Principal Design Manager

Role overview

Key responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary design delivery and coordinate discipline teams to achieve scope, programme, quality, and commercial objectives.
• Manage detailed design for coordinated, constructible outputs suitable for procurement and construction.
• Control scope and change; clarify contractual requirements, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and additional services.
• Oversee technical assurance, design reviews, checking, and approvals.
• Ensure compliance with Saudi codes, authority requirements, client standards, and international engineering standards.
• Manage interfaces and resolve coordination issues across disciplines, packages, contractors, and third parties.
• Monitor design programme, deliverables, milestones, budget, and resources; implement corrective actions.
• Manage risks and opportunities, including constructability, safety in design, technical risks, and information dependencies.
• Engage clients, contractors, consultants, and stakeholders; communicate technical issues and facilitate decisions.

Essential qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in civil, structural, mechanical or electrical engineering, architecture, or another relevant engineering or built-environment discipline.
• Significant relevant professional experience in design management and multidisciplinary design delivery.
• Strong detailed-design experience on major buildings, transport, or infrastructure projects.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary design teams and coordinating packages.
• Strong knowledge of engineering codes, standards, specifications, technical assurance, scope management, and change control.
• Experience managing design against programme, budget, resources, deliverables, and quality requirements.
• Commercial and contractual awareness; strong communication, leadership, stakeholder-management, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage complex design issues and drive multidisciplinary teams toward timely resolution; experience in a structured quality and assurance environment.

Desirable qualifications and experience

• Regional project delivery experience and understanding of Saudi client, contractor, and authority environments; familiarity with Saudi codes and authority requirements.
• Chartered or professionally registered status with an appropriate institution; experience with BIM, common data environments, and ISO 19650.
• Understanding of FIDIC or comparable contracts; experience with design-and-build or contractor-led detailed design.
• Experience engaging Saudi clients, developers, government organisations, and delivery partners. Arabic is advantageous but not essential.

Benefits and rewards

• Benefits vary by country and eligibility and may include annual bonuses and longer-term participation through employee ownership.
• Medical and life insurance, annual leave, parental leave provisions, and professional membership support are offered under applicable local policies.
• Learning and career development are supported through project variety, technical networks, and structured opportunities.
• The employer describes an inclusive culture focused on equality, diversity, and support.