Director Architecture Hospitality📣 Job Ad

About the Role

Qiddiya Investment Company is developing a landmark destination in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia, focused on entertainment, culture, and hospitality. The Hospitality Business Unit is seeking an experienced Director - Architecture to lead the creative architectural design agenda for its hotel assets. This full-time role requires a professional with over 10 years of experience to ensure the delivery of hotel projects to the highest standards of design quality, guest experience, and commercial performance.

Role Overview

In this position, you will be responsible for defining the architectural vision for the hospitality portfolio, from the initial development brief through to the endorsed design direction. You will oversee external consultants, ensuring design integrity, technical compliance, and performance are maintained throughout the project lifecycle. This role is central to shaping hotel concepts that are distinctive, emotive, and commercially viable, aligning with Qiddiya's vision and operator requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural definition of hotel concepts from development brief to approved design direction, ensuring alignment with Qiddiya, district, and Operator visions.
• Articulate and position architectural design proposals to secure alignment and timely outcomes through key governance stages.
• Define architectural design principles, typologies, and performance benchmarks for each hotel tier, establishing consistent design baselines across the portfolio.
• Oversee consultant briefing and scope definition, validating architectural scope and specialist inputs to ensure alignment with development briefs and Operator requirements.
• Oversee visualization and design communication, ensuring concepts are clearly articulated and aligned with design narratives and stakeholder expectations.
• Lead and govern architecture and specialist consultants, overseeing their performance, quality, and creative alignment.
• Provide functional governance to project-embedded design management teams, reviewing and endorsing architectural deliverables.
• Lead technical input to development briefs, shaping planning efficiency, spatial configuration, and system integration for hospitality assets.
• Drive integrated coordination across architecture, interiors, landscape, and technical disciplines, ensuring cohesive design outcomes.
• Lead structured reviews of design submissions across key milestones, providing clear feedback to support design progression.
• Provide creative and technical design oversight through design and construction, resolving interfaces and deviations.
• Guide value engineering and design optimization, balancing design intent, guest experience, and asset performance.
• Champion sustainability and climate-responsive design, embedding ESG and Vision 2030 priorities.
• Mentor teams and drive continuous improvement of design processes, standards, and best practices.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture or a related discipline.
• Professional membership or recognized certification is preferred (*, RIBA, AIA, RICS, or equivalent).
• A minimum of 15 years of experience in architectural design, with a strong focus on hospitality projects across luxury and mixed-tier developments.
• Strong architectural design literacy, judgment, and technical review capability across all project stages.
• Fluent understanding of hospitality planning principles and building systems integration.
• Ability to manage consultants and influence design outcomes.
• Commercial awareness of cost and program impacts.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to articulate design intent effectively.
• Proficiency in design management and coordination tools, including Revit, BIM, CDE platforms, Aconex, and Autodesk Construction Cloud.

Preferred Background

• Experience in a senior design leadership role (*, Design Director, Principal) within a major architecture practice or developer environment.
• Proven track record of managing architect and multi-disciplinary consultant teams across multiple projects.
• Experience presenting architectural concepts to senior stakeholders and international hotel Operators.
• Experience working with international hotel Operators and brand standards.
• Experience in large-scale development environments, particularly in KSA/GCC, is preferred.

Work Location and Type

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia.