Lead Design Architect / Principle Design Architect

italent

Kuwait City, Kuwait

Ref: NP090-1012

Job description / Role

Employment: Full Time

Lead Design Architect / Principle Design Architect

ROLE OBJECTIVE
To lead the conceptual and schematic design of various new and existing projects, ensuring quality of design is prioritized throughout the projects stages. Preparing concept designs and competition entries for new concepts for designs across sectors whilst ensuring adherence to deadlines, budgets, quality requirements and contract obligations in order to fulfill client requirements.

DETAILED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES


Overall Purpose of the Job:

To support client’s expanding portfolio of work across the Middle East, we are seeking an experienced Lead Design Architect to work on major projects, based in our Kuwait studio.

The opportunity will involve taking a leading role in the conceptual design of work across sectors and in all regions where we are active.

This position will have two primary areas of focus:
• Preparing concept and competition designs for projects at the early stages of design, ensuring all projects meet high standards for quality design, coordination and specification;
• Enhancing the design standard of the office for projects at all design stages through ongoing review and critique, mentoring staff and liaising with other in-house and external professions to develop the design information.

The successful candidate will provide input and support to numerous projects across the Middle East and assist the practice leadership in securing new opportunities and helping to develop a broad client base.

The successful candidate will report into the Head of Architecture for the day to day management of design projects, and will provide support and design mentoring to multiple projects under design. When appropriate, they will also be responsible for project management, design leadership & co-ordination of specific projects or project elements.

Key Responsibilities

Professional Skills
• Exceptional creative design and architectural knowledge and skills in the development of conceptual drawings and architectural proposals.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of environmental design matters including energy efficiency and low carbon footprint design. LEED AP accreditation is preferable.
• Advanced understanding of design critique and evaluation processes; setting up and carrying out design reviews.
• Leading and contributing to design reviews and project evaluation meetings.
• Researching project briefs, materials and construction products and systems, including enhancing the office library and using electronic information retrieval systems. Meeting with supplier representatives and maintaining relationships within the industry.
• Preparing design concepts and/or assisting others in the design of major schemes and presenting them to the client and project stakeholders, including for invited competition proposals.
• Producing detailed and design drawings using computer aided design software packages including 2D and BIM technology.
• Researching and developing solutions to complex architectural problems, using a full range of analysis and presentation techniques and software.
• Attending and contributing to site meetings where appropriate.

People and Communication
• Liaising with and coordinating the work of consultants and sub-contractors on specific design packages or elements on projects.
• Communicating work and ideas with internal and external teams, including consulting with in-house design teams, external consultants, clients and contractors and communicating instructions, actions and feedback as appropriate.
• Contributing to and chairing relevant internal and external meetings and making notes and following-up actions where appropriate.
• Reviewing and providing effective comments on project documentation and contracts.
• Advanced business English skills; additional Arabic skills are preferred although not essential.

Organization and Management
• Planning and prioritizing own workload and that of subordinates to ensure tasks are completed on time and accurately.
• Anticipating problems and taking action to avoid and overcome them.
• Building effective teams; identifying and developing their working processes.

Client and Commercial
• Assisting in work winning initiatives including developing bids and proposals; meeting and presenting to new and existing clients.
• Building effective working relationships with external clients and collaborators.
• Ensuring that clients’ needs are met within agreed scope and budgets, including managing variations and defining additional work.

Learning and Knowledge Sharing
• Contributing towards the development of the business by delivering project information, reports, drawings and other material of exceptional quality in line with international best practice.
• Keeping up to date with industry trends, innovations and developments and sharing this knowledge with the rest of the team.
• Keeping up to date with own professional knowledge and relevant legislation.

The successful candidate will undertake duties such as those mentioned above and in addition will perform such other tasks as are necessary to properly meet the requirements of this senior position. The successful candidate will also perform, observe and conform to such duties, directions and instructions that may be assigned or communicated by the management from time to time.

Requirements

A qualified and registered architect with minimum of 10 years post qualification experience in an internally acclaimed architectural practice.

Extensive industry experience of international working practices is required, preferred (although not essential) to have been gained in the Middle East.

Your experience will have included:
• Preparing concept designs for large-scale architectural design projects – across commercial, mixed use, retail, education, healthcare, hospitality, and urban design and master planning sectors.
• Delivering and managing complex projects and leading design teams.
• Reporting directly to client teams.
• Guiding and managing the work of multi-disciplinary teams including in-house and external concept design teams along with external sub-consultants.
• Providing line management, training and mentoring of other staff.
• Delivering and managing design quality reviews of projects at all stages of the design process.

We’re looking for the applicant to:
• Develop positive relationships with clients, stakeholders and international collaborators.
• Be comfortable working as part of an in-house multi-disciplinary team.
• Be confident and enterprising, and have good organisation skills to manage project workloads.
• Have a passion for design, sustainability and architectural place making.
• Have strong IT skills across a wide range of architectural software packages which includes but are not limited to; AutoCAD, Revit, Form-It, Grasshopper, Rhino, 3d Max, Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office
• Have excellent spoken and written English language communication – good Arabic skills are also an advantage but not essential.

About the Company

italent has been around since 2012, when we saw that businesses needed better talent solutions for their employment requirements. By focusing our efforts on quality products and services that are simple-to-use and innovative, our team brings you the best results without any unexpected additional costs and unnecessary complications. Simply put, we love helping businesses find and keep the right people.

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Architect salaries in Kuwait

Average monthly compensation
KWD 800

Breakdown available for industries, cities and years of experience