Summary
Mace is recruiting a Senior Design Manager for a large mixed-use development programme in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role leads end-to-end design management for commercial office assets, coordinating consultants and multidisciplinary teams from concept through construction documentation and delivery. Responsibilities include design reviews, approvals, risk and interface management, quality assurance, sustainability, value engineering, and monitoring budgets and milestones. Applicants need 10–12+ years of sustainability management experience, senior design leadership on major commercial or mixed-use projects, and strong knowledge of design standards and approval processes; a relevant bachelor’s degree is required, while a master’s degree and PMP registration are advantages.
The posting
As published on macegroup.com. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
Mace combines construction expertise with consultancy to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. Our values shape the way we consult and define the people we want to join us on our journey.
The project:
This is an opportunity to work on one of the largest programmes in Saudi Arabia. This unique project consists of major mixed-use development including sports facilities, entertainment, and arts along with all associated infrastructure.
Mace is one of the delivery partners requiring high-calibre and experienced professionals to lead integrated teams throughout each phase of the project.
Manage end-to-end design management for commercial office assets, translating ambitious design vision into coordinated, investment-ready outcomes. Manage consultants, multidisciplinary teams, approvals, performance and compliance, while championing design quality, sustainability and value across concept, detailed design and construction-ready delivery.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Champion safety first, ensuring compliance with HSE standards while fostering wellbeing, inclusion and a positive safety culture.
- Manage end-to-end project delivery, maintaining quality systems and supporting senior leaders to achieve programme milestones.
- Oversee budgets, risks and ethical governance, contributing to long-term business sustainability.
- Manage collaborative project teams, driving performance, stakeholder engagement and best practice innovation across all phases.
- Manage safety first, wellbeing and values-led leadership, empowering accountable, high-performing teams.
- Oversee structural engineering design, technical reviews, interfaces and consultant performance across all stages.
- Ensure deliverables meet project briefs, specifications, regulations, sustainability standards and approval requirements.
- Coordinate stakeholders, manage design risks and report progress against milestones, procurement and operational priorities.
- Manages the design team in undertaking technical design reviews to ensure compliance with all Project Requirements and Strategy, Project, Design and Development Briefs, with specific focus on systems engineering, BIM, GIS, innovation and value engineering.
- Maximizes collaborative working relationships with various internal departments within the program and external parties to effectively manage the required interfaces at the appropriate times to reach the stated goals.
- Manages the design process in coordination with external consultants from concept through to construction documentation stages ensuring conformity to the project stated objectives, in line with Ways of Working (WOW), and provides recommendations.
- Manages all matters related to design being ‘fit for purpose’ specifically ‘Safety in Design’.
- Manages the design sign off process by all design consultants / sub-contract designers.
- Manages design risk optioneering including ‘Value Engineering’.
- Manages coordination of interfaces to raise possible impacts to project programs, budgets and quality issues.
- Ensures quality assurance processes are in place to review design deliverables and ensure compliance with project specifications, design standards and regulatory requirements.
- Ensure the team designs according to the cost/business plan, system and operations plan.
- Assist Cost Consultants assess the cost of design changes and track accordingly ensuring proper change management processes are adhered to throughout the design process.
- Overseeing production of Work Breakdown Structure for design/engineering deliverables which is suitable for production of design documentation and is in accordance with procurement, construction staging and project phasing requirements.
You’ll need to have:
- Bachelor's degree in sustainability, or related discipline. A master's degree would be an advantage.
- Professional registration in the respective discipline (or similar – i.e. Chartered Engineer) would be an advantage registration as a project management Professional (PMP) would be an advantage.
- 10–12+ years of sustainability management experience, including senior design leadership on large-scale commercial office or mixed-use developments.
- Experience in leading a design team to deliver to program, balancing competing requirements on project to deliver design outcome (e.g. cost v. time v. quality).
- Expert knowledge of local and international design standards, codes and regulations.
- Previous KSA/Middle East experience preferred
- Track record delivering BCO Grade A/investment-grade office towers or business park product from concept through to handover.
- Strong command of design review processes, authority approval pathways and international best practice in commercial office design.
- Experience managing multi-disciplinary international consultant teams (architecture, structure, MEP, facade, sustainability).
- Excellent stakeholder management and executive presentation skills; comfortable operating in a fast-paced, giga-project delivery environment
- Major program experience – managing multiple projects, conflicting priorities, and stakeholders.
- Supports team through periods of business change.
- Provides strategic oversight and guidance in managing and prioritizing the workload, deadline-driven and ability to optimize workload.
- Leverage exceptional written and verbal skills in English – articulate ideas, strategies, and project performance to a range of audiences and to influence at senior levels.
- Leverage in-depth knowledge of enterprise-level digital design solutions and applications.
- Strong leadership skills to inspire large, diverse teams and deliver results.
- Strategic thinker with excellent leadership skills and the ability to lead the function's direction, specifically endorsing or opposing practices as needed.
Our values
Safety first - Going home safe and well: We champion a safe, diverse, and inclusive working environment, understanding the importance of well-being in every team.
Client focus - Deliver on our promise: We own the quality of deliverables and strategic outcomes and build long-term relationships with our clients.
Integrity - Always do the right thing: We influence positive outcomes within our industry while always aligning with our compliance obligations.
Create opportunity - For our people to excel: We champion a continuous improvement culture throughout all activities, inspiring our people and teams to develop.
Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. Even if you feel you do not fulfill all the criteria, please apply, as you may still be the best candidate for this role or another role within our organisation.
We are also open to discussing part-time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.
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