Senior Design Manager

Senior Design Manager
- Exhibition Facilities

Location:
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Industry: Construction Function: Design General

Experience:
Minimum 15 years

Job Type
Full-time

Salary:
40,000-55,000 (estimated range based on similar jobs in the city; final offer confirmed with employer) Overview: Senior Design Manager – Exhibition Facilities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior construction opportunity leading the complete design delivery of large-span exhibition halls and associated front‑of‑house, back‑of‑house, infrastructure, and public realm areas. The role covers architecture, structures, MEP services, infrastructure, ICT, interiors, landscape, venue operations and specialist event requirements, and it requires coordination of multidisciplinary consultants and integration of new facilities with existing assets to meet operational, sustainability, programme and commercial objectives.

Key Responsibilities
- Lead the end‑to‑end design delivery of exhibition halls and associated facilities across all project stages.
- Establish the design execution strategy, package responsibilities, technical review procedures and interface management framework.
- Manage architecture, structural engineering, MEP, infrastructure, ICT, interiors, landscape and specialist design consultants.
- Maintain alignment between the project brief, operational requirements, approved budget, programme and design deliverables.
- Develop and control the design programme, submission schedule, review periods and approval milestones.
- Monitor consultant performance and initiate recovery actions when design packages fall behind programme requirements.
- Coordinate large‑span exhibition hall planning, including structural grids, clear heights, column‑free areas and flexible subdivision arrangements.
- Review rigging capacity, suspended loads, event equipment provisions, floor loading and adaptable hall configurations.
- Coordinate building services distribution to preserve operational flexibility and minimise conflicts within event spaces.
- Direct the design of offices, public amenities, medical support rooms, storage areas, food and beverage points and service spaces.
- Ensure front‑of‑house circulation supports visitor movement, accessibility, wayfinding, crowd management and emergency evacuation.
- Coordinate back‑of‑house access, loading routes, waste handling, service yards, staff movement, storage and event logistics.
- Manage interfaces between new facilities and existing buildings, roads, parking structures, utilities and public realm areas.
- Confirm continuity of levels, access routes, pedestrian connections, service networks and operational circulation.
- Lead multidisciplinary design reviews, workshops, technical coordination meetings and constructability assessments.
- Use BIM‑enabled coordination to identify clashes, missing information, spatial constraints and installation conflicts.
- Review consultant drawings, specifications, calculations, technical reports, models, schedules and design narratives.
- Recommend approval, revision or rejection of design submissions based on technical compliance and project requirements.
- Ensure designs comply with applicable building codes, authority regulations, fire and life safety requirements and accessibility standards.
- Coordinate statutory submissions, authority comments, technical approvals, permits and design‑related clearances.
- Lead value engineering and technical optimisation without compromising safety, functionality, flexibility or asset durability.
- Evaluate alternative materials, systems, structural solutions, layouts and construction methods.
- Balance capital cost, operational efficiency, maintainability, energy performance and lifecycle value.
- Identify design risks and interface issues before they affect procurement, construction, commissioning or venue operations.
- Maintain design risk registers, interface schedules, decision logs and technical action trackers.
- Support procurement teams with scope development, tender documentation, technical clarifications and consultant recommendations.
- Evaluate contractor design proposals, technical alternatives, material substitutions and specialist supplier submissions.
- Respond to design‑related requests for information and resolve construction‑stage technical issues.
- Coordinate with sustainability specialists to incorporate energy efficiency, resource conservation and green building objectives.
- Work with commissioning and operational teams to ensure systems can be tested, maintained, operated and adapted effectively.
- Monitor design changes and confirm that cost, programme, construction and operational consequences are assessed.
- Provide regular design progress reports, risk updates, interface summaries and recommendations to project leadership.
- Mentor design managers, engineers, architects, coordinators and BIM personnel across the programme. Ideal Profile
- Bachelor’s degree in Architectur