CAD Manager

InSite are urban designers, planners and landscape architects who share a love for the craft of designing the built environment and consist of a diverse studio of designers from around the world. We are a diverse studio of designers from around the world with studios in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. InSite is a unique division of KEO International Consultants, a firm with over a half century of delivering projects throughout the Gulf and a proud legacy to match.  We engage at the human scale when creating our places.  Each is interrogated from a collaborative viewpoint, tailored to client’s needs and ensuring sensitivity to the unique ecologies, cultures and the communities that we engage with.

Our newest opportunity is for a talented Senior CAD Specialist to join our Allied Practice, InSite, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This position will take responsibility for leading the production, coordination, and quality control of CAD drawings and technical documentation across client’ master-planned developments. The role will ensure that all drawings

received from consultants and developers comply with CAD standards, layering protocols, coordinate systems, and documentation requirements.

We envisage success in this role to include;

Master Planning

• Read, interpret, and analyse master plans, including land use distributions, zoning, Development Control Regulations (DCRs), and associated Gross Floor Areas (GFA).
• Prepare, review, and manage CAD drawings related to master plans, site plans, affection plans, utility layouts, and execution drawings.
• Translate conceptual sketches and directions provided by senior master planners into accurate and compliant CAD-based master plans.
• Develop and modify master plans by drafting plots, Right-of-Way (ROW) networks, road hierarchies, and infrastructure corridors in line with planning intent.
• Perform plot subdivision, consolidation, boundary adjustments, and land use refinements as required during planning development and optimization stages.
• Ensure alignment between land use allocations, GFA targets, and spatial configurations within the master plan.

Architecture

• Prepare, review, and manage CAD drawings related to site plans, affection plans, utility layouts, and execution drawings.
• Check drawing accuracy, layering structure, block usage, file formats, and coordinate integrity prior to official submission.
• Ensure all drawings comply with CAD standards, naming conventions, and document control processes.
• Coordinate with planners, engineers, and consultants to resolve drafting discrepancies and missing information.
• Update and maintain a centralized CAD archive for all approved drawings and revisions.
• Conduct drawing quality assurance checks to verify dimensions, annotations, and alignment with approved master plans and authority requirements.
• Prepare drawing overlays and composite plans to support technical evaluations and coordination meetings.
• Support fast-track production of drawings, sketches, and mark-ups as required by technical teams.
• Extract area schedules, coordinates, and plot data from drawings for planning and authority submissions.
• Convert and standardise drawings from consultants into internal templates and formats.
• Maintain version control for all submitted and approved drawings.
• Support authority portal uploads and technical document submissions related to CAD files.
• Assist in maintaining as-built records and archive control.
• Stay updated on CAD standards, drafting technologies, and documentation best practices.
• Provide technical drafting support to master planning, architecture, and engineering teams.
• Liaise with consultants to clarify drafting requirements and ensure conformance with standards.
• Participate in coordination meetings and technical reviews involving drawing submissions.
• Support internal teams in the preparation of presentation visuals and graphics when required.

To be successful in this dynamic opportunity, we envision that your career journey to date will include 10+ years of relevant experience partnered with a Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in Drafting, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or CAD Technology from an accredited University or College program.

• Minimum 10 years of experience in in CAD drafting and technical documentation.
• Strong knowledge of layering, coordinates, CAD standards.
• Ability to manage large master plan and infrastructure drawings.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite and related drafting software.
• Strong working knowledge of GIS platforms and coordinate systems.
• Ability to manage large drawing datasets and perform technical cleanup efficiently.
• Capable of producing quick layouts, diagrams, and technical illustrations upon request.

InSite International is a KEO Allied Practice.

KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration – through conceptualization – to realization of planning, design or project delivery in the built and natural environments. For over 60 years we’ve led with vision, contributing to many of the world’s most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities.

As a highly integrated and agile AEP/PMCM firm, KEO is recognized by ENR as one of the Top 225 International Design Firms and one of the Top 20 International PM/CM Firms. We are also ranked by World Architecture as the 57th largest global architecture firm and the #1 Firm in the Middle East Region in their 2023 WA100 Survey.

We invite you to join us. Why?

When you join KEO, you’ll discover more than just a job – you’ll find a supportive environment that fosters your professional development through internal global mobility and career development and does so within a culture that supports company-wide health and well-being through on-demand counselling services and regular workplace clinics.

You will be invited to celebrate community events such as sports days, fun-runs, in-house sports teams and beach clean ups. In addition to your competitive package and benefits you will have access to a suite of policies that include hybrid working arrangements, individual athletic sponsorship, study assistance sponsorship, employee referral rewards, mentoring and coaching programs and extensive in-house on demand learning courses.

KEO’s performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its’ contribution to client success wherever we work. 

We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award-winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.