Principal Architect Airport

About the Role

WSP in the Middle East is seeking a Principal Architect Airport to join their team in Dammam, Eastern region. This is a full-time, site-based position requiring a proactive architect with a strong aviation background. The role involves leading architectural and interior design delivery while ensuring coordinated oversight across various specialist design interfaces.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead architectural and interior design across all project stages, from concept through detailed design and delivery.
• Provide technical and design leadership for airport modernisation, refurbishment, and expansion programmes.
• Represent the architecture discipline in client meetings, design workshops, technical reviews, and submissions.
• Make discipline-level design decisions and proactively respond to multidisciplinary coordination requirements.
• Coordinate with lead architects, interior designers, landscape, façade, and specialist design teams, including lighting.
• Develop terminal layouts that support efficient passenger flows, operational requirements, and appropriate levels of service.
• Integrate local cultural considerations, placemaking, and wayfinding principles to enhance regional identity and passenger experience.
• Ensure designs comply with applicable building codes, fire and life safety requirements, accessibility standards, and relevant aviation requirements.
• Develop design and phasing strategies for works within live operational airport environments, focusing on minimising disruption to passengers and airport operations.
• Review architectural drawings, specifications, and design deliverables for quality, durability, constructability, and suitability for high-traffic airport environments.
• Coordinate architectural interfaces with structural, MEP, ICT, landscape, façade, and specialist airport systems.
• Provide architectural oversight across interior design and specialist design interfaces, ensuring an integrated design approach.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to resolve design and coordination issues throughout project delivery.
• Provide technical guidance, design reviews, and mentoring to architectural team members.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of relevant experience is required.
• Candidates must possess a strong background in aviation projects.

Work Environment

This position is site-based, requiring a proactive approach to project delivery within live operational airport environments.