Design Manager

At ARADA, we create destinations that people genuinely love to live, work, and visit. Our developments blend strong design, commercial intelligence, and end‑user focus, delivered at scale across mixed‑use, residential, retail, hospitality, and lifestyle‑led projects. Design excellence is not an aspiration here, it is a responsibility.

This role sits within our Design Department and plays a critical part in translating ARADA’s vision into coordinated, buildable, and commercially viable designs across our portfolio.

The Design Manager – Architecture will lead and manage the architectural design process from concept through IFC and into construction support, ensuring alignment with ARADA’s design intent, investment case, cost, programme, and quality benchmarks. The role requires strong leadership of consultants, rigorous design governance, and close collaboration with internal stakeholders across Development, Commercial, Construction, and Project Management teams.

• Lead and manage the full architectural design lifecycle from concept design through tender and IFC, in collaboration with international and local consultants.
• Act as ARADA’s design custodian, ensuring the original design vision, brand, and quality benchmarks are maintained through all project stages up to construction.
• Oversee and guide consultants’ design activities, monitoring progress, deliverables, and compliance at all design stages.

• Liaise closely with internal stakeholders, external consultants, contractors, and construction/supervision management teams.
• Assess, appoint, and manage design consultants, including scope definition, fee negotiation, contract administration, performance monitoring, and variation control.
• Chair and participate in design review meetings, workshops, and coordination sessions; review minutes and ensure timely close‑out of actions.
• Monitor and manage the design in line with approved project budgets throughout the design lifecycle up to IFC.
• Ensure design solutions remain aligned with the approved investment case, cost plans, and master programme.
• Identify, manage, and report project risks, design issues, and key milestones to stakeholders on a regular basis.

• Review architectural design documentation at all stages to ensure quality, completeness, coordination, and constructability.
• Oversee design quality assurance processes, value engineering initiatives, and design optimization exercises.
• Ensure compliance with local authority requirements, UAE planning regulations, and international best practices.
• Maintain strong awareness of UAE and international Fire & Life Safety codes and regulations and ensure full compliance.
• Prepare and support tender strategies for consultants, contractors, and specialist packages in coordination with the Commercial Management team.
• Prepare, issue, and manage RFPs; evaluate technical submissions and provide recommendations.
• Interface with Commercial and Procurement teams to support the appointment of services and design‑related packages.

• Support the construction team during delivery by reviewing RFIs, material submissions, mock‑ups, and shop drawings.
• Monitor material selection and construction queries to ensure alignment with the approved design intent.
• Coordinate with site teams to resolve design issues efficiently without compromising quality.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the Project Management Plan and Design Implementation Plan.
• Ensure design management procedures, reporting standards, and governance processes are followed consistently across projects.

• Membership of a recognised professional architectural body such as RIBA, AIA, or equivalent is preferred.

• Minimum 15 years’ experience within a consultancy and/or developer environment, with strong exposure to large‑scale developments.
• Proven experience delivering projects in the Middle East, with UAE experience strongly preferred.
• Solid understanding of the UAE legal, authority approval, and planning framework related to architectural design.
• Strong proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Suite, and BIM implementation processes.
• Experience managing multi‑disciplinary BIM coordination and design delivery in complex developments.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercially astute with the ability to balance design ambition with cost and programme realities.
• Excellent communication skills with fluency in English.
• Detail‑oriented, proactive, and confident working in a fast‑paced, developer‑led environment.