Interior Design Manager

About This Role

• About HIVE

HIVE is a real estate development and operations company redefining modern living through character-driven spaces and community-focused environments. Born from the need to offer people a more meaningful and flexible way to live, HIVE blends personal comfort with shared experiences. Our thoughtfully designed apartments and dynamic hubs cultivate curiosity, dialogue, and a sense of belonging – because life is richer when it’s shared.

As we expand our presence across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, we are developing a new generation of build-to-rent and branded residential communities. HIVE ensures that each project reflects our brand ethos, delivers on operational functionality, and creates spaces that people love to live in.

• Purpose of Role:

We are seeking a creative and design-driven Interior Design Manager to define and champion HIVE's interior design identity across our portfolio. This role is responsible for establishing HIVE's interior design language, curating the look-and-feel of our spaces, and ensuring a consistent, distinctive aesthetic that positions HIVE as a hip and contemporary lifestyle brand.

The Interior Design Manager will lead on all matters relating to interior design, FF&E, lighting design, signage, wayfinding, and amenity programming, working closely with design consultants and internal teams to bring HIVE's vision to life.

This full-time position is based in the UAE (with travel to KSA) and reports to the Head of Design.

• Key Role Responsibilities:

Design Language Development

• Continuously define and develop HIVE's interior design language, establishing design guidelines, material palettes, and aesthetic principles that can be applied across all projects
• Lead the creative direction for amenity spaces, ensuring they reflect HIVE's brand positioning as a contemporary and community-focused operator
• Drive amenity programming concepts, defining what goes into shared spaces (gyms, lounges, co-working areas, rooftops) and how they should feel
• Source inspiration, benchmark competitors, and stay current on hospitality and residential design trends

Design Review & Coordination

• Provide clear and fitting guidance to ID consultants on apartment and amenity layouts, ensuring they reflect HIVE’s principles of user experience and flow
• Review all interior design submissions from consultants, providing feedback to ensure alignment with HIVE's design standards and brand identity
• Manage the selection and specification of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) across residential units and shared spaces
• Oversee interior lighting design to ensure spaces are atmospheric, functional, and consistent with HIVE's aesthetic
• Lead the development of signage and wayfinding strategies that enhance the resident experience and reinforce brand identity in collaboration with HIVE’s Brand & Creative Department

Research & Collaboration

• Work closely with Design and Development Managers to ensure interior designs being proposed are budget-conscious
• Collaborate with Design Managers to ensure interior design decisions are coordinated with base-build design and technical requirements
• Work closely with Operations, Marketing, and Brand teams to ensure interior design supports the resident journey and brand experience
• Support mock-up reviews, material sampling, and fit-out coordination to ensure design intent is realised on site

4. Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in interior design, with a focus on hospitality, branded residential, or lifestyle-driven projects
• A strong portfolio demonstrating creative vision and an eye for distinctive, contemporary design
• Experience defining brand design languages or working on projects where design identity was a key differentiator
• Deep understanding of FF&E specification, material selection, and interior lighting
• Passion for creating spaces that feel curated, welcoming, and memorable
• Ability to translate brand positioning into tangible design decisions
• Experience working with third-party design consultants and managing creative output
• Strong visual communication skills with the ability to articulate design concepts to non-design stakeholders
• Familiarity with the hospitality sector and an understanding of how design drives guest experience

5. Qualifications

• Degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Architecture or a related field
• Professional certifications or memberships (e.g., NCIDQ, BIID) are a plus

6. Start Date

• Immediate or as soon as available