Design Manager - Rail

Mace Group; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Mace Group is seeking a design management professional to lead coordination across rail and major infrastructure programmes in the UAE. The role focuses on delivering integrated design solutions, governance, and robust delivery controls to meet client objectives.

You'll drive collaboration among clients, consultants, contractors and suppliers, ensuring constructability and alignment with programme goals, while embedding continuous improvement and carbon-conscious delivery.

Qualifications

• Experience on rail, metro, or major infrastructure programmes.
• Client-facing and multidisciplinary coordination skills.
• Knowledge of delivery processes and governance for the role.
• Professional membership or chartership preferred where applicable.
• UAE or GCC experience advantageous but not a substitute for competence.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate design scope, responsibilities, deliverables, approvals, maturity, constructability, change and interfaces.
• Lead design management strategies, governance and delivery controls aligned with client requirements.
• Coordinate design scope and constructability across the project lifecycle.
• Foster collaboration among clients, consultants, contractors and suppliers for integrated design solutions.
• Integrate design management with programme, procurement, risk and change processes.
• Monitor design performance, maturity and compliance and identify corrective actions.
• Provide reporting, performance insights and decision support to governance bodies.
• Ensure adherence to contractual, quality and regulatory requirements with robust records and audit trails.
• Promote innovation, continuous improvement and value creation for clients.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Coordination

Analytical skills

Written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Job description

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:

The UAE continues to invest heavily in world-class transportation infrastructure, with rail playing a pivotal role in connecting communities, supporting economic growth and enabling sustainable mobility across the country. From major passenger rail initiatives to freight, metro and integrated transport programmes, the sector is creating exciting opportunities for professionals passionate about delivering complex infrastructure projects.

Whether your expertise lies in project management, programme management, planning, commercial management, engineering, design management, project controls or delivery leadership, we'd be delighted to connect and discuss how your experience could align with upcoming opportunities in this growing sector.

You'll be responsible for:

• Coordination of design scope, responsibilities, deliverables, approvals, maturity, constructability, change and technical interfaces.
• Leads the development and implementation of design management strategies, governance frameworks and delivery controls, ensuring alignment with client requirements and project objectives.
• Coordinates design scope, responsibilities, deliverables, approvals, technical interfaces and constructability requirements across the project lifecycle.
• Drives collaboration between clients, consultants, contractors, suppliers and project teams, ensuring integrated and coordinated design solutions.
• Integrates design management activities with programme, commercial, procurement, risk, change and assurance processes to support successful project delivery.
• Monitors design performance, maturity and compliance, identifying risks, opportunities and corrective actions to optimise outcomes.
• Provides accurate reporting, performance insights and decision support to stakeholders, enabling effective governance and informed decision‑making.
• Ensures adherence to statutory, contractual, quality and business requirements, maintaining robust records, controls and audit trails throughout delivery.
• Champions innovation, continuous improvement, knowledge sharing and service excellence, creating value for clients and supporting sustainable business growth.
• Works collaboratively towards the common goal of net zero carbon transition and share responsibility for the proactive identification and management of the associated carbon emissions and reductions during the delivery of work.

You'll need to have:

• Relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in the applicable discipline.
• Demonstrated experience on rail, metro, high-speed rail or comparable major infrastructure programmes.
• Strong client‑facing, analytical, written communication and multidisciplinary coordination skills.
• Knowledge of relevant delivery processes, standards, systems and governance for the role.
• Professional membership, chartership or specialist certification preferred where applicable.
• UAE or wider GCC experience is advantageous but should not replace demonstrable technical and delivery competence.

Our values

Safety first - Going home safe and well: We champion a safe, diverse, and inclusive working environment, understanding the importance of well‑being in every team.

Client focus - Deliver on our promise: We own the quality of deliverables and 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.

We are also open to discussing part‑time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.

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