Senior Architect

OMA; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 520,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

22 vacation days per year (in addition

Career development opportunities

Job summary

OMA Abu Dhabi seeks a Senior Architect to join the site supervision team for a high-end project. You will support the Site Supervision Lead, ensure design intent during construction, and manage coordination matters on site.

The role requires 8–10 years post-qualification experience, strong technical writing, and readiness to be based on site in Abu Dhabi for the appointment duration.

Qualifications

• Degree in Architecture with professional registration or eligible to register in the UAE or GCC.
• 8–10 years post-qualification experience, with ≥5 years site-based supervision on large-scale GCC projects.
• Proven experience reviewing shop drawings and submittals, especially façade, envelope and interior fit-out.
• Ability to work autonomously with strong decision-making and communication.
• Proficiency in Revit, Navisworks and AutoCAD; familiarity with Aconex/Procore/BIM 360.
• Fluent written and spoken English; willingness to be site-based for the duration.
• Advantage: experience with international design offices, complex buildings, FIDIC knowledge, mentoring.

Responsibilities

• Review shop drawings, coordination drawings, materials, data, samples, mock-ups and method statements for design intent and specs.
• Respond to RFIs, prepare details, assess material substitutions for design/tech equivalence.
• Escalate complex matters to the design lead team when needed.
• Document decisions, risks and deadlines; track unresolved items.
• Maintain clear site records of reviews, decisions and design boundaries.
• Inspect finishes, tolerances and system integration with attention to quality.
• Identify deviations and ensure proper recording and resolution.
• Escalate issues affecting compliance, safety or approvals.
• Represent OMA in coordination meetings and site workshops.
• Support snagging, as-built review and operation/maintenance documentation during defects period.
• Coordinate site visits and design lead team workshops.

Skills

Revit

Navisworks

AutoCAD

Document control platforms

English fluency

Education

Architecture degree with license/eligibility (UAE/GCC)

Tools

Aconex

Procore

BIM 360

Job description

Senior Architect

About the Company

OMA is an international architecture and urbanism practice founded in 1975, with offices in Rotterdam, New York, Hong Kong, Brisbane and Abu Dhabi. OMA employs more than 200 architects, designers and researchers and has delivered a broad portfolio of projects worldwide. AMO, its research and design studio, often works alongside OMA’s architectural projects.

About the Role

OMA’s Abu Dhabi office is looking for a Senior Architect to join the site supervision team for a high-end project in Abu Dhabi. You will support OMA’s appointed Site Supervision Lead in fulfilling OMA’s obligations during the construction stage. The role requires strong technical expertise, extensive site-based experience and sound judgement in resolving coordination matters while escalating material changes affecting the design intent to the design lead team. This is a site-based position in Abu Dhabi for the duration of the appointment.

Responsibilities

• Review architectural shop drawings, coordination drawings, materials, product data, samples, mock-ups and method statements for compliance with the design intent, specifications and coordination requirements.
• Respond promptly to RFIs and clarification requests, prepare supplementary details and minor coordination revisions, and assess proposed material substitutions for design and technical equivalence.
• Distinguish between matters that can be resolved by the site supervision team and material design changes requiring escalation to the design lead team.
• Package escalated matters clearly, identifying response deadlines and the consequences of delay, and flag unresolved risks before deadlines lapse.
• Maintain clear written records of reviews, decisions, escalations and the design-intent boundaries applied.
• Inspect architectural works, hold points, samples and mock-ups, with particular attention to finishes, tolerances, workmanship, materials and system integration.
• Identify deviations from approved documentation at an early stage and ensure they are recorded and tracked through to resolution.
• Immediately escalates matters affecting compliance, safety, durability or regulatory approval.
• Represent OMA in technical coordination meetings, design workshops and authority interactions.
• Contribute to progress and quality reporting, including photographic records, and support snagging, review of as-built and operation and maintenance documentation, and defect rectification during the Defects Notification Period.
• Support the preparation and coordination of design lead team site visits and workshops.

Required

• Degree in Architecture from an accredited institution, with professional registration or license, or eligibility to register in the UAE or another GCC country.
• A minimum of 8–10 years’ post-qualification experience, including at least five years in a site-based construction supervision, site architect or delivery architect role on large-scale, architecturally complex projects in the GCC.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing architectural shop drawings and technical submittals, particularly for façade, envelope and interior fit-out packages.
• Sound judgement in distinguishing between matters that can be resolved locally and those requiring reference to the design lead team, with the confidence to decide and the discipline to decide and the discipline to elevate when warranted.
• Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy.
• A demonstrable ability to identify problems early and respond to queries promptly rather than allowing them to accumulate.
• Strong technical writing skills for formal site records, review comments and reports.
• Proficiency in Revit, Navisworks and AutoCAD, and in document control platforms such as Aconex, Procore or BIM 360.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Willingness to be based on site for the duration of the appointment.
• The following experience would be considered an advantage:
• Previous involvement in delivering a project designed by an internationally recognized design practice.
• Experience with cultural, mixed-use or similarly complex building typologies.
• Familiarity with FIDIC or equivalent international contract forms.
• Experience mentoring or directing junior architects, resident engineers and/or inspectors.

What We Offer

• Full-time, site-based employment in Abu Dhabi.
• A competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and 22 vacation days per year in addition to Abu Dhabi public holidays.
• Career development opportunities within a globally recognized international architecture practice.