Design Manager (Structural) Project

About the Role

Albawani is seeking a Design Manager (Structural) to join their team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role is accountable for the delivery, quality, coordination, and constructability of all structural design outputs within Design & Build projects. The Design Manager ensures that structural design solutions meet contractual, technical, statutory, programme, and construction requirements for permanent works.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and control structural design development across all project stages, ensuring compliance with Employer’s Requirements, contract documents, codes, and standards.
• Approve and be accountable for all structural design drawings, calculations, shop drawings, and technical submissions prior to issue or construction release.
• Direct Technical Coordinators and discipline engineers to resolve structural design clashes, omissions, constructability issues, and interface risks.
• Ensure structural design is fully coordinated with architectural, MEPF, geotechnical, utilities, and temporary works requirements.
• Plan, manage, and drive the structural design programme to meet project milestones, procurement needs, and construction priorities.
• Establish and enforce structural design QA/QC requirements, including discipline reviews, coordination checks, and approval protocols.
• Act as the single point of technical authority for all structural design matters within the project.
• Identify opportunities for structural optimization, value engineering, and construction efficiency improvements.

Qualifications and Experience

• Over 10 years of proven experience leading structural design teams and managing Technical Coordinators.
• Strong knowledge of structural design codes, standards, and authority approval processes relevant to the project location.
• Demonstrated experience managing design risk, constructability, and site-driven design changes.
• Experience in Design & Build construction projects requiring discipline-led structural design management.
• Experience with large-scale, multidisciplinary developments with complex construction and authority requirements.

Technical Skills

• Strong capability in structural design leadership, technical governance, and approval of complex structural systems within a Design & Build environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of progressive collapse design principles and their application to robustness and risk mitigation strategies.
• Working knowledge of blast analysis and protective structural design, sufficient to review, challenge, and approve specialist analysis and recommendations.
• Proficiency in the review and governance of structural analysis and design models prepared using industry-standard software (*, SAP2000, ETABS, SAFE, or equivalent).
• Ability to review and validate structural calculations, modelling assumptions, and design outputs produced by consultants and specialist designers.
• Strong understanding of construction-driven structural design and contractor-led Design & Build delivery models.
• Experience with façade structural systems and interfaces is preferred.
• Sound engineering judgment and decision-making capability under programme, construction, and risk constraints.
• Clear leadership and communication skills to direct Technical Coordinators and discipline inputs and to engage confidently with senior stakeholders and authorities.

Work Environment

The role is based in a site office environment, with a low to medium physical risk degree. The Design Manager will interact with internal teams including the Technical Director, other Design Managers, Technical Coordinators, Construction/Operations, Procurement & Commercial, Planning/Project Controls, and QA/QC teams. External contacts include Lead Design Consultants, Specialist Structural Subcontractors, Vendors/Suppliers, Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), and Client/PMC Representatives.