Senior Design Manager

Roya International Hospitality & Leisure Consultants LLC; Dubai; On-site; AED 600,000 - 840,000; Full time

Job summary

RPM, part of Ròya International Group, seeks a Senior Design Manager to lead design delivery on high-rise hospitality and mixed-use projects in Dubai. You will drive design teams from concept through construction support, ensuring alignment with programme, budget and quality.

Candidates should have 14+ years in design leadership, experience with top regional or international consultants, and proficiency in MS Office, Procore, AutoCAD and related tools.

Qualifications

• Minimum 14 years in design management or design delivery, incl. senior leadership.
• Experience with high-rise design management; hospitality/mixed-use or branded residences preferred.
• Experience with top regional or international lead design consultants or PM practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead design management across multiple live projects from brief through construction close-out.
• Drive consultants and contractors to close decisions that don’t affect programme or cost.
• Run design programmes, stage gates, reviews and coordination meetings across architecture, structure, MEP, interiors, facade and specialists.
• Lead consultant procurement and technical evaluation of design tenders.
• Work with cost consultants on design-to-budget and value engineering.
• Represent RPM and the client with operators, authorities and senior stakeholders.
• Deliver concise, decision-ready reporting and risk assessments.

Skills

Design leadership

High-rise design

Hospitality & mixed-use

Stakeholder management

English proficiency

Arabic advantage

14+ years experience

Education

Degree in architecture or engineering

Tools

MS Office

MS Project

Aconex/Procore

Bluebeam Revu

AutoCAD

Job description

Design Management | High-Rise | Hospitality

Full-time | Dubai, UAE | Office-based + project/site visits | Regional travel as required | Reports to the Director

Role Purpose

RPM, part of Ròya International Group, delivers project management across the full lifecycle, from planning and design through procurement to construction, fit-out and handover. About 80% of our work is hospitality-related: new developments, refurbishments, repositioning and fit-out. We’re lean, hands-on and client-focused.

We’re looking for a Senior Design Manager to lead design delivery on high-rise, hospitality and mixed‑use projects, from concept through construction support.

Responsibilities

• Lead design management across multiple live projects, from brief and concept through tender, construction support and close‑out
• Drive consultants and contractors proactively, so decisions get closed before they affect programme or cost
• Run design programmes, stage gates, reviews and coordination meetings across architecture, structure, MEP, interiors, facade and specialists
• Lead consultant procurement and technical evaluation of design‑related tenders
• Work with cost consultants on design‑to‑budget and value engineering
• Represent RPM and the client with operators, authorities and senior stakeholders
• Deliver concise, decision‑ready reporting and risk assessments

Qualifications

• Minimum 14 years in design management or design delivery, including senior leadership gained through a leading design consultancy or project management firm
• Proven high‑rise design management; hospitality, mixed‑use, branded residences and high‑end interiors strongly preferred
• Strong experience with a top regional or international lead design consultant and/or leading regional/international PM practice. (Contractor‑only profiles are not suitable)
• Degree in architecture or engineering
• Excellent English; Arabic is an advantage
• Strong MS Office and MS Project; Aconex/Procore, Bluebeam Revu and AutoCAD preferred