Senior Urban Designer

Job description / Role

The senior urban designer will provide technical and professional leadership in the execution of master planning projects in UAE and the wider region, with a particular expertise in creative concept and detailed master planning. The candidate would play a key role in the development of the client master planning business in the UAE and region. The senior urban designer will also support the UAE team in business development initiatives, bid preparation and marketing.

To be a member of the Urban Design team in the UAE and provide services to external and internal clients as part of the clients Middle East urban design team. To be involved in strategic planning studies, urban master planning and urban design and public realm projects in the Middle East.

Responsibilities:
• Lead the project team and their own design team proactively and to coordinate with disciplines including other sub consultants and other specialists
• Coordinate with and supervise their own team of Urban Design and Architectural technician on a day-to-day basis to achieve excellent design quality and documentation, and match or better the clients QA standards
• Present the work of the team during client meetings and communicate feedback/new instructions to the team
• Report to Head of Department on a regular basis regarding progress, design, quality, resources, changes, site issues, planning issues etc.
• Support in the preparation of technical and fee proposals for master planning and urban design projects and other major projects where appropriate;
• May be required to travel within the Middle East region to projects in a variety of geographical locations;
• Responsible for the management of teams and meeting agreed budgets;
• Other duties will be requested from time to time.

Requirements

• Degree or postgraduate qualification in urban design (preferred), architecture or landscape
• Minimum 8 years solid experience in master planning and urban design projects;
• Preferable to have relevant experience in the UAE, as well as the Middle East with an understanding of Emirati and Arabic urban morphology and culture, housing typologies, and/or appropriate design standards in the Emirate and the region;
• Ability to convey urban design and master planning concepts and solutions in real time to clients and others using drawings, freehand sketches and other mixed media material.
• Sound knowledge of all necessary software programmes including as a minimum CAD, Adobe Design Suites, Sketch up and MS Office. Additionally, a good understanding of GIS and Revit capability is preferable.

Behavioral Competencies
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills, be a team player and have a customer focus;
• Must have previous consultancy experience and technical management skills;
• Must have excellent graphic and oral expression capability and be very comfortable with the core of his/her skill set in urban planning and design;
• Ability to solve problems by thinking laterally and be able to understand the needs and requirements to provide design solutions in context;
• Must be able to work in a multicultural team and manage challenging multicultural client relationships;
• Able to be flexible and adapt to working in a demanding Middle East environment including the need to travel when required.

About the Company

Engage was formed in 2007 in response to frustrations at the level of service delivery offered by traditional large recruitment agencies working in the construction market. With a belief in providing a truly knowledgeable, precise and quality driven service, Engage strives to offer a recruitment experience to both employers and candidates that is unrivalled in the marketplace.

We provide precision staffing solutions, including contingency and executive search, within the construction and commercial marketplaces. Our enduring relationships with market leading organisations in the region and overseas means we have access to the best candidates and the best vacancies.