Chief Design Officer

About Naga

Job Summary

Chief Design Officer (Cdo)

Design Vision & Creative Leadership

• Define and lead NAGA’s overall
• design vision, creative direction, and design philosophy
• across all disciplines and project sectors.
• Ensure a high standard of design excellence, innovation, and consistency across architecture, interior design, landscape, urban, and multidisciplinary projects.
• Oversee and guide concept development, design reviews, and critical project milestones to ensure quality and alignment with the firm’s vision.
• Act as the ultimate design authority for major projects, design competitions, strategic pursuits, and flagship developments.

Studio Leadership & Design Governance

• Provide leadership and direction to
• design directors, studio heads, and discipline leaders
• across the business.
• Establish strong
• design governance, review processes, quality standards, and creative benchmarks
• across all project teams.
• Mentor senior design talent and support the development of a high-performing, design-led culture within the studio.
• Foster collaboration across architecture, interiors, landscape, planning, engineering, and project delivery teams to ensure integrated design outcomes.

Strategic Business & Client Leadership

• Partner with executive leadership on the strategic growth and positioning of the business, ensuring design excellence remains at the core of NAGA’s identity and market differentiation.
• Represent NAGA in high-level client presentations, design workshops, pitches, industry events, and strategic business development opportunities.
• Build confidence with key clients, developers, hospitality groups, and stakeholders by acting as the senior design face of the business.
• Support winning work through design leadership, thought leadership, and contribution to proposals, interviews, and strategic pursuits.

Project Oversight & Design Delivery

• Oversee the design direction of major projects across all stages, ensuring strong design intent, quality, and consistency from concept through delivery.
• Review complex or high-impact projects and provide strategic guidance on design, technical integration, user experience, and project positioning.
• Ensure design decisions are aligned with client objectives, commercial realities, technical requirements, and delivery constraints.
• Promote innovation, sustainability, and future-focused thinking across project design and studio operations.

Brand, Market Presence & Industry Leadership

• Strengthen NAGA’s external design reputation and position the firm as a leading multidisciplinary design consultancy in the UAE, KSA, and wider regional/global markets.
• Contribute to NAGA’s brand narrative, thought leadership, design publications, awards, public presence, and industry engagement.
• Maintain awareness of global design trends, market shifts, emerging technologies, and best practices across architecture and design.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in
• Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Design, or a related design discipline
• .
• **18+ years**
• of relevant experience in architecture, design, or multidisciplinary consultancy, with a strong record of leadership in senior design roles.
• Proven experience in a senior leadership role such as
• Chief Design Officer, Design Director, Head of Design, Design Principal, or Studio Director
• within a respected design or multidisciplinary consultancy.
• Strong portfolio of
• high-profile, large-scale, and design-led projects
• across hospitality, residential, mixed-use, commercial, cultural, or master planning sectors.
• Demonstrated experience leading and influencing
• multiple design disciplines
• , not only interior design.
• Strong
• consultancy background
• with significant experience in the

Uae And Gcc

• ; KSA exposure is a strong advantage.
• Proven ability to lead senior teams, mentor directors and design leaders, and influence design culture across an organization.
• Strong commercial awareness and experience supporting
• client development, strategic growth, and project-winning efforts
• .
• Exceptional leadership, communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with
• major regional or international design consultancies
• on landmark, mixed-use, hospitality, and master planning projects.
• Strong relationships with key developers, hospitality groups, investors, and strategic stakeholders in the GCC.
• Experience contributing to
• business development, design competitions, strategic bids, and thought leadership initiatives
• .
• Familiarity with sustainability frameworks, innovation in design technology, and future-facing design practices.

Candidate Profile