Senior Manager - Airfield Design

Dubai Airports; Dubai; On-site; AED 280,000 - 460,000; Full time

Job summary

Dubai Airports seeks a Senior Manager - Airfield Design to lead the planning and design of airfield infrastructure including runways, taxiways and stands, ensuring safety and regulatory compliance. You will oversee concept through detailed design, coordinate with stakeholders, and apply advanced tools like AviPLAN and Bentley MicroStation/AutoCAD to deliver high-quality airfield solutions.

This role requires a civil/airport engineering background with 7–10 years of experience and postgraduate

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil/airport engineering with 5–7 years of relevant experience; total 7–10 years.
• Strong expertise in airfield design, regulatory compliance (GCAA/ICAO), and capacity optimisation.
• Experience in airport master planning and runways/taxiways/stands design; design reviews.
• Ability to translate complex technical, operational risks into clear reports and briefings.
• Proficiency with airfield drafting and simulation tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and design of runways, taxiways, aircraft stands, GSE roads and airside infra.
• Provide technical direction and engineering oversight through concept to detailed design.
• Identify, evaluate and mitigate engineering and operational risks.
• Lead design reviews and ensure ICAO and GCAA compliance across airfield projects.
• Communicate technical requirements to stakeholders and manage interfaces.

Skills

Airfield design principles

Regulatory compliance

Airport master planning

Runways and taxiways design

AviPLAN Airside Pro

AutoCAD / MicroStation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in civil/airport engineering

Postgraduate qualification in Airport Engineering

Tools

Transoft AviPLAN Airside Pro

Bentley MicroStation

AutoCAD

Job description

Airfield Design

The strategy group maps out where we’re going, what that means, and what it looks like. Our research team analyses the industry so that we’re never playing catch-up. Design translates strategies into award winning products and experiences. In program management, it’s more about the delivery of our strategies into realized benefits. And our corporate planning team creates strategy so that we’re agile enough to respond in a fast-evolving industry.

This Is What Future Focus Feels Like

STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT

Senior Manager - Airfield Design

The strategy group maps out where we’re going, what that means, and what it looks like. Our research team analyses the industry so that we’re never playing catch-up. Design translates strategies into award winning products and experiences. In program management, it’s more about the delivery of our strategies into realized benefits. And our corporate planning team creates strategy so that we’re agile enough to respond in a fast-evolving industry.

What You’ll Deliver

• You’ll lead the planning and design of runways, taxiways, aircraft stands, GSE roads, and associated airside infrastructure, applying innovative thinking and challenging conventional approaches to achieve safe, efficient, and future-ready airfield solutions within the applicable regulatory framework.
• You’ll lead technical direction and engineering oversight throughout the concept, preliminary, and detailed design stages of runways, taxiways, aircraft stands, GSE roads, and associated airside infrastructure, promoting innovative solutions to optimize operational performance and design excellence.
• You’ll ensure proactive identification, evaluation and mitigation of engineering and operational risks that may impact Airfield Design Development projects
• You’ll lead engineering design reviews and ensure compliance with ICAO and GCAA standards, regulations, and requirements across all airfield infrastructure projects.
• You’ll advise, manage, and communicate technical requirements to the stakeholders

What You Bring

• You should be educated to a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Airport Engineering, Transportation Engineering or closely related discipline acquired 5 – 7 years of relevant experience and 7 – 10 years of overall. You’ll have post graduate qualification in Airport Engineering
• You’ll have strong expertise in airfield engineering design principles, ensuring operational safety, regulatory compliance (GCAA/ICAO), and airport capacity optimisation
• You’ll possess strong technical knowledge in airport master planning and the design of runways, taxiways, aircraft stands, and GSE roads, with proven experience in engineering design reviews, design assurance, aircraft compatibility assessments, and compliance with airfield safeguarding requirements.
• You’ll have good technical knowledge of evaluating complex engineering solutions using strong analytical, problem‑solving and engineering judgement skills
• You’ll have good technical knowledge of airfield design, simulation and drafting tools such as Transoft AviPLAN Airside Pro and Bentley MicroStation / AutoCAD
• You’ll have knowledge of translating complex technical, operational and safety risks into clear reports, executive briefings and stakeholder presentations

Life at Dubai Airports

Fast-moving and fast-growing, Dubai Airports is a business that’s all about delivering great airport experiences, 24 hours a day. Life here means always pushing – and being pushed – to work better and smarter. With us, you’ll be encouraged to be the best you can be. You’ll be part of the team that connects the world. And at every opportunity, you’ll go beyond; delivering an advanced, innovative future for yourself and our business, and making an Impact that delivers for Dubai.