Associate Design Director

About the Role

People Group Arabia is seeking an experienced Associate Director – Design Management to join a leading international engineering and infrastructure consultancy. This full-time position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and focuses on major large-scale development and infrastructure projects across the region. The role offers a senior leadership opportunity for an infrastructure design professional.

Role Overview

The Associate Director will lead and manage infrastructure design across all project stages. This involves providing strategic and technical leadership to ensure design packages are fully coordinated, compliant, and delivered according to programme. The position requires managing multidisciplinary design teams, complex stakeholder interfaces, and major infrastructure design packages from master planning through to IFC.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading multidisciplinary infrastructure design teams on major Saudi development projects.
• Managing design from master planning through to IFC, ensuring technical quality and timely delivery.
• Coordinating with master planners, architects, engineers, specialist consultants, contractors, clients, and other stakeholders to deliver integrated infrastructure solutions.
• Managing and reviewing design deliverables for roads, utilities, water, wastewater, power, ICT, structures, marine infrastructure, and public realm.
• Providing technical leadership across infrastructure disciplines, with an understanding of utility networks, pump stations, process plants, roads, bridges, and associated structures.
• Ensuring designs comply with relevant Saudi regulations, authority requirements, and international standards, including those associated with MOMRAH, NWC, SEC, SWCC, and Royal Commissions.
• Managing design schedules, deliverables, risks, and interfaces, ensuring alignment with wider programme and project objectives.
• Leading design reviews and value engineering workshops to identify opportunities for design, cost, programme, and constructability improvements.
• Providing technical leadership and mentoring to engineers and junior design professionals.
• Collaborating with project controls and commercial teams to ensure design progress aligns with programme and budget.
• Supporting permitting, approvals, and technical coordination with Saudi authorities.
• Ensuring designs support broader objectives related to sustainability, resilience, and digital infrastructure.
• Acting as a senior technical interface with the client, offering advice and discussing complex engineering solutions.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in infrastructure design.
• Proven track record of managing multidisciplinary design teams.
• Experience in managing complex stakeholder interfaces and major infrastructure design packages from master planning through to IFC.
• Candidates currently working as a Design Director, Associate Director, Design Manager, Infrastructure Design Manager, or Senior Infrastructure Engineer are encouraged to apply.

Work Environment

This role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, within a leading international engineering and infrastructure consultancy. The position involves working on high-profile infrastructure and development programmes, collaborating with technical professionals, and managing complex multidisciplinary design environments.

Application

Individuals seeking a senior leadership position in infrastructure design management in Saudi Arabia are invited to express their interest.