Senior Design Manager

Job description / Role

About Al-Futtaim Group

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions: automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group's entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand, responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration, and integrity, Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day.

Overview of the role

The Senior Design Manager role focuses on design management tasks for multiple complex projects, including atypical projects, within the Design department. Responsibilities encompass managing consultants and stakeholders, technical evaluations of design quality, engineering systems, statutory considerations, constructability, and deliverables completeness. The role also involves leading internal design studies and research, supporting market research, and assisting in development strategy definition. The Senior Design Manager is indirectly responsible for the financial performance of development projects and plays a pivotal role in achieving informed executive decisions through detailed design briefings and presentations.

What you will do

• Define the design brief, including physical characteristics, location, context, and key design objectives.
• Create detailed design briefs incorporating product objectives, project descriptions, and relevant background information.
• Coordinate with the Project Management department on infrastructure, engineering, delivery, and statutory considerations.
• Guide projects through various stages from design vision to tender documentation and provide advisory support.
• Define timeframes, design aspirations, and documentation requirements with consultants through meetings and workshops.
• Lead reviews for compliance with development objectives, costs, user experience, functionality, and aesthetics.
• Conduct comprehensive technical reviews on design criteria, performance, engineering, systems, and statutory issues.
• Prepare detailed commentary on design deliverables for executive presentations, including visualizations and diagrams.
• Assess design change implications on time, cost, and quality, and make recommendations.
• Ensure the approval of projects throughout pre-contract stages concerning design and financial feasibility.
• Resolve conflicting feedback in the best interest of the company and explain rationale to concerned parties.
• Secure statutory approvals via consultants and coordinate with statutory authority liaison.
• Develop marketing collateral for project launches, including unit plans, lease drawings, and renderings.

• Lead research on city design topics such as smart city technologies and sustainability.
• Research product design topics including smart living technologies and urban farming.
• Develop and refine departmental processes, guidelines, standards, and templates for design.
• Support market and economic analysis related to new product types and positioning strategies.
• Advise on development potential considering site, context, and regulations.
• Advise on aspects of development briefs, including project positioning and statistics.
• Conduct independent cost analysis and coordinate with Commercial department for benchmarks.
• Support return on investment calculations for various product design considerations.
• Manage project schedules and progress reporting for executive leadership review.
• Lead contract and commercial management, ensuring completeness of submissions and evaluations.
• Define procurement strategy and manage the pre-qualification and assessment of consultants.
• Prepare all relevant RFP documents including scopes of work, services, and schedules.

Required skills to be successful

• Advanced skills in architecture and interior design, including graphics and presentations.
• Proficiency in MEP systems, structural engineering, and civil works.
• Ability to prepare clear and compelling executive presentations.
• Expertise in CAD, BIM, Primavera, or Microsoft Project.

What qualifies you for the role

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in Architecture or related field.
• Minimum 12 years of experience in design and management roles, mainly with leading developers or consultancy firms.
• In-depth experience managing residential and commercial design projects, with hospitality projects as a plus.
• Fluent in English; proficiency in Arabic is an advantage.
• Advanced knowledge in building technical requirements, including structural, MEP systems, and statutory authorities.
• Proficiency in graphic and presentation skills, including Adobe Suite and CAD.
• Experience in MS Office, Primavera, or Microsoft Project.

About Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate

The real estate development and operations arm of Al-Futtaim, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate is responsible for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio across MENA. With high-quality residential, business, retail, tourism, educational, and healthcare developments, the master developer caters to the diverse needs of cities and communities in the region. From origination, conception, development, sales, procurement, and construction of mega-projects to the leasing, operation, and management of these projects after completion, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) has been developing and managing owned landbanks, unlocking the economic potential of the region and contributing to future development for more than 40 years.

Our focus is to enable and invest in meaningful relationships to make our properties the best places to live and work, build additional products and services, and enable partnerships to create true value to our customers throughout their entire experience with us.

AFGRE is responsible for master planning of all projects in its portfolio, including two large scale mixed-use destinations: Dubai Festival City and Cairo Festival City.

About the Company

Established in the 1930's, the Al-Futtaim Group initially operated as a trading enterprise. Rapid development throughout the 1940's and 50's saw it establish itself regionally as an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation, positioning itself one of the leading business houses in the lower Gulf region. Today, it operates collectively over 40 companies bearing the Al-Futtaim name, dominates many market segments in the UAE, and has expanded its sphere of operation to include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.

The Group comprises a diverse range of strategically positioned operating subsidiaries and associate companies, structured to give the Al-Futtaim Group the flexibility and versatility to keep ahead of local competition while keeping pace with the ever-evolving global business scenario. The Groups continued investment in world-class systems technology is clear evidence of its commitment to maintain leading edge performance and service delivery.

The success of the Al-Futtaim Group can be attributed to a business approach that combines the ability to change with the traditional values of integrity, service and social responsibility that define its core business philosophy. This, linked with the Groups belief in decentralisation, gives the heads of the operating companies a high degree of functional autonomy and authority, providing the Group with essential flexibility, and individual employees a clearly defined work culture and sense of responsibility.