Senior Design Manager - Infrastructure and Land Development

slihrms; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

slihrms is seeking an experienced Senior Design Manager to lead the design delivery of complex infrastructure and land development projects across the Middle East. You will manage the full design lifecycle, coordinate large multidisciplinary teams, and drive technical excellence while partnering with clients, authorities, and stakeholders.

The role emphasizes governance, innovation, and alignment with project objectives, timelines, budgets, and quality standards for successful delivery.

Qualifications

• Experience leading design delivery for infrastructure and land development.
• Strong client and stakeholder management and governance.
• Proven ability to coordinate large multi-disciplinary design teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design delivery of major infrastructure, land development, utilities and urban projects.
• Establish design management plans and delivery strategies for projects.
• Direct multidisciplinary design teams for coordinated, integrated solutions.
• Drive technical excellence and design output quality across all stages.
• Ensure compliance with client requirements, regulations and standards.
• Lead design reviews, design assurance and technical decision-making.
• Promote innovative, sustainable design approaches to enhance value.
• Coordinate interfaces between disciplines and manage design schedules.
• Engage with clients and stakeholders as primary design interface.
• Support governance, quality assurance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Assist in project commercial aspects, risks and change control.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

BIM/digital design

Tools

BIM software

Job description

Job Description

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Senior Design Manager to lead the design delivery of complex multidisciplinary infrastructure and land development projects across the Middle East region. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the full design lifecycle from pre concept planning through detailed design and construction support. The role requires strong technical leadership, project management capability, commercial awareness, and the ability to coordinate large multidisciplinary teams delivering integrated infrastructure solutions. The Senior Design Manager will act as the focal point between clients, project managers, discipline leads, technical specialists, contractors, and stakeholders to ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, on schedule, and within budget while maintaining the highest standards of quality and innovation. The role also requires active participation in business development, strategic growth initiatives, technical excellence programs, and the continuous improvement of design delivery processes across the business.

Your role

Design Leadership

• Lead and oversee the design delivery of major infrastructure, land development, utilities, and urban development projects.
• Establish and implement project design management plans and delivery strategies.
• Direct multidisciplinary design teams to ensure coordinated and integrated project solutions.
• Drive technical excellence and consistency of design outputs across all project stages.
• Ensure design solutions meet client requirements, project objectives, authority regulations, and industry best practices.
• Lead technical reviews and design assurance activities throughout project delivery.
• Resolve complex design issues and facilitate timely technical decision-making.
• Promote innovative and sustainable design approaches that enhance project value.

Strategic Infrastructure Advisory

• Contribute to the development of city-wide and regional infrastructure strategies aligned with growth, economic development, sustainability, and resilience objectives.
• Advise clients on infrastructure prioritization frameworks and phasing strategies.
• Develop strategic infrastructure plans covering transportation, wet utilities, dry utilities, district energy, digital infrastructure, and integrated urban systems.
• Provide strategic advice to government entities, developers, municipalities, and infrastructure authorities.
• Support clients in establishing governance structures, operating models, policies, and performance management frameworks for infrastructure delivery.

Project Delivery and Coordination

• Manage the design process from project inception through planning, concept, preliminary design, detailed design, tender support, and construction stages.
• Coordinate interfaces between infrastructure disciplines including transportation, highways, structures, wet utilities, dry utilities, landscape, environmental, and digital engineering teams.
• Develop and maintain integrated design schedules and resource plans.
• Monitor design progress against project milestones and implement recovery measures where required.
• Ensure project deliverables are produced on time, within budget, and to required quality standards.
• Support project managers in managing project risks, opportunities, and stakeholder expectations.
• Lead internal and external design coordination workshops.

Client and Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary design interface for clients and key stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships through proactive engagement and technical leadership. Provide strategic technical advice to clients during project planning and delivery.
• Present design solutions and recommendations to senior client representatives and regulatory authorities.
• Lead coordination with government agencies, utility providers, and approval authorities.
• Ensure stakeholder requirements are effectively incorporated into project solutions.

Design Governance and Quality

• Establish and maintain effective design governance procedures across projects.
• Ensure compliance with company quality management systems and design assurance processes.
• Lead independent technical reviews, value engineering exercises, and design verification activities.
• Monitor compliance with relevant local, regional, and international standards.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives and lessons-learned programs.
• Support implementation of digital design and BIM best practices.

Commercial and Risk Management

• Support preparation of design budgets, work plans, and resource forecasts.
• Monitor design performance against commercial objectives and agreed budgets.
• Identify and manage technical, commercial, and delivery risks.
• Contribute to contract management and change control processes.
• Support project managers in maintaining project profitability and effective resource utilization.
• Participate in project performance reviews and reporting.