Executive Director - Design Management

Aldar Properties
Abu Dhabi
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeFunction: Design (Product/UX/UI/Visual)Experience: 16+ yearsEducation: mastersSkills: ["Executive communication","Presentation skills","Stakeholder management","Conflict resolution","Leadership"]

Lead and govern the Design Management function across three product verticals—Upper & Luxury Residential, Commercial/Retail/Hospitality, and National Housing/Education/Civic. Translate commercial development briefs into market-differentiated design outcomes while balancing ambition with schedule and budget constraints. Establish standards and stage-gate governance, chair design quality reviews, manage executive stakeholder relationships, and build and lead a world-class, multi-disciplinary team capability.

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Aldar Properties
Aldar Properties
4 days ago

Executive Director - Design Management

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Job Summary

Lead and govern the Design Management function across three product verticals—Upper & Luxury Residential, Commercial/Retail/Hospitality, and National Housing/Education/Civic. Translate commercial development briefs into market-differentiated design outcomes while balancing ambition with schedule and budget constraints. Establish standards and stage-gate governance, chair design quality reviews, manage executive stakeholder relationships, and build and lead a world-class, multi-disciplinary team capability.
Location: Abu Dhabi
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Design (Product/UX/UI/Visual)
Seniority: Director level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Establish design vision, standards, and governance frameworks across all three design management verticals.
  • •Direct design responses to commercial briefs, ensuring proposals meet customer, price point, unit mix, features, timeline, and budget requirements.
  • •Chair design quality reviews at each stage gate with authority to approve or escalate to the GDS Committee.
  • •Serve as the primary executive interface between Design Management and client groups, presenting stage-gate outcomes and managing escalations.
  • •Lead, develop, and retain a multi-disciplinary design management team, defining performance goals and capability roadmaps aligned to GDS strategy.

Key Requirements

  • •16+ years of architectural design management or urban development experience, including 6+ years in a senior executive leadership role.
  • •6+ years managing large, multi-disciplinary design teams at senior manager level or above.
  • •Experience leading design across multiple asset classes (residential, commercial, hospitality, civic) in the GCC or comparable markets.
  • •Master’s degree in architecture, Urban Design or a related discipline.
  • •Professional registration in architecture (RIBA, AIA or equivalent).
Experience:16+ yearsGCCArchitectural designUrban developmentDesign managementReal estate development
Education:Master's in architecture, Urban Design or a related discipline
Skills:Executive communicationPresentation skillsStakeholder managementConflict resolutionLeadership
Certifications:LEED APRIBAAIA
Tech Stack:BIMAI-assisted design toolsDesign management platforms

Company Brief

Aldar Properties
A leading UAE real estate developer and investment company, Aldar develops residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects across Abu Dhabi and the region, and manages a diversified portfolio of assets including communities, retail, and hospitality.
Industry: Real Estate Development
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Revenue: USD 1B+
Growth: Public Company
Valuation: Public Company (Market Cap in USD)
Funding: IPO / Publicly Listed
Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Founded: 2004
WebsiteLinkedIn