Design Manager

• Global consultancy with 16,500+ experts, delivering integrated design, engineering, and program management solutions across 40+ countries.
• Lead high-impact landscape and public realm projects across the UAE and GCC, delivering sustainable and climate-responsive environments.
• Mentor and guide a talented team of designers, driving creative excellence and multidisciplinary collaboration.

About SJ:
Surbana Jurong (SJ Group) is a global urban, infrastructure, and engineering consultancy with 16,500+ employees in 40+ countries. Our Middle East studios deliver transformative projects across landscape architecture, buildings & cities, infrastructure, and environmental planning.

Headquartered in Singapore, the group has a global talent pool of 16,000 in Surbana Jurong and its member companies AETOS, Atelier Ten, B+H, CHIL, KTP, Prostruct, Robert Bird Group, SAA and SMEC, based in more than 120 offices in over 40 countries. They include architects, designers, planners, engineers, facilities managers and other specialists driven by progressive thinking and creative ideas to shape a better future.

About the Role:
We are seeking an experienced Design Manager to lead and coordinate multi-disciplinary design activities across complex engineering projects. This role is critical in ensuring design quality, integration, programme alignment, and technical excellence from concept through delivery.

Working closely with project managers, technical leads, and external stakeholders, you will play a key role in delivering safe, efficient, and innovative design solutions within a highly collaborative consultancy environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the end-to-end design process across multi-disciplinary engineering projects
• Coordinate design inputs from civil, structural, MEP, architectural, systems, and specialist disciplines
• Develop and manage design programmes, deliverables, and design governance processes
• Ensure designs meet client requirements, applicable codes, standards, and regulatory approvals
• Manage design interfaces, risks, and change control throughout the project lifecycle
• Chair design reviews, workshops, and technical coordination meetings
• Ensure high standards of design quality, safety, and constructability
• Support value engineering, innovation, and sustainability initiatives
• Work closely with project controls, commercial, and construction teams to ensure alignment
• Provide clear reporting on design progress, risks, and issues

Qualifications & Experience:

• Proven experience as a Design Manager within a multi-disciplinary engineering or consultancy environment
• Background in infrastructure, aviation, transport, or complex building projects preferred
• Strong understanding of the full design lifecycle and interface management
• Experience coordinating multiple disciplines and external consultants
• Knowledge of relevant engineering standards, regulations, and approval processes
• Strong planning, organisation, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to lead technical discussions and manage competing priorities

Education & Professional Membership:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Architecture, or a related discipline
• Chartered or working toward chartered status (e.g., CEng, PE, RIBA) preferred

Why Join SJ?
Join a global, multidisciplinary consultancy shaping sustainable, people-centric environments across 40+ countries. Work with world-class teams and lead impactful landscape design across the region.

All recruitment activities are managed by our Talent Acquisition team. 

Unsolicited CVs will not be accepted.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

At Surbana Jurong, we put talent, hard work, teamwork and a fun workplace together to approach problems and solve them creatively and collaboratively. Join us in making a positive impact on the world!