client focus, and integrity, offering inclusive work options.

Qualifications

• Significant experience at a design director or equivalent level on complex portfolios.
• Proven track record in strategic design leadership within relevant environments.
• Strong interpersonal skills to lead and inspire teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic design leadership for the project portfolio.
• Monitor design progress and ensure alignment with quality benchmarks.
• Support client in managing connections between various stakeholders.

Skills

Design governance

Stakeholder management

Creative leadership

Risk management

Education

Degree in Architecture

Job description

Overview

Mace combines construction expertise with consultancy to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. Our values shape the way we consult and define the people we want to join us on our journey.

The project

This portfolio comprises projects either directly managed by the client team or delivered by leading third-party developers under the client’s leadership. It includes a diverse range of projects, spanning new construction, master planning schemes, and executive fit-out works.

The design director will be integrated into the client’s team, providing senior strategic design leadership across the client’s portfolio. The role will act as a trusted advisor to the client, shaping design quality, governance, and delivery outcomes while ensuring alignment with Abu Dhabi’s broader development vision, standards, and long-term objectives.

At the portfolio level, the design director will be responsible for setting the overall design direction, drafting comprehensive design briefs, and critically reviewing submissions from signature architects to ensure alignment with the client’s objectives. The role will regularly present design concepts and progress to senior management, lead multidisciplinary teams and external consultants, and maintain oversight of design performance across multiple projects. Additionally, the design director will ensure that all design solutions are not only of the highest quality and buildable but also sustainable and capable of delivering enduring value.

You\''ll be responsible for

• Provide portfolio-wide strategic design leadership, setting clear design vision, principles, and quality benchmarks aligned with the client requirements.
• Act as the design authority across projects, ensuring consistency, excellence, and alignment with client standards and governance requirements.
• Influence early-stage decision-making to ensure design outcomes support programme, cost, operational, and long-term asset value objectives.
• Monitor design progress, performance, and key milestones, escalating challenges and recommending corrective actions where required.
• Support the client in managing interfaces between projects, programmes, developers, and stakeholders.
• Review, challenge, and critique design submissions at all stages, providing expert guidance on functionality, aesthetics, compliance, and buildability.
• Ensure effective integration of design with construction, procurement, and operational requirements.
• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams, fostering collaboration, professional development, and design excellence.
• Act as a senior interface with the client’s leadership, government stakeholders, developers, and delivery partners.

You’ll need to have

• Significant experience operating at a design director or equivalent senior leadership level on complex, high-value portfolios.
• A degree qualification in architecture with relevant professional accreditation or membership.
• Possesses an architectural background with experience collaborating alongside renowned architects.
• Proven track record of providing strategic design leadership within client-side, PMC, or signature architect environments.
• Deep understanding of design governance, design management systems, statutory approval processes, and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Strong capability in design review, risk management, and decision-making across all stages of the project lifecycle.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders, with confidence and credibility to influence outcomes.
• Demonstrated commitment to quality, safety, well-being, sustainability, and long-term asset value.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead, mentor, and inspire teams within a secondment environment.

Our values

• Safety first - Going home safe and well: We champion a safe, diverse and inclusive working environment, understanding the importance of wellbeing in every team.
• Client focus - Deliver on our promise: We own the quality of deliverables, strategic outcomes and build long-term relationships with our clients.
• Integrity - Always do the right thing: We influence positive outcomes within our industry, while always aligning with our compliance obligations.
• Create opportunity - For our people to excel: We champion a continuous improvement culture throughout all activities, inspiring our people and teams to develop.

Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. We are also open to discussing part-time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.