Lead Architectural Draftsman - Interior and Fitout

Confidential; Dubai; On-site; AED 201,000 - 312,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employment visa sponsorship

Medical insurance as per UAE LabourLaw

Annual leave 30 calendar days

Job summary

Confidential in Dubai seeks a Senior Drafting Lead with hands-on AutoCAD drafting experience in interior fit-out and architectural detailing. You will lead a team of draftsmen, approve shop drawings, and act as the bridge between design and fabrication on multiple live projects.

You will set drawing standards, mentor juniors, coordinate with interior designers and 3D visuals, review BOQs and material schedules, and ensure compliance with Dubai Municipality and Civil Defence requirements.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of hands-on drafting experience in interior fit-out and architectural detailing.
• Minimum 2 years in a lead, supervisory, or team-management capacity over other draftsmen.
• Proven track record producing and reviewing complex shop drawings and joinery production packages.
• Strong understanding of interior fit-out construction methods, material properties, joinery fixings, and site installation practices.
• Advanced proficiency reading and cross-referencing structural, architectural, and MEP layout drawings.
• Portfolio or sample work demonstrating both personal drafting output and team-led project packages.
• Prior experience with a UAE fit-out contractor or joinery manufacturing company.
• Thorough knowledge of AutoCAD drafting and detailing for interior fit-out and architectural work - required

Responsibilities

• Oversee the team's drawing output, reviewing and giving final approval on all shop drawings, joinery details, and production packages before they leave the studio
• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of draftsmen, allocating drawing packages across active projects based on priority and deadlines
• Set and enforce internal drafting standards, layer conventions, and drawing quality benchmarks across the team
• Coordinate directly with Interior Designers and 3D Visualizers to resolve design-intent conflicts and translate concepts into buildable technical packages
• Review and approve BOQs, material takeoff lists, and hardware schedules prepared by team members before submission
• Oversee site measurement and verification processes, ensuring structural and MEP conditions are cross-checked against design plans
• Identify and resolve clashes between architectural, MEP, and structural drawings prior to fabrication or site execution
• Manage the full revision cycle across the team - client feedback, consultant comments, version control - ensuring nothing slips through outdated
• Ensure all technical submissions across the team comply with Dubai Municipality, Civil Defence, and landlord design criteria
• Act as escalation point for complex detailing problems the team cannot resolve independentlySupport recruitment and onboarding of new draftsmen as the team scales

Skills

AutoCAD drafting

Team leadership

Shop drawings review

Revit / BIM

Interior fit-out methods

Drawing interpretation

Portfolio demonstration

UAE experience

Multi-project management

Education

Diploma in Architectural Drafting

Bachelor's in Architecture / Civil Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Job description

Location

Dubai, UAE | Full-Time | Office-Based

Industry

Interior Fit-Out | Architectural Interiors | Joinery & Carpentry

Work Timings

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM | 6 Days a Week

About the Client

Our client is a well-established interior fit-out and architectural solutions company based in Dubai, delivering commercial and residential projects including bespoke joinery, turnkey fit-out solutions, and customized architectural finishes across the UAE market. (Client identity is confidential and managed by Wisterra HR Consultancy.)

About the Role

This is a leadership role at the intersection of technical drafting and team management. You will lead a team of draftsmen, oversee and give final approval on all team drawings before issuance, and act as the primary technical bridge between the interior design team and the factory floor. You'll set drawing standards, mentor junior and mid-level draftsmen, manage workload distribution across live projects, and be the final checkpoint on anything that goes to a client or authority for approval. If you have thorough knowledge of AutoCAD drafting and detailing and are ready to own a team's output instead of just your own, this role is built for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the team's drawing output, reviewing and giving final approval on all shop drawings, joinery details, and production packages before they leave the studio
• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of draftsmen, allocating drawing packages across active projects based on priority and deadlines
• Set and enforce internal drafting standards, layer conventions, and drawing quality benchmarks across the team
• Coordinate directly with Interior Designers and 3D Visualizers to resolve design-intent conflicts and translate concepts into buildable technical packages
• Review and approve BOQs, material takeoff lists, and hardware schedules prepared by team members before submission
• Oversee site measurement and verification processes, ensuring structural and MEP conditions are cross-checked against design plans
• Identify and resolve clashes between architectural, MEP, and structural drawings prior to fabrication or site execution
• Manage the full revision cycle across the team - client feedback, consultant comments, version control - ensuring nothing slips through outdated
• Ensure all technical submissions across the team comply with Dubai Municipality, Civil Defence, and landlord design criteria
• Act as escalation point for complex detailing problems the team cannot resolve independentlySupport recruitment and onboarding of new draftsmen as the team scales

Skills

• Thorough knowledge of AutoCAD drafting and detailing for interior fit-out and architectural work - required
• 7-10+ years of hands-on drafting experience in interior fit-out and architectural detailing - required
• Minimum 2 years in a lead, supervisory, or team-management capacity over other draftsmen - required
• Proven track record producing and reviewing complex shop drawings and joinery production packages - required
• Strong understanding of interior fit-out construction methods, material properties, joinery fixings, and site installation practices
• Advanced proficiency reading and cross-referencing structural, architectural, and MEP layout drawings
• Portfolio or sample work demonstrating both personal drafting output and team-led project packages - required
• Working knowledge of Revit / BIM software - strongly preferred
• Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Architectural Drafting, Architecture, Civil Engineering, or a related field
• Prior experience with a UAE fit-out contractor or joinery manufacturing company - strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and competing deadlines across a team

Benefits Package

• Employment visa sponsorship
• Medical insurance as per UAE Labour Law
• Annual leave (30 calendar days) as per UAE Labour Law
• End-of-service gratuity as per UAE Labour Law
• The following benefits are activated upon successful completion of the appraisal period (performance-dependent), if applicable.