Director, Medical Planning (Asia)

SAA ARCHITECTS PTE LTD; Singapore; On-site; SGD 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

SAA Architects Pte Ltd seeks a Director to lead the Medical Planning Asia practice, shaping strategy and driving high-profile healthcare projects across the region. The candidate will oversee programming, master planning, and functional design for diverse hospital typologies, mentor teams, and grow client relationships through thought leadership and innovative planning.

With 20+ years in healthcare planning, you will translate clinical workflows into patient-centered design while ensuring

Qualifications

• Experience in healthcare planning and design with leadership in large projects.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in architecture or related field; BOA qualification is an advantage.
• Deep understanding of hospital operations, clinical workflows, and healthcare trends.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement the vision for the medical planning team with business leaders.
• Oversee programming, master planning, and functional design for complex healthcare facilities.
• Coordinate with clinical staff to ensure user-centered design outcomes.
• Lead design input across phases and ensure regulatory compliance and project delivery.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Business development

Team mentorship

Client engagement

Design leadership

Communication

Education

Architecture degree

BOA qualification

Healthcare design education

Tools

Planning tools

Modelling tools

Visualization software

Design software

Job description

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced leader for our Medical Planning team, driving excellence in healthcare planning and design across healthcare projects of diverse project scales and geographies.

As Director, Medical Planning (Asia), you will help set the strategic direction for our medical planning practice, lead high-profile healthcare projects, and grow client relationships. This role combines design leadership, business development, and team mentorship, positioning you as a thought leader in healthcare architecture.

You will lead the planning and design of health care environments and spaces and be responsible for shaping healthcare facilities of varying scales and complexity—from community-based centres to large integrated hospitals—through evidence-based design, functional innovation, and deep engagement with clinical users. Working in close collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders, and a multi-disciplinary consultant team, you will help deliver operationally efficient, sustainable, and patient-centred healthcare facilities, transforming the delivery of care.

Your Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Practice Growth

• Define and implement the vision for the medical planning team with the business leaders, aligning with the practice’s healthcare strategy.

• Drive innovation in healthcare facility design through research, evidence-based planning, and emerging technologies.

• Be a subject matter expert at industry conferences, publications, and client engagements.

Medical Planning & Design Leadership

• Oversee and lead programming, master planning, and functional design for complex healthcare facilities, across a diverse range of healthcare typologies (acute, ambulatory, specialty, and academic medical centres).

• Design and implement functional layouts at departmental and room levels that reflect current healthcare trends and evidence-based design.

• Coordinate with clinical staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrators, to ensure functional and user-aligned design outcomes. Translate clinical workflows and operational requirements into efficient, patient-centred design solutions.

• Lead planning input throughout design phases, ensuring that operational needs are accurately translated into architectural documents.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory codes, hospital licensing standards, international best practices, local regulatory codes, and healthcare requirements.

Project Delivery & Technical Expertise

• Lead and oversee healthcare design projects through all phases, from concept through construction documentation and implementation.

• Lead user group meetings, data collection sessions, and clinical workflow workshops.

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of a client's programmatic requirements, standards, and policies for incorporation into the design solution.

• Develop and present medical planning concepts to clients and stakeholders.

• Collaborate with architects, engineers, consultant, and client operational teams to ensure integrated planning and design solutions that meet programmatic, technical, and budgetary goals.

• Oversee and review deliverables for quality, accuracy, and adherence to design and documentation standards. Including maintenance of project documentation.

• Translate complex data and planning outcomes into actionable architectural solutions.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a key point of contact with clients for medical planning and strategic design discussions.

• Facilitate meetings with client representatives, clinical staff, and project consultants to drive consensus on design direction.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Demonstrate strong leadership inspire high team performance and a shared commitment to design excellence. Mentor and coach junior staff, emerging professionals, and new planners to build internal capacity.

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture that values creativity, technical rigor, and continuous learning.

• Coordinate resources across multiple offices and large-scale projects.

Business Development & Thought Leadership

• Collaborate with the Healthcare Sector Leads and Business Development team to pursue new opportunities and grow client relationships.

• Contribute to proposals, project fees, work plans, and budgeting during pursuit phases.

• Participate in client interviews and marketing presentations, positioning the firm as a leader in healthcare planning and design.

• Position the firm as a leader in healthcare design through thought leadership and networking.

Pre-requisites and Preferred Qualifications

• Experience: At least 20 years of relevant experience in healthcare planning and design, with leadership in delivering complex, large-scale medical projects in Singapore or the region.

• Education: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture, interior architecture, healthcare design, or a related field. Being a Qualified Person with the Board of Architects (BOA), Singapore is an advantage.

• Deep understanding of hospital operations, clinical workflows, and healthcare trends.

• Knowledge of local building codes, guidelines, and planning parameters, especially for large medical projects.

• Strong analytical capabilities coupled with effective management skills, including the ability to inspire and guide a creative team.

• Quick and effective resolution of planning and technical issues throughout project development.

• A collaborative and analytical thinker, focused on achieving optimal project outcomes.

• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities.

• Working knowledge in planning, modelling, visualisation tools, and design software