Senior Architect - Airport Terminal Design

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 201,000 - 335,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a Senior Architect - Airport Terminal Design in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to lead architectural design reviews for terminal buildings and related facilities, ensuring safe, sustainable, and constructible solutions.

The role requires extensive experience with terminal planning, passenger flows, BIM coordination, and authority compliance, and offers exposure to complex airport environments within a major development program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture.
• Master's degree in Architecture or related field preferred.
• Eight+ years of architectural design, coordination and technical‑review experience.
• Experience with airport, transportation, or large‑scale infrastructure developments.
• Proficiency with BIM coordination (Revit/Navisworks) and design reviews.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural reviews across concept, schematic, detailed‑design, and issued‑for‑construction stages.
• Verify compliance with client specifications, international standards, local regulations, and airport‑authority requirements.
• Review architectural drawings, design reports, technical specifications, material proposals, and construction details.
• Assess terminal layouts, functional zoning, spatial planning, and relationships between landside and airside facilities.
• Evaluate passenger flows for arrivals, departures, transfers, security screening, and other processing areas.
• Review wayfinding strategies, accessibility provisions, and passenger‑experience requirements.
• Confirm appropriate integration of retail, lounges, food and beverage outlets, and other commercial spaces.
• Support value‑engineering studies focused on functionality, constructability, lifecycle performance, and user experience.
• Coordinate architectural requirements with structural, facade, MEP, civil, ICT, and aviation‑systems teams.
• Identify and resolve clashes, spatial conflicts, and design‑interface issues.
• Review BIM models for coordination, design integrity, clearances, and technical compliance.
• Support model‑based validation and digital‑design coordination processes.
• Maintain architectural integration with the wider airport infrastructure program.
• Provide technical assistance during construction, installation, interior fit‑out, and testing stages.
• Review contractor shop drawings, material submittals, requests for information, and technical queries.
• Conduct site inspections to verify workmanship and compliance with approved designs.
• Resolve architectural issues affecting construction progress, quality, functionality, or design intent.
• Coordinate with clients, airport authorities, regulators, consultants, contractors, and delivery partners.
• Support permitting, regulatory submissions, technical approvals, and authority responses.
• Participate in design workshops, coordination sessions, technical reviews, and stakeholder meetings.
• Ensure architectural decisions remain compatible with airport operations and aviation requirements.
• Monitor design consistency across disciplines, packages, buildings, and project stages.
• Participate in design audits, quality reviews, and technical‑assurance activities.
• Prepare design comments, assessment documents, technical memoranda, and progress reports.
• Maintain accurate records of approvals, design decisions, interfaces, and coordination outcomes.
• Report architectural progress, design risks, outstanding issues, and required decisions to project management.
• Support closeout documents, as‑built validation, and final architectural records.
• Apply safe‑by‑design principles and contribute to constructability assessments.
• Confirm compliance with HSE requirements and airport safety regulations.
• Promote energy efficiency, environmental performance, and responsible material selection.
• Support applicable green‑building and sustainability objectives.

Skills

Airport terminal architecture

Passenger-flow planning

Landside and airside design

Wayfinding and accessibility

BIM coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture

Master's degree in Architecture or related field

Tools

Revit

Navisworks

BIM coordination tools

Job description

Senior Architect - Airport Terminal Design Job Snapshot

Role: Senior Architect - Airport Terminal Design

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Industry: Airlines/Aviation

Function: Architect

Experience: Minimum 8 years

Job Type: Full-time

Position Overview

Parsons is hiring a Senior Architect - Airport Terminal Design in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a major development within the Airlines/Aviation industry. The architect will provide design review, multidisciplinary coordination, and technical assurance across architectural packages for terminal buildings and associated airport facilities. This role requires extensive knowledge of terminal planning, passenger circulation, spatial organization, commercial integration, BIM coordination, and authority compliance. The successful candidate will help transform complex operational requirements into safe, accessible, sustainable, and constructible architectural solutions.

Job Details

Country: Saudi Arabia

City: Riyadh

Industry: Airlines/Aviation

Function: Architect

Salary: 18000-30000 SAR per month Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in Riyadh; please confirm the final offer with the employer.

Gender: Any

Candidate Nationality: Any

Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

Airport terminals must support efficient passenger movement while integrating security, baggage, retail, hospitality, aviation systems, and building services within a coherent environment. Architectural decisions directly affect operational capacity, user experience, safety, maintainability, and future flexibility. The Senior Architect will provide continuity from early design through construction and closeout. Thorough technical reviews and disciplined interface management will help prevent clashes, maintain design intent, support authority approvals, and reduce issues during installation and fit-out.

Key Responsibilities

The architect will review design quality and coordination across the complete airport‑development lifecycle.

