Senior Associate Landscape Architect

Responsibilities

• Design Leadership
• Lead and oversee landscape architecture and public realm projects from pursuit through to completion, ensuring exceptional design quality and project outcomes.
• Provide design leadership across multiple project teams, establishing clear design direction and maintaining excellence throughout all project stages.
• Champion innovative, sustainable, and commercially successful design solutions that respond to client aspirations and project objectives.
• Lead client presentations, design reviews, workshops, and stakeholder engagement sessions.
• Promote a strong design culture through participation in internal design reviews, collaboration sessions, and design charrettes with the sector Lead.
• Establish project benchmarks and quality standards informed by international best practice and industry trends.
• Project & Commercial Management
• Independently manage multiple complex projects simultaneously across various sectors and scales.
• Oversee project programes, budgets, resources, risks, and deliverables to ensure successful project delivery.
• Monitor project financial performance, profitability, utilization, and forecasting in collaboration with the studio leads.
• Ensure compliance with client requirements, contractual obligations, authority regulations, and company quality management procedures.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and effectively manage interfaces with engineering, planning, BIM, and project management disciplines.
• Client Relations & Business Development
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, authorities, and industry partners.
• Act as a trusted advisor and primary client contact on key projects.
• Identify opportunities for repeat business and contribute to the growth of the Landscape Architecture business.
• Team Leadership & People Development
• Work collaboratively with the Director of Landscape Architecture, Associate Directors, and senior leadership team to achieve the studio's strategic, operational, and commercial objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Lead Associates, Senior Landscape Architects, Landscape Architects, Graduates, and BIM professionals.
• Support resource planning, workload management, and team performance across multiple projects.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing studio culture.
• Participate in regular Senior Management Team meetings and contribute to business planning and operational improvement initiatives.
• Innovation & Digital Leadership
• Promote the use of AI tools to enhance design efficiency, visualization, reporting, quality assurance, and project delivery.
• Champion BIM and digitally enabled design workflows across project teams.
• Utilise Vantapoint for project planning, resource management, financial tracking, reporting, and performance monitoring.
• Drive continuous improvement through innovation, technology adoption, and knowledge sharing.
• Competencies and Skills:
• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to motivate, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while maintaining design quality, programme, and budget performance.
• Strong conceptual design capability with a passion for design excellence, innovation, and creative problem-solving.
• Excellent understanding of landscape architecture, public realm, urban design, and multidisciplinary project delivery.
• Ability to provide clear design direction and maintain project quality throughout all stages of design and delivery.
• Strong commercial awareness, including project financial management, resource planning, utilisation, and profitability.
• Excellent client relationship management, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proven ability to lead presentations, workshops, design reviews, and client meetings.
• Sound knowledge of UAE and GCC planning processes, authority requirements, standards, and approvals.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Strong organisational, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to build positive, collaborative working relationships across multidisciplinary teams and multiple office locations.
• Commitment to quality assurance, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Strong understanding of BIM-enabled project delivery and digital design workflows.
• Experience using Vantapoint for project planning, resource management, performance monitoring, and project reporting.
• Demonstrates initiative, accountability, professionalism, and a positive leadership approach.
• Technical Skills:
• CAD and BIM: AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, MicroStation
• 3D Modelling and Visualisation: SketchUp, Rhino (Grasshopper), Lumion, Enscape, or D5 Render
• Project Scheduling and Office Tools: MS Project, MS Office Suite
• Graphics and Presentation: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• BIM collaboration platforms
• Deltek / Vantagepoint (desirable).
• Irrigation and Specialist Design: Land F/X or equivalent (desirable),
• GIS and Site Analysis: ArcGIS / QGIS (desirable)
• Ability to leverage AI tools to improve design exploration, visualization, project delivery, reporting, and operational efficiency (desirable).
• Work Experience Requirements:
• Minimum 12 years' relevant professional experience in Landscape Architecture.
• UAE and/or KSA project experience preferred.
• Proven experience leading complex landscape architecture, public realm, mixed-use, hospitality, residential, infrastructure, and masterplanning projects from concept through delivery.
• Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary teams, project programmes, budgets, and client relationships.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design leadership, technical excellence, and successful project delivery.
• Education and Qualifications:
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture.
• Post graduate degree in Landscape Architecture
• Professional Chartership or Accreditation preferred (CMLI, ASLA, AILA, LI or equivalent).