Design Manager - UAE

Job Description Overview

Atkins are searching for a candidate to join our team with experience in managing multi‑disciplinary design delivery across projects within the UAE and GCC Region. The candidate should typically have a minimum of 8 years’ experience in the Middle East, with proven experience working within a multi‑disciplinary design or built environment consultancy. Minimum 3 years of experience in Design Management or similar roles is required.

The selected candidate will work closely with the project delivery team to establish project objectives, contribute to the Project Execution Plan, and oversee design programme inputs, ensuring that the project team remains aligned throughout the project lifecycle. They are responsible for ensuring that design activities remain on track, key milestones are achieved, and project management standards and procedures are consistently applied.

The Design Manager acts as a highly skilled professional responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing the design process to ensure the successful delivery of projects ranging from small to medium scale and low complexity. Design Managers may work independently on projects or support senior roles on larger or more complex projects, taking full responsibility for the design coordination and delivery tasks relevant to the project or assigned packages.

In addition, the Design Manager will be responsible for day‑to‑day technical engagement with the Client’s technical team, managing client expectations under the guidance of the Project Manager and/or Project Director, and supporting the delivery of project outcomes that meet or exceed client requirements.

Responsible for managing and assigning tasks to the design team, and ensuring that team members have the necessary tools, resources, and technical support to complete their tasks efficiently and effectively. They actively oversee the quality of the work delivered, ensuring that deliverables are reviewed and approved prior to submission to clients. Responsible for maintaining project documentation, ensuring that projects comply with regulatory requirements, and maintaining the company’s project management methodology.

Project Delivery

• Responsibility for convening, coordinating, and managing the overall technical input of the multidisciplinary design team, ensuring coordinated, compliant, and high quality design outputs.
• Create and maintain the Design Management Plan (DMP) in collaboration with the Project Manager and design team, ensuring alignment with scope, programme, organisation charts, and communication pathways.
• Accountable for the design coordination process, including interfaces between disciplines, sub‑consultants, third parties, and Client requirements, in accordance with quality management procedures.
• Responsible for the compilation of technical input into change management requirements. Coordination with the Technical Leads to determine impact on time and resources.
• Interactions with Client technical team to achieve consensus on design philosophies and outcomes.
• Develop strategies for project design packaging to align with the needs of the design (and/or construction) phasing and schedule.
• Apply experience and lessons learned from previous projects to enhance delivery efficiency and quality.
• Responsible for the development of a multi‑disciplinary programme with buy‑in from technical leads that aligns with the project requirements.
• Responsible for the technical set‑up of the project and support the technical set‑up of project deliverables and models, including document structure, numbering, and tracking mechanisms.
• Responsible for working within the budgets defined and accepted by the design Technical Leads and actively track design progress, identify risks or constraints, and support mitigation actions in coordination with the wider project team.
• Responsible for sharing and promoting the technical achievements of the technical team.
• Promote collaboration and consistent engagement across technical package leaders and sub‑consultants.
• Maintaining consistent and productive input from the leaders of the technical package groups.

Financial Management

• Resp…