• Lead architectural reviews during concept, schematic, detailed‑design, and issued‑for‑construction stages.
• Verify compliance with client specifications, international standards, local regulations, and airport‑authority requirements.
• Review architectural drawings, design reports, technical specifications, material proposals, and construction details.
• Assess terminal layouts, functional zoning, spatial planning, and relationships between landside and airside facilities.
• Evaluate passenger flows for arrivals, departures, transfers, security screening, and other processing areas.
• Review wayfinding strategies, accessibility provisions, and passenger‑experience requirements.
• Confirm appropriate integration of retail, lounges, food and beverage outlets, and other commercial spaces.
• Support value‑engineering studies focused on functionality, constructability, lifecycle performance, and user experience.
• Coordinate architectural requirements with structural, facade, MEP, civil, ICT, and aviation‑systems teams.
• Identify and resolve clashes, spatial conflicts, and design‑interface issues.
• Review BIM models for coordination, design integrity, clearances, and technical compliance.
• Support model‑based validation and digital‑design coordination processes.
• Maintain architectural integration with the wider airport infrastructure program.
• Provide technical assistance during construction, installation, interior fit‑out, and testing stages.
• Review contractor shop drawings, material submittals, requests for information, and technical queries.
• Conduct site inspections to verify workmanship and compliance with approved designs.
• Resolve architectural issues affecting construction progress, quality, functionality, or design intent.
• Coordinate with clients, airport authorities, regulators, consultants, contractors, and delivery partners.
• Support permitting, regulatory submissions, technical approvals, and authority responses.
• Participate in design workshops, coordination sessions, technical reviews, and stakeholder meetings.
• Ensure architectural decisions remain compatible with airport operations and aviation requirements.
• Monitor design consistency across disciplines, packages, buildings, and project stages.
• Participate in design audits, quality reviews, and technical‑assurance activities.
• Prepare design comments, assessment documents, technical memoranda, and progress reports.
• Maintain accurate records of approvals, design decisions, interfaces, and coordination outcomes.
• Report architectural progress, design risks, outstanding issues, and required decisions to project management.
• Support closeout documents, as‑built validation, and final architectural records.
• Apply safe‑by‑design principles and contribute to constructability assessments.
• Confirm compliance with HSE requirements and airport safety regulations.
• Promote energy efficiency, environmental performance, and responsible material selection.
• Support applicable green‑building and sustainability objectives.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor 's degree in Architecture.
• Master 's degree in Architecture or a related field is preferred.
• Minimum eight years of architectural design, coordination, and technical‑review experience.
• Proven involvement in airport, transportation, or large‑scale infrastructure developments.
• Experience with terminal buildings, public infrastructure, or similarly complex building types.
• Strong background in project‑management consultancy, delivery‑partner, or client‑side design‑review roles.
• Detailed knowledge of architectural codes, design standards, and recognized professional practices.
• Understanding of airport‑terminal planning and operational requirements.
• Experience coordinating architecture with engineering, specialist systems, and construction teams.
• Proficiency with Revit, Navisworks, or equivalent BIM applications.
• Strong analytical, technical‑evaluation, design‑review, and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Excellent report‑writing, presentation, communication, and stakeholder‑coordination skills.
• Professional certification through RIBA, AIA, or an equivalent body is advantageous.
• International airport‑development experience would be beneficial.
• Familiarity with ICAO, IATA, NFPA, and relevant building and aviation standards is preferred.
• Experience under FIDIC or a comparable contract framework would be valuable.
• Exposure to terminal expansions or greenfield airport developments is desirable.
• Knowledge of LEED, Estidama, or an equivalent sustainability framework is an advantage.

Skills Set

• Airport terminal architecture
• Passenger‑flow planning
• Landside and airside design
• Spatial planning and zoning
• Wayfinding and accessibility
• Commercial‑space integration
• Architectural design review
• Issued‑for‑construction packages
• Multidisciplinary coordination
• BIM model review
• Revit
• Navisworks
• Digital clash resolution
• Shop‑drawing review
• Material‑submittal assessment
• Construction‑stage support
• Interior fit‑out coordination
• Design quality assurance
• Safe‑by‑design reviews
• Constructability assessment
• Authority approvals
• ICAO requirements
• IATA standards
• NFPA standards
• FIDIC contracts
• LEED
• Estidama
• As‑built validation
• Sustainable architectural design
• Technical reporting

Why Join Us

This position offers architectural influence across a complex airport environment where design quality affects passenger experience, operational efficiency, commercial performance, and long‑term asset value. The role provides exposure to terminal planning, aviation systems, digital coordination, authority approvals, construction, and final handover. It is a strong opportunity to progress toward architectural‑lead, terminal‑design, and aviation design‑management positions within Saudi Arabia 's growing Airlines/Aviation market.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation delivers architecture, engineering, construction supervision, and program‑management services for complex aviation and infrastructure developments. Its multidisciplinary teams integrate design, technology, operations, and stakeholder requirements to support safe and efficient project delivery.