Design Director - Master Planning

Job Overview

Design Director – Master Planning (Tabuk, Saudi Arabia). Lead creative vision, technical governance, and multidisciplinary design delivery of large‑scale real‑estate and urban development projects, ensuring commercially viable, sustainable, and distinctive built environments.

• Industry: Architecture and Planning
• Location:
  
  Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
• Salary: 50,000–75,000
  
  SAR (estimated, subject to final offer)
• Job Type: Full‑time
• Years of
  
  Experience:
  
  Minimum 20 years

The Design Director acts as the principal design authority for a major development portfolio in Tabuk, defining architectural and master‑planning direction, overseeing design quality, sustainability, operational performance, commercial objectives, and regional development priorities.

• Define architectural, urban‑design, and master‑planning vision for major development programs.
• Establish design principles, technical standards, review procedures, and quality expectations across the portfolio.
• Lead design development from strategic planning and concept creation through detailed documentation and construction support.
• Direct preparation and review of master plans, design briefs, guidelines, and architectural concepts.
• Ensure projects demonstrate strong placemaking, functionality, environmental performance, and contextual relevance.
• Review consultant submissions and provide decisive direction on quality, coordination, constructability, and compliance.
• Protect the approved design intent throughout procurement, value engineering, construction, and final delivery.
• Act as primary design adviser to executive leadership, clients, government authorities, and strategic stakeholders.
• Present complex design proposals, options, risks, and recommendations to senior decision‑makers.
• Coordinate international architects, master planners, engineers, landscape designers, sustainability consultants, and specialist advisers.
• Resolve multidisciplinary conflicts involving architecture, infrastructure, public realm, transportation, utilities, structures, and building systems.
• Lead design review workshops, executive presentations, stakeholder consultations, and formal approval meetings.
• Build, manage, and mentor a high‑performing multidisciplinary design team.
• Allocate design resources, clarify accountabilities, and establish performance expectations across concurrent work streams.
• Encourage innovation, critical design thinking, knowledge sharing, and continuous professional development.
• Monitor design schedules, budgets, deliverables, consultant performance, and resource requirements.
• Identify design‑related risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Guide value‑engineering exercises to improve commercial viability.
• Integrate sustainable design, climate resilience, smart‑city systems, digital technology, and future operational requirements.
• Ensure design solutions respond to Tabuk’s environmental, cultural, climatic, and development context.
• Support procurement through consultant selection, technical evaluations, design competitions, and tender reviews.
• Maintain governance over design changes, approvals, and technical records.
• Oversee design‑stage coordination with construction teams and address major site‑related design issues.
• Promote consistent design excellence across mixed‑use, hospitality, residential, commercial, public‑realm, and infrastructure assets.

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Urban Design, Master Planning, or related discipline.
• Minimum 20 years of progressive experience in architecture, urban design, or master planning.
• At least 8 years in a design director, executive design, or senior leadership position.
• Proven record of delivering major mixed‑use, hospitality, real‑estate, infrastructure, or giga‑project developments.
• Extensive experience leading projects from early concept through detailed design and construction delivery.
• Strong command of master planning, architecture, urban design, placemaking, and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Superior aesthetic judgment with practical knowledge of constructability and commercial delivery.
• Proven ability to lead international consultants and large…