Chief Specialist / Interior Designer - Rail Design

Roads and Transport Authority; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai seeks a senior interior design lead to drive rail station interiors from concept through commissioning. The role ensures safety, sustainability, accessibility, and passenger experience across all design packages.

You will review submissions, coordinate with stakeholders, and push for BIM and design documentation improvements to support project success and reliability across systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Interior Design or Architecture is required.
• Professional certification in Interior Design or Architecture (e.g., NCIDQ, RIBA, or equivalent) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and provide expert guidance in interior design for rail stations, ensuring designs meet safety, sustainability, accessibility, and aesthetics standards.
• Review and validate interior design submissions across architectural and landscape elements for compliance with RTA standards.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to deliver passenger-centric station environments and maintain design excellence through the project lifecycle.
• Represent the Rail Agency in technical forums and committees to promote excellence in rail interior design practices.
• Drive value engineering and improvement of design documentation, BIM standards, and digital design review systems.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Interior Design or Architecture

Master's degree in Interior Design or Architecture

Job description

Job Purpose

Lead and provide expert guidance in interior design for rail stations, ensuring all designs meet RTA's safety, sustainability, accessibility, and aesthetic standards. The role oversees the development of interior design standards, reviews architectural and interior design submissions, and coordinates with stakeholders to deliver passenger-centric station environments. This position drives design excellence across the full project lifecycle from concept through to construction and commissioning.

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategy

• Produce review, evaluation, and recommendation on design proposals focusing on design merits, suitability and Dubai and RTA vision.
• Provide technical review of regulations & guidelines related to rail and mass transit systems operating on fixed routes within RTA's scope, specifically in the domains of interior design, architecture, and construction.
• Oversee and review planning and design standards, technical requirements, and specifications for rail and mass transit projects in coordination with relevant internal departments and external authorities.
• Monitor emerging trends, materials, and innovations in interior design for transit environments and recommend design enhancements to improve passenger experience, energy efficiency, and operational functionality.
• Represent the Rail Agency in technical forums, governmental committees, and professional organizations to promote excellence in rail interior design practices and ensure Authority standards influence inter-agency planning frameworks.

Operations

• Review and audit preliminary and final interior design submissions, including architectural, structural, and landscape elements, ensuring compliance with RTA standards, safety codes, and project requirements across all rail projects.
• Review and validate final designs, materials, and manufacturer specifications for all architectural and interior design packages prior to consultant and contractor engagement during project execution.
• Attend technical inspections, factory acceptance tests, and site visits to verify installation quality, manufacturing compliance, and factory capabilities against project requirements.
• Review proposed designs for integration with developer projects and assess the impact on passenger flow and necessary station modifications resulting from increased ridership.
• Review and audit signage, wayfinding, and directional design submissions for rail and mass transit projects both inside and outside stations, approving changes and issuing implementation clearances to relevant parties.
• Review and validate design submissions for commercial projects associated with rail and mass transitsystems within RTA's operational scope.
• Coordinate with relevant authorities regarding the integration of transport systems in Dubai with rail station lines, including review of station designs for intermodal connectivity.
• Review and audit modifications to existing rail projects related to architectural and interior design elements, ensuring continuity and compliance with established standards.
• Prepare improvement studies for rail and mass transit projects to address identified issues, complaints, and recommendations, coordinating with relevant departments and authorities for implementation.

Product/Process Improvement

• Apply value engineering principles across all interior design packages for rail and mass transit projects to optimize cost efficiency without compromising quality or passenger experience.
• Identify opportunities for improvement in interior design processes, material selections, and specification standards to enhance performance and reduce lifecycle maintenance costs.
• Drive continuous enhancement of design documentation, BIM standards, and digital design review systems to improve accuracy, collaboration, and stakeholder alignment.
• Compile and document knowledge, lessons learned, and best practices within the section in accordance with RTA's established systems and procedures.
• Conduct design feasibility studies and technical evaluations to support decision-making on new or upgraded rail station interior environments.

Physical Working Conditions

• Requires frequent site visits to rail stations, construction sites, and manufacturing facilities to evaluate interior design implementation, material quality, and installation compliance.
• May be required to attend design review meetings, factory acceptance tests, field inspections, and technical audits outside normal working hours based on project timelines and milestones.

Education

• Bachelor's degree or Master's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related.

Experience

• Bachelor's degree: 11+ years of experience in interior design Master's degree: 9+ years of experience in interior design.

Qualification

• Professional certification in Interior Design or Architecture (e.g., NCIDQ, RIBA, or equivalent).