Design Manager - 100% (m/f)

ARX | smart minds; Dubai; On-site; AED 480,000 - 800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth opportunities

Global project exposure

Structured development program

Job summary

ARX is seeking a Design Manager in the UAE (Dubai) with 12+ years of design leadership experience in major infrastructure, transport, and buildings projects. The role requires GCC exposure, client-facing acumen, and strong interface management.

You will drive concept through construction-stage design, coordinate with subconsultants, and ensure design integrity while managing budget and schedule. Excellent English is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 12 years' relevant experience in design management, engineering management, or multidisciplinary design coordination.
• Minimum 5 years in a lead design management role with GCC/UAE exposure.
• Proven experience leading design on complex infrastructure, transport, buildings, or mixed-use assignments.
• Excellent written and verbal English; Arabic is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the multidisciplinary design team civil, structural, architectural, MEP, and specialist systems.
• Own design delivery through all stages from concept to close-out.
• Coordinate subconsultants, contractors, suppliers, and authorities.
• Review and approve design deliverables for accuracy and compliance.
• Chair design coordination meetings and maintain documented decisions.
• Drive design comments and changes to formal closure with audit trails.
• Forecast design resource needs and mentor engineers.
• Report progress and risks to management and client.
• Contribute to proposals, design strategies, and fee estimates.

Skills

Team leadership

Design management

Client coordination

Multidisciplinary design

BIM coordination

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil/Structural/Architecture/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering or related discipline

Tools

ACONEX

Autodesk Construction Cloud

SharePoint

Job description

ARX is a global network of specialists in engineering, design, and architecture. Our team offers 360° consulting, project management, and technical services in:
airports, bridges, buildings, cableways,
digital innovation, environment, equipment,
geology, geotechnics, hydropower, metros,
nuclear plants, oil & gas, pipelines, ports,
railways, river engineering, roads, traffic,
tunnels, and water/wastewater treatment.
With offices across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, our agile task force combines global expertise with local know-how. The result is our uniquely "glocal" approach, which allows us to meet the specific needs of each community while incorporating international best practices. At ARX, smart minds strive for a sustainable future, transforming communities one innovative project at a time.
People are the heart and soul of ARX. We are a home for innovators, visionaries, and experts to develop talents, launch careers, and collaborate with fellow specialists. ARX values individuals. Believing their brilliance and determination will provide solutions to tomorrow's challenges, we welcome professionals who will both benefit from and enrich our team.
ARX, marks a significant expansion into the Middle East with its offices in UAE and KSA. This underscores our dedication to innovation and engineering excellence, bolstering our position in the dynamic GCC market.
For our UAE offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we are looking for
Design Manager - 100% (m/f)
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 12 years' experience in design management, engineering management, or multidisciplinary technical delivery, including at least 5 years in the GCC. You will have led complex infrastructure, transport, buildings, or mixed-use design assignments from concept through detailed design, tender support, construction-stage design, and close-out. The role calls for sound technical judgement, confidence in front of clients, strong interface management, commercial awareness, and the ability to hold a multidisciplinary team to programme, quality, and compliance without losing design value. The Design Manager owns the technical integrity and coordination of the design; commercial and contractual accountability for the assignment sits with the Project Manager

Responsibilities

• Lead the multidisciplinary design team civil, structural, architectural, MEP, and specialist systems and own the technical coherence of the design across disciplines.
• Own design delivery through every stage: concept, schematic, detailed design, tender documentation, IFC issue, construction support, and technical close-out.
• Act as the client's principal technical counterpart on design matters, and coordinate subconsultants, contractors, suppliers, and authorities.
• Review and approve design deliverables before issue, testing them for technical accuracy, constructability, code compliance, and alignment with the employer's requirements.
• Chair design coordination meetings, interdisciplinary workshops, and comment-resolution reviews, and drive each to a documented decision.
• Drive design comments, RFIs, technical queries, and design changes through to formal closure, keeping the audit trail intact.
• Identify and mitigate design risk early interface, constructability, authority approval, and programme risk and elevate what cannot be closed at design level.
• Set the standard for BIM-enabled delivery: model-based interface checks, clash review, and disciplined CDE workflows.
• Work with the Project Manager and the planning and commercial teams so that design progress, programme, and fee expenditure stay aligned.
• Apply and enforce ARX's QA/QC regime review checklists, design verification, and lessons learned so that quality is built in rather than inspected in.
• Lead value engineering and technical option studies, including low-carbon and whole-life performance improvements, and quantify the benefit of each.
• Forecast design resource needs, allocate workload across the team, and mentor engineers within the design stream.
• Report design progress, risk, and interface status to ARX management and to the client, in writing and in person.
• Contribute to proposals, design delivery strategies, technical methodologies, and fee estimates for new opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 12 years' relevant experience in design management, engineering management, or multidisciplinary design coordination, of which at least 5 in a lead design management role.
• Minimum 5 years of GCC experience is required, including direct exposure to UAE authority approval processes such as Dubai Municipality, DDA, Trakhees, RTA, or Abu Dhabi DMT.
• Proven experience leading design on complex infrastructure, transport, buildings, or mixed-use assignments.
• Strong command of design-stage gateways, deliverable definition, design verification, and construction-stage design support.
• Solid knowledge of UAE and GCC codes and authority requirements alongside international standards such as BS, EN, AASHTO, or ASHRAE.
• Experience with BIM-enabled design coordination and CDE / document-control platforms such as ACONEX, Autodesk Construction Cloud, or SharePoint.
• Commercial and programme awareness, including design-change control, fee monitoring, and the schedule impact of design decisions.
• Ability to lead a team, earn client trust, and hold delivery discipline under competing priorities in a lean consulting environment.
• Excellent written and verbal English is required; Arabic language capability is an advantage.
• Chartered status (CEng, PE, or equivalent) or professional membership of ICE, IStructE, RIBA, or CIOB is preferred; PMP is an advantage.
• Eligibility for engineer registration with the relevant UAE authority is an advantage

We Offer

• Opportunity to collaborate with a forward-thinking, synergistic, and innovative team.
• Exposure to cutting-edge projects driving Middle East / North African regions development.
• Personalized professional growth and developmental avenues tailored to your career aspirations.

Sector: Construction / Civil Engineering

Role: Engineering / Design Engineering

RAL:

Will manage other people: No

Job type: Permanent job

Career level: Employee