Design Manager - UAE

Atkins are searching for a candidate to join our team with experience in managing multi‑disciplinary design delivery across projects within the UAE and GCC Region. The candidate should typically have a minimum of 8 years’ experience in the Middle East, with proven experience working within a multi‑disciplinary design or built environment consultancy. Minimum 3 years of experience in Design Management or similar roles is required.

The selected candidate will work closely with the project delivery team to establish project objectives, contribute to the Project Execution Plan, and oversee design programme inputs, ensuring that the project team remains aligned throughout the project lifecycle. They are responsible for ensuring that design activities remain on track, key milestones are achieved, and project management standards and procedures are consistently applied.

The Design Manager acts as a highly skilled professional responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing the design process to ensure the successful delivery of projects ranging from small to medium scale and low complexity. Design Managers may work independently on projects or support senior roles on larger or more complex projects, taking full responsibility for the design coordination and delivery tasks relevant to the project or assigned packages.

In addition, the Design Manager will be responsible for day‑to‑day technical engagement with the Client’s technical team, managing client expectations under the guidance of the Project Manager and/or Project Director, and supporting the delivery of project outcomes that meet or exceed client requirements. 

Responsible for managing and assigning tasks to the design team, and ensuring that team members have the necessary tools, resources, and technical support to complete their tasks efficiently and effectively. They actively oversee the quality of the work delivered, ensuring that deliverables are reviewed and approved prior to submission to clients. Responsible for maintaining project documentation, ensuring that projects comply with regulatory requirements, and maintaining the company's project management methodology. 

Project Delivery 

• Responsibility for Convening, coordinating, and managing the overall technical input of the multidisciplinary design team, ensuring coordinated, compliant, and high quality design outputs.
• Create and maintain the Design Management Plan (DMP) in collaboration with the Project Manager and design team, ensuring alignment with scope, programme, organisation charts, and communication pathways.
• Accountable for the design coordination process, including interfaces between disciplines, sub‑consultants, third parties, and Client requirements, in accordance with quality management procedures.
• Responsible for the compilation of technical input into change management requirements. Coordination with the Technical Leads to determine impact on time and resources. 
• Interactions with Client technical team to achieve consensus on design philosophies and outcomes.
• Develop strategies for project design packaging to align with the needs of the design(and/or construction) phasing and schedule.
• Apply experience and lessons learned from previous projects to enhance delivery efficiency and quality.
• Responsible for the development of a multi-disciplinary programme with buy-in from technical leads that aligns with the project requirements. 
• Responsible for the technical set-up of the project and support the technical set‑up of project deliverables and models, including document structure, numbering, and tracking mechanisms.
• Responsible for working within the budgets defined and accepted by the design Technical Leads and Actively track design progress, identify risks or constraints, and support mitigation actions in coordination with the wider project team.
• Responsible for sharing and promoting the technical achievements of the technical team. 
• Promote collaboration and consistent engagement across technical package leaders and sub‑consultants.
• Maintaining consistent and productive input from the leaders of the technical package groups 

Financial Management 

• Responsible for confirming that Contractual deliverables have been met, prior to the production of invoices. 
• Responsible for the compilation of potential scope gaps, changes, and variations, assessing impacts on time and effort in coordination with the Project Manager and Technical Leads.

Client Management 

• Responsible for the technical engagement with the Client’s technical team, under the guidance of the Project Manager or Project Director.
• Responsible for providing advice and appropriate technical resources to address Client queries and design comments in a timely and structured manner.
• Support stakeholder engagement and approvals processes, ensuring submissions are coordinated and aligned with Client and statutory requirements.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Strong capability in multi‑disciplinary design coordination and interface management.
• Sound knowledge of design and construction processes, including Safety in Design requirements.
• Proficient in digital delivery and BIM‑enabled environments, including Revit, Navisworks, and design coordination tools.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Project, Excel, and Word.
• Strong understanding of Quality Management requirements.

Behavioural & Leadership Competencies

• Demonstrates structured, methodical, and proactive leadership.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence skills.
• Able to lead without reliance on authority, influencing outcomes through credibility and clarity.
• Results‑oriented with a continuous improvement and growth mindset.
• Upholds the highest standards of integrity, safety, and professionalism.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture or a relevant design / engineering discipline.

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career.

This includes:

• Tax-free salary.
• Life insurance coverage.
• Medical insurance.
• Annual leave balance.
• Company gratuity scheme.
• Discretionary bonus program.
• Annual flight contribution.
• Transportation & housing allowances.
• Employee Wellbeing Program: 24/7 access to specialists in finance, legal matters, family care, personal health, fitness, and nutrition.

Seize every opportunity to sharpen your skills, expand your expertise, and be recognized for the impact you make.

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.