***Salary up to 90,000 AED

***Open to relocation

*** Must come  from a Developer background

We are partnering with a prominent real estate developer to appoint a Vice President – Design & Technical, a strategic leadership role responsible for the full governance, direction, and performance of the design function across a portfolio of large-scale developments.

This role sits at executive level and will drive design excellence, commercial performance, innovation, compliance, and cross-functional integration from concept through construction and project handover.

The VP will lead multidisciplinary technical teams, oversee international design consultants, and ensure world-class delivery aligned with corporate objectives and board-level expectations.

The Vice President – Design & Technical will:

• Provide strategic leadership for all design and technical operations

• Establish governance frameworks and enforce Design Management Processes (DMP)

• Oversee consultant procurement, performance, and commercial management

• Drive value engineering, cost optimisation, and constructability strategies

• Ensure timely project delivery in alignment with executive approvals

• Serve as a key advisor to the Chairman, Managing Director, and VP Projects

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Design Leadership

• Define and implement the organisation’s design vision, standards, and technical strategy

• Oversee development of Project Briefs and secure executive-level approvals

• Establish professional services procurement strategies for all projects

• Lead consultant selection, negotiation, contracting, and fee evaluation

• Ensure alignment of design objectives with commercial and brand strategy

• Champion innovation, sustainability, and efficiency across all developments

Executive Oversight of Project Delivery

• Provide executive governance over design delivery across multiple concurrent projects

• Oversee preparation and approval of Project Design Management Plans (PDMP)

• Ensure compliance with scope, timelines, quality standards, and cost parameters

• Monitor variation orders, change management processes, and risk mitigation

• Review and endorse major design submissions and technical decisions

• Lead Design Stage Gateway approvals with senior leadership

• Oversee tender documentation strategy and management

• Drive value engineering initiatives throughout the project lifecycle

• Ensure constructability optimisation and cost-efficiency measures

• Provide executive-level reporting on project design performance

Commercial & Financial Accountability

• Partner with Commercial and QS teams to validate cost estimates at each design stage

• Oversee consultant and contractor progress validation for payments

• Manage professional fee evaluations and negotiations

• Ensure financial discipline within the design and technical function

• Monitor scope changes and ensure proper executive approvals

Cross-Functional Executive Integration

Ensure the design function provides strategic support to:

• Sales (unit layouts, design data, product optimisation)

• Marketing (brand alignment, visual materials, show units)

• Commercial (tender and procurement documentation)

• Hospitality (operational design compliance)

• Projects (construction-stage technical governance, mockups, RFIs)

Act as the primary technical advisor to the Project VP and executive leadership during construction phases.

Organisational Leadership & Capability Building

• Establish, structure, and scale the Design & Technical Department

• Define roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics

• Lead recruitment strategy in collaboration with HR

• Implement leadership development and succession planning initiatives

• Conduct executive-level performance reviews and goal setting

• Foster a culture of accountability, excellence, and innovation

Compliance, Governance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure strict adherence to DMP, HSE policies, and corporate governance standards

• Oversee authority approvals and regulatory compliance processes

• Ensure robust documentation, reporting systems, and digital tracking tools

• Coordinate closely with commissioning teams to ensure world-class project handover

• Maintain real-time transparency of technical performance metrics

Stakeholder & Board-Level Engagement

• Maintain executive alignment with Project Management teams

• Advise senior leadership on design risks, deviations, and corrective strategies

• Present design stage reports and strategic updates to Chairman and MD

• Ensure design performance meets corporate brand and quality benchmarks

Candidate Profile

• Degree in Architecture, Engineering, or related discipline (Master’s preferred)

• 15+ years of progressive experience in design leadership within large-scale real estate development

• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and international consultants

• Strong commercial acumen and cost governance experience

• Deep understanding of authority approvals and regulatory processes in Dubai

• Demonstrated success delivering complex, high-value developments

• Executive presence with strong board-level communication skills

• Strategic thinker with operational depth

REF: FL V-159124