Design Manager - Luxury Hospitality

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 32,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons Corporation in Riyadh seeks an experienced Design Manager to lead luxury hospitality architectural and interior design, coordinating with international consultants and PMC teams. The role focuses on translating client brand standards into cohesive design strategies and driving high-quality, buildable concepts.

You will oversee multidisciplinary design teams, manage design quality across stages, and ensure alignment with project milestones, budgets, and sustainability targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, or related discipline.
• Minimum 16 years of experience in architectural and interior design management.
• Significant experience delivering luxury hospitality developments.
• Extensive experience with international consultants or global companies.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural and interior design activities across luxury hospitality developments from concept to execution.
• Translate client vision and brand standards into coordinated design strategies.
• Mentor design professionals and ensure quality across all packages.
• Coordinate interfaces between architecture, interiors, MEP, structures and landscaping.

Skills

Luxury hospitality design

Project design leadership

Client-facing communication

Design coordination

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Architecture or Interior Design

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

SketchUp

3D visualization

Job description

Design Manager - Luxury Hospitality Job Snapshot

• Role: Design Manager - Luxury Hospitality
• Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Industry: Architecture and Planning
• Function: Architecture-Interior Design
• Experience: Minimum 16 years
• Job Type: Full-time

Country: Saudi Arabia City: Riyadh Industry: Architecture and Planning Function: Architecture-Interior Design Salary: 32000-50000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer. Gender: Any Candidate Nationality: Any Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Design Manager provides senior design leadership for complex luxury hospitality developments where architecture, interiors, building services, landscaping, operational requirements, and brand identity must work as one coordinated solution. Acting as the key connection between the client, international consultants, contractors, and PMC teams, the position ensures that ambitious design concepts remain technically achievable and commercially responsible. The role protects the quality of the guest experience by maintaining close control over spatial planning, materials, finishes, bespoke elements, documentation, multidisciplinary interfaces, and construction-stage design decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead architectural and interior design activities across luxury hospitality developments from initial concept through final execution.
• Translate client vision, operator requirements, brand standards, and project objectives into coordinated design strategies.
• Guide development of distinctive hospitality concepts that respond to global luxury trends and evolving guest expectations.
• Maintain consistency between architecture, interiors, public spaces, guest areas, back-of-house functions, and supporting facilities.
• Provide senior design direction to consultants and internal design teams.
• Mentor design professionals and promote consistent technical and aesthetic standards across all packages.
• Ensure design solutions combine premium aesthetics with operational efficiency, functionality, maintainability, and guest comfort. Multidisciplinary design coordination will require active leadership.
• Coordinate international architects, interior designers, engineers, landscape consultants, specialist designers, and contractors.
• Manage interfaces between architecture, interiors, mechanical systems, electrical systems, structures, landscaping, and specialist packages.
• Lead design coordination meetings and establish clear actions for resolving outstanding issues.
• Identify clashes and inconsistencies early enough to avoid downstream redesign.
• Coordinate technical solutions without weakening the agreed luxury design intent.
• Ensure approved design information is clearly communicated across PMC and project teams.
• Maintain alignment between client priorities, consultant deliverables, and contractor requirements.
• Lead selection and specification of high-end materials, finishes, fixtures, furnishings, and bespoke architectural elements.
• Review proposed products for appearance, durability, quality, maintainability, sustainability, and availability.
• Evaluate samples, finish boards, mock-ups, prototypes, and specialist design submissions.
• Challenge substitutions that could reduce quality or compromise the intended guest experience.
• Coordinate custom elements with manufacturers and specialist suppliers when required.
• Ensure material selections remain compatible with operational requirements and approved budgets.
• Oversee development of architectural drawings, interior design packages, construction drawings, schedules, and specifications.
• Review design submissions for accuracy, completeness, coordination, and compliance.
• Ensure details are sufficiently developed before construction release.
• Verify that drawings properly incorporate approved materials, finishes, dimensions, and operational requirements.
• Monitor consultant responses to technical comments and ensure issues are properly closed.
• Maintain rigorous design quality throughout concept, schematic, detailed, and construction stages.
• Establish design review and quality assurance procedures for assigned projects.
• Review consultant deliverables against client requirements and international luxury hospitality standards.
• Ensure compliance with applicable local and international building regulations.
• Monitor adherence to PMC quality procedures.
• Confirm that sustainability requirements are integrated into relevant design packages.
• Identify technical deficiencies or incomplete information before formal approvals.
• Track corrective actions and verify that revisions adequately address review comments.
• Serve as a primary design liaison with the client.
• Develop a detailed understanding of the client 's aesthetic expectations, operational objectives, and brand ambitions.
• Present concepts, design proposals, materials, and progress updates to senior stakeholders.
• Translate client feedback into structured consultant instructions.
• Manage changing expectations while protecting programme, budget, and design integrity.
• Explain technical and design implications clearly when decisions require trade-offs.
• Maintain confidence and alignment throughout the project lifecycle.
• Work closely with project management teams on programme, procurement, construction, cost, and risk matters.
• Ensure design activities remain aligned with project milestones.
• Identify design decisions that could affect construction sequencing or procurement.
• Coordinate critical design information required for long-lead items.
• Support resolution of design dependencies that may delay construction.
• Provide clear design status information for project reporting and management review.
• Maintain a client-focused approach consistent with PMC delivery requirements.
• Coordinate with commercial and cost management teams when assessing design alternatives.
• Review estimates associated with premium finishes, specialist materials, and bespoke elements.
• Ensure proposed selections remain financially viable within project objectives.
• Participate in Value Engineering without allowing inappropriate reductions in quality.
• Develop alternative design solutions when commercial adjustments are required.
• Evaluate lifecycle considerations alongside initial capital cost.
• Identify potential cost impacts arising from late design changes.
• Track design deliverables against approved schedules.
• Identify delayed submissions or decisions that could affect procurement or construction.
• Prioritize critical design packages based on project milestones.
• Coordinate consultant resources where recovery measures are needed.
• Support development of design recovery plans when progress falls behind schedule.
• Maintain visibility of approvals, decisions, and dependencies affecting design completion.
• Integrate sustainable design principles without compromising premium aesthetics or guest experience.
• Evaluate environmentally responsible materials and technical solutions.
• Encourage design strategies that improve energy performance and lifecycle efficiency.
• Review emerging hospitality technologies that could enhance comfort, operational performance, and personalization.
• Track international luxury hospitality design trends and assess their relevance to current projects.
• Encourage practical innovation rather than novelty without operational value.
• Respond to design-related Requests for Information and technical queries.
• Review contractor shop drawings and relevant specialist submissions where required.
• Assess proposed substitutions and construction-driven modifications.
• Coordinate designers when site conditions require revisions.
• Participate in site reviews to verify that architectural and interior work reflects approved design intent.
• Identify workmanship or detailing issues that could affect the finished luxury standard.
• Support timely resolution of construction-stage design problems.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor 's or Master 's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 16 years of experience in architectural and interior design management.
• Significant experience delivering luxury hospitality developments.
• Extensive experience working with international consultants or global companies.
• Proven experience within a PMC environment.
• Strong understanding of client-side design management and project delivery.
• Experience managing complex projects across the complete design lifecycle.
• Deep knowledge of luxury hospitality standards, high-end materials, bespoke finishes, and premium furnishings.
• Strong understanding of hotel operational requirements and their influence on design.
• Experience coordinating architecture, interiors, MEP, structures, and landscaping.
• Knowledge of international building codes and sustainability practices.
• Strong leadership capability with experience directing high-performing design teams.
• Excellent client-facing communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to maintain design quality while managing schedule, cost, and construction constraints.
• Professional Architecture or Interior Design certification is preferred.
• Previous work with internationally recognized hotel brands or luxury operators is advantageous.

