Authorities Liaison Manager

Job Description

• Strategic Regulatory Interface: Act as the primary point of contact and official representative for the consultancy with local authorities such as Dubai Municipality (DM), DDA, Trakhees, and utility providers like DEWA and RTA.
• Full Approval Cycle Management: Lead the submission and tracking of technical documentation from Concept Design through to the Building Completion Certificate (BCC), including obtaining all necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
• Permit & Approval Management: Undertake a QA/QC review of statutory submissions and coordinate the timely submission of architectural and engineering drawings, following up on statuses to resolve issues or technical rejections.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all project submissions comply with the applicable standards, legislation, local building codes, land‑use policies (e.g., DDA or Tarakhees), and the latest authority standards.
• Team Leadership: Supervise a team of designers or coordinators to ensure submission packages are prepared according to specific authority checklists and software portal requirements (e.g., Dubai BPS or TAMM).
• Risk Mitigation & Advisory: Identify potential compliance risks early in the design phase and advise internal project managers and senior management on strategies to resolve technical rejections or authority comments.
• Stakeholder Coordination: Liaise between internal design teams, external consultants, and client representatives to ensure authority comments are accurately addressed in project revisions.
• Reporting & Tracking: Maintain detailed logs of approval statuses and review timelines, providing regular updates to senior management on potential risks or delays.
• Relationship Management:
  • Proactively build and maintain strong professional relationships with government officials to facilitate smoother project execution and faster resolutions.
  • Cultivate professional networks with government officials and master developers to facilitate faster processing and stay updated on evolving regulations.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Architecture, Business Management, or a related field.

Skills:

• Strong knowledge of local authority approval workflows, NOC requirements, and experience with submission portals (e.g., Dubai Building Permit System).
• In-depth knowledge of building codes, zoning laws, and architectural standards.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in corporate environment and with diverse teams.

Soft Skills:

• Communication:
  Exceptional verbal and written skills in English;
  Arabic proficiency is often mandatory for direct authority interaction.
• Negotiation & Diplomacy:
  Ability to negotiate complex technical requirements with officials while maintaining the firm's reputation.
• Problem‑Solving:
  Proactive approach to identifying communication "silos" and resolving conflicts between project stakeholders.

Experience:

• Typically, 12 to 15+ years of specialized experience in authority liaison roles within the UAE or GCC consultant and construction sector.