Senior Urban Planner / Designer

Surbana Jurong; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A global urban consultancy is seeking a project manager to lead planning and urban design initiatives in the United Arab Emirates. The successful candidate will oversee project delivery, maintain client relations, and coordinate multidisciplinary teams. A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Urban Planning is required, along with 10-15 years of experience in the field. Opportunities to work on impactful projects in a collaborative environment are available.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of professional experience required.
• Professional registration preferred.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating project experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead project delivery for planning and urban design assignments.
• Serve as primary contact for finance and administration on projects.
• Identify project risks and propose actionable solutions.

Skills

Strong client relationship management

Project management

Urban planning expertise

Risk identification and management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Urban Planning or related field

Job description

• Global consultancy with 16,500+ experts, delivering integrated design, engineering, and program management solutions across 40+ countries.
• Lead planning and urban design projects, ensuring strong delivery, clear communication, and client satisfaction.
• Guide and coordinate multidisciplinary teams, driving quality, collaboration, and design excellence.

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 project management and delivery for planning and urban design assignments, ensuring quality outputs, strong client engagement, and alignment with SJ standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as designer or project manager for small to mid-scale planning and urban design projects, responsible for all deliverables and milestones.
• Act as the primary point of contact for finance, administration, and client-related matters.
• Demonstrate full understanding of planning practice, from concept development to implementation strategies and oversight.
• Develop project work plans, schedules, and Estimates at Completion (EAC) to meet deadlines and deliverables.
• Review project contracts and ensure compliance with requirements across all stages.
• Identify project risks and issues, proposing clear, actionable solutions.
• Maintain strong client relationships and support long-term engagement.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Urban Design, or related discipline.
• 10-15 years of professional experience required
• Professional registration preferred.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating experience across various planning and design project types.

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!