Head of Design Department

Experience; Muscat; On-site; OMR 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Experience seeks a Technical Director / Manager to lead design production across major civil infrastructure projects in Oman. You will allocate Design Project Managers, engineers and multidisciplinary teams, optimize resources, and establish efficient workflows to deliver high-quality outcomes.

You will provide senior technical input on complex engineering decisions, mentor staff, oversee QA/QC, support bids and client presentations, and maintain strong client relationships to drive future

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive engineering and design leadership experience.
• Experience within engineering design consultancy or professional-services environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering; Master’s preferred.
• Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional certification preferred.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary civil infrastructure design teams and multiple projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee design production across active infrastructure projects.
• Allocate Design Project Managers, engineers and teams based on project requirements.
• Optimize resource utilization and resolve cross-project conflicts.
• Establish efficient departmental workflows and design delivery processes.
• Directly manage, mentor, and evaluate Design Project Managers and senior technical staff.
• Provide senior-level technical input and intervention on complex engineering issues.
• Support project teams in resolving engineering challenges and delivering on time.

Skills

Leadership

People management

QA/QC systems

Stakeholder management

Resource planning

Project governance

Communication

Business development

Mentoring

Multi-project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Chartered Engineer or equivalent

Job description

Education Bachelor of Technology/Engineering(Civil)

Category Other

Industry Academic Publishing & Editorial Management

Department & Resource Management

Lead and oversee design production across all active infrastructure projects.

Allocate Design Project Managers (DPMs), engineers, and technical teams based on project requirements and priorities.

Optimize resource utilization and resolve cross-project resource conflicts.

Establish efficient departmental workflows and design delivery processes.

Directly manage, mentor, and evaluate Design Project Managers and senior technical staff.

Provide guidance on project delivery, technical challenges, and complex engineering decisions.

Monitor team performance, workload, productivity, and delivery timelines.

Develop and maintain a high-performing technical design team.

Technical Governance & Quality Control

Establish and maintain robust design procedures, checking processes, and QA/QC systems.

Ensure consistency and standardization across design deliverables.

Review technical outputs to ensure compliance with applicable standards, specifications, and regulatory requirements.

Promote continuous improvement in design processes, quality, and technical performance.

Project & Technical Intervention

Act as Technical Director or Technical Manager on critical, high-value, high-risk, or technically complex infrastructure projects.

Provide senior-level technical input and intervention where required.

Support project teams in resolving complex engineering and design issues.

Ensure technical risks are identified, managed, and appropriately addressed.

Commercial & Client Support

Support the preparation of technical proposals, expressions of interest, and bids.

Participate in technical presentations and client meetings.

Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and key stakeholders.

Provide technical input to support business development, client retention, and future project opportunities.

Desired Candidate Profile

15+ years of progressive engineering and design leadership experience.

Experience must be gained strictly within an engineering design consultancy or professional-services environment.

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline.

Master’s degree in Civil/Infrastructure Engineering is preferred.

Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional engineering certification is preferred.

Proven experience managing multidisciplinary civil infrastructure design teams and multiple projects simultaneously.

Required Sector Expertise

Strong technical and leadership experience across multidisciplinary civil infrastructure projects, including:

• Roads and Highways
• Bridges and Structures
• Drainage and Stormwater Management
• Hydrology and Hydraulics
• Flood Protection
• Water Supply Networks
• Sewerage and Wastewater Networks
• Utility Infrastructure
• Geotechnical Engineering Interfaces

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Proven experience developing and implementing QA/QC systems and standardized design workflows.
• Strong technical governance and design management capabilities.
• Excellent client-facing, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Experience supporting technical proposals, bids, and business development activities.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and people-management skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and resources across multiple projects.
• Previous experience in Oman or the wider GCC region is highly advantageous, but not mandatory.