Technical Design Director - Defense Infrastructure

Job Snapshot

Role:
Technical Design Director
- Defense Infrastructure

Location:

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Industry: Defense and Space

Function:
Design

General

Experience:

Minimum 15 years

Job Type: Full-time

Parsons is hiring a Technical Design Director
- Defense Infrastructure in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a major program within the Defense and Space industry. The director will lead architectural development, engineering assurance, and multidisciplinary design integration for complex mission-critical facilities and vertical structures. This senior leadership role will connect high-level architectural intent with structural, MEP, infrastructure, security, and construction requirements. The successful candidate will manage design consultants and internal teams from concept development through issued-for-construction delivery while maintaining compliance with military standards, Saudi codes, budget, and schedule commitments.

Country:
Saudi Arabia

City:
Riyadh

Industry: Defense and Space

Function:
Design

General Salary:  SAR per month

Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in Riyadh; please confirm the final offer with the employer.

Gender: Any

Candidate Nationality:
Any

Job Type: Full-time

Mission-critical defense developments require architecture, engineering, operational security, resilience, and construction feasibility to be resolved as one coordinated design. Technical decisions must satisfy strict performance and confidentiality requirements while progressing through demanding review and approval stages. The Technical Design Director will provide the authority needed to align creative intent with secure and buildable engineering solutions. Strong governance will reduce design conflicts, maintain package quality, and protect the program from approval delays and construction-stage redesign.

• Define and lead the integrated technical-design strategy.
• Direct architectural development and engineering coordination from concept to issued-for-construction stages.
• Oversee design assurance for mission-critical military infrastructure and vertical facilities.
• Establish technical-review requirements, design gates, and approval responsibilities.
• Lead design reviews and verify that comments are resolved before package progression.
• Direct lead design consultants and specialist subconsultants.
• Assess consultant performance against scope, budget, schedule, quality, and technical requirements.
• Serve as the primary technical contact for senior clients and relevant authorities.
• Present complex design matters, risks, alternatives, and recommendations to decision-makers.
• Coordinate architecture, structural engineering, MEP, civil infrastructure, and security systems.
• Resolve multidisciplinary interfaces, spatial conflicts, and competing technical requirements.
• Ensure specialized defense and high-security systems are integrated into the overall design.
• Maintain alignment between design packages, construction sequencing, and program milestones.
• Conduct buildability and constructability reviews.
• Lead value-engineering studies without weakening security, functionality, quality, or lifecycle performance.
• Identify technical and design risks and implement appropriate mitigation measures.
• Verify compliance with Saudi Building Code requirements.
• Ensure alignment with Civil Defense requirements and applicable authority regulations.
• Assess designs against military standards and recognized defense-facility benchmarks.
• Oversee BIM-led coordination and model-based technical assurance.
• Ensure accurate design-data integration across disciplines and consultant packages.
• Establish clear design-change and technical-decision controls.
• Maintain complete and auditable technical documentation.
• Monitor design progress and address bottlenecks affecting critical delivery dates.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams within fast-track program conditions.
• Support procurement and construction teams with timely design clarifications.
• Protect approved design intent during technical development and delivery.

• Bachelor 's degree in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Master 's degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive design-management experience.
• Proven leadership on mega projects or major government and defense infrastructure programs.
• Professional experience within Saudi Arabia or the wider GCC region.
• Strong knowledge of technical-design integration and multidisciplinary engineering.
• Ability to evaluate structural and architectural buildability.
• Experience with high-security facilities, controlled environments, or mission-critical assets.
• Detailed understanding of value engineering, risk management, and design assurance.
• Familiarity with Saudi Building Code and Civil Defense requirements.
• Experience leading design consultants and large multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to negotiate complex technical solutions with clients, authorities, and consultants.
• Demonstrated success within…