Director – Design Planning & Services

Team: Group Design Studio

Location: Abu Dhabi

Commitment: Experienced hires

Workplace Type: onsite

• Establish end-to-end design frameworks integrating all disciplines, with common standards, interfaces, decision pathways and accountabilities.
• Establish unified design governance, procedures and quality frameworks across disciplines.
• Act as central integrator across design teams, resolving interface risks and ensuring coherent end-to-end design outcomes.

• Lead design programme planning, resource orchestration and milestone governance across all design disciplines.
• Proactively manage interdependencies across planning, infrastructure, buildings and interiors, optimising resource deployment across concurrent developments.
• Develop and manage the integrated design procurement strategy, coordinating consultant scopes, interfaces, performance expectations and commercial compliance.
• Maintain consistency of design intent and accountability across the consultant ecosystem.

• Own the Studio's integrated data and systems architecture, providing visibility of progress, dependencies, resources, risks and decisions.
• Embed AI-enabled tools, including large language models and agents, to improve scenario planning, tracking, risk detection, reporting and cross-discipline coordination.

• Deliver portfolio insights to the Group Chief Design Officer and Governance Committees on progress, quality, dependencies, resources and delivery risk.
• Lead Studio operational support, setting team objectives, developing capability and ensuring scalable, agile and responsive delivery across multiple concurrent developments. 

• Critical design milestones delivered in line with approved portfolio programmes.
• Identified cross-disciplinary interface risks resolved within agreed timeframes.
• Compliance with Group design governance and quality standards. 

• 14+ years of relevant experience in design planning, design management, design operations or a related built-environment discipline.
• 6+ years in managerial leadership roles. 

• Design planning and programme governance
• Cross-disciplinary design integration
• Consultant and procurement management
• Data, digital and AI-enabled workflow optimisation
• Stakeholder management
• Strategic planning and problem solving
• Microsoft Office, PowerPoint and Excel
• Project and portfolio management platforms
• Design, common data environment (CDE) and collaboration platforms
• Analytics, AI and large language model tools; workflow automation tools

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Urban Planning, Design Management or a related discipline (required)
• Master's degree (preferred)
• Relevant professional certification or membership (preferred)