Principal Urban Planner / Designer

Surbana Jurong; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

A global urban consultancy in the United Arab Emirates is seeking a skilled leader for urban planning and design projects. The candidate will manage project delivery with high client engagement and oversee a multidisciplinary team. A Master’s degree in Urban Planning and 15 years of relevant experience are essential. Join a collaborative environment shaping sustainable urban landscapes in the region.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in urban planning/design.
• Experience delivering major planning or urban design projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead preparation of planning and urban design deliverables.
• Guide multidisciplinary teams to produce high-quality work.
• Monitor progress and present to clients.

Skills

Project management

Client engagement

Mentorship

Resource planning

Education

Master’s degree in Urban Planning or related field

Job description

About Surbana Jurong (SJ Group)

Surbana Jurong (SJ Group) is a global urban, infrastructure, and engineering consultancy with 16,500+ employees in 40+ countries. Our Middle East studios deliver transformative projects across landscape architecture, buildings & cities, infrastructure, and environmental planning.

About the Role

Lead the planning and urban design project delivery process, ensuring high-quality outputs, strong client engagement, and alignment with SJ standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation of planning and urban design deliverables and secure client approvals.
• Guide multidisciplinary teams to produce creative, high-quality work.
• Shape report and presentation frameworks; monitor progress and present to clients.
• Prepare scopes for subconsultants; support evaluation, coordination, and deliverable reviews.
• Work closely with the Project Manager to ensure smooth project progress and effective client communication.
• Conduct training, workshops, and capacity‑building sessions with client teams.
• Assess team workload, resources, and capabilities; mentor junior staff and support skill development.
• Support business development through proposal inputs, schedules, and resource planning.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Urban Design, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 years of experience, including delivery of 10+ major planning or urban design projects as lead planner/designer.

Why Join SJ?

Join a global, multidisciplinary consultancy shaping sustainable, people‑centric environments across 40+ countries. Work with world‑class teams and lead impactful landscape design across the region.

All recruitment activities are managed by our Talent Acquisition team. Unsolicited CVs will not be accepted.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

At Surbana Jurong, we put talent, hard work, teamwork and a fun workplace together to approach problems and solve them creatively and collaboratively. Join us in making a positive impact on the world!