Skills Set

• Luxury hospitality design
• Architectural design management
• Interior design management
• Hotel design
• PMC design management
• Client-side design management
• Design leadership
• Concept design
• Schematic design
• Detailed design
• Construction documentation
• Luxury materials
• Premium finishes
• Bespoke furnishings
• Guest experience design
• Hotel operational planning
• Architecture coordination
• Interior coordination
• MEP coordination
• Landscape coordination
• Multidisciplinary design
• Design quality assurance
• Design review
• Design approvals
• Brand standards
• Building codes
• Sustainability
• Value Engineering
• Design optimization
• Client presentations
• Consultant management
• Contractor coordination
• Shop drawing review
• Construction design support
• Design programme management
• Cost coordination
• AutoCAD
• Revit
• SketchUp
• 3D visualization
• Hospitality technology
• Design innovation
• Luxury asset delivery

Why Join Us

This opportunity places the Design Manager at the center of high-value luxury hospitality delivery within Riyadh 's expanding Architecture and Planning market. The role combines creative leadership with technical coordination, PMC delivery, commercial awareness, sustainability, and direct client engagement. With senior design management salaries in Saudi Arabia showing substantial ranges for experienced professionals, the position reflects the growing demand for specialists capable of delivering sophisticated hospitality assets to international standards.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation delivers architecture, engineering, infrastructure, construction management, program management, project controls, and technology services across major international developments. Its Saudi Arabia teams support complex hospitality, destination, infrastructure, and mixed-use projects where coordinated design management, premium quality, technical assurance, and disciplined project delivery are central to successful outcomes.

([Buro Happold Vacancies][1])

[1]: https://vacancies.burohappold.com/jobs/job/Senior-Design-Manager/2264 utm_source=chatgpt.com Senior Design Manager | No expiry date | Jobs and careers ...