Senior Urban Designer - Master Planning & Placemaking

AtkinsRéalis Group; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 520,000 - 860,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life insurance

Medical insurance

Annual leave

Company gratuity scheme

Discretionary bonus program

Annual flight contribution

Housing allowance

Wellbeing program

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis is seeking an experienced Senior Urban Designer to lead master planning, urban design frameworks, and placemaking for major Riyadh developments. You will coordinate multidisciplinary teams, guide city-scale design, and ensure regulatory alignment while delivering high-quality, sustainable environments.

This role requires strong leadership, a track record on large-scale projects in the GCC, and proficiency with CAD/3D visualization tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Urban Design, Urban Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or a related discipline.
• Master's degree in Urban Design, Urban Planning, or Urbanism is preferred.
• Professional membership with RTPI, ULI, APA, RIBA or equivalent is advantageous.
• Minimum 10-15 years of professional experience in urban design and master planning projects.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale mixed-use, residential, commercial, hospitality, and public realm developments.
• Strong understanding of urban design principles, development planning, and regulatory approval processes.
• Experience on major GCC developments, preferably in Saudi Arabia.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp, Rhino, Revit, GIS, Lumion, Enscape, or similar tools.
• Strong graphic communication, visualization, report-writing, and presentation skills.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder engagement, and project coordination capabilities.
• Fluent in English; Arabic is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation and development of master plans, urban design frameworks, and detailed proposals.
• Manage urban design packages throughout project lifecycle from concept to implementation.
• Develop public realm, streetscape, open space, and placemaking strategies.
• Conduct urban analysis, site assessments, land-use studies, and feasibility evaluations.
• Review and guide production of reports, drawings, visualizations, and technical documents.
• Ensure compliance with regulations, policies, and client requirements.
• Coordinate with architects, landscape architects, engineers, transportation, and planning teams.
• Lead design review workshops and client presentations.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior designers.
• Monitor implementation during construction and site supervision.
• Evaluate design changes and propose solutions maintaining design integrity.
• Support authority submissions with regulatory bodies.
• Promote sustainable urban development, smart city initiatives, walkability, and environmental stewardship.
• Assist project management with schedules, deliverables, risks, and resources.
• Contribute to business development and client relationships.

Skills

Urban design

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Graphic communication

Presentation skills

Team coordination

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Urban Design/Planning/Architecture

Master's degree in Urban Design/Planning/Urbanism (preferred)

Professional membership (RTPI/ULI/APA/RIBA) (advantage)

Tools

AutoCAD

Adobe Creative Suite

SketchUp

Rhino

Revit

GIS

Lumion/Enscape

Job description

AtkinsRéalis is seeking an experienced Senior Urban Designer to lead master planning, urban design frameworks, and placemaking for major Riyadh developments. You will coordinate multidisciplinary teams, guide city-scale design, and ensure regulatory alignment while delivering high-quality, sustainable environments.

This role requires strong leadership, a track record on large-scale projects in the GCC, and proficiency with CAD/3D visualization tools.