Senior Manager: Design & Interface

What You'll Be Doing;

• Serve as the primary PMC focal point for design coordination and interface management across the program.

• Represent the client in high level design, coordination, and interface meetings with consultants, contractors, systems integrators, authorities, and third parties.

• Ensure that employer s requirements, technical standards, and safety obligations are clearly communicated, understood, and implemented by all delivery partners.

• Provide independent, objective advice and recommendations to the client leadership on engineering, safety, interface, and program matters.

• Lead and manage the overall multi discipline design process (concept, preliminary, detailed, and IFC) across architectural, civil/structural, MEP, rail systems, and other disciplines.

• Review and comment on key design submissions, technical reports, drawings, models, calculations, and specifications to ensure compliance with: Employer s requirements and project standards Applicable local regulations and authority requirements Relevant international standards

• Chair and coordinate design review workshops, value engineering sessions, and constructability reviews, ensuring that design decisions are robust, buildable, and safe.

• Oversee requirements management and traceability, ensuring that all technical and safety requirements are properly captured, allocated, and verified.

• Monitor and enforce adherence to the project s technical assurance and design governance processes.

• Establish and manage the project wide interface management framework, including processes, tools, and responsibilities.

• Identify, classify, and maintain a register of all key interfaces (civil systems, stations MEP, systems rolling stock, depots, third party utilities, etc.).

• Chair interface coordination meetings and interface control working groups, driving resolution of interface issues and avoiding late changes.

• Review and monitor interface control documents, interface matrices, and interface agreements prepared by designers and contractors.

• Ensure that interface assumptions and decisions are documented, communicated, and implemented consistently across contracts.

• Escalate critical interface risks and conflicts to the client with options and recommendations.

• Oversee, from a PMC perspective, the integration of engineering and safety requirements throughout the design and build phases.

• Review and monitor RAMS documentation, safety cases, hazard logs, and risk assessments prepared by contractors and consultants.

• Ensure that design solutions incorporate safety by design, including construction safety, operational safety, and maintainability considerations.

• Coordinate with independent safety assessors (ISA) , regulators, and third party reviewers, consolidating findings and actions for the client.

• Verify that all required safety approvals, certifications, and authority clearances are planned, tracked, and obtained in line with project milestones.

• Manage alignment between design deliverables and construction methodology/sequencing, ensuring early identification of constructability issues.

• Support the client in assessing and approving design changes, technical deviations, and value engineering proposals, including impact on safety, schedule, cost, and interfaces.

• Ensure consistent application of configuration management across design and construction phases, including version control and change tracking.

• Coordinate closure of design related non conformances, technical queries, and RFIs, working with designers and contractors to achieve timely solutions.

• Monitor design and interface activities against the integrated master program and key milestones; identify and manage critical path items.

• Maintain and regularly update design and interface risk registers, identifying mitigation measures and contingency plans.

• Provide clear, concise reports, dashboards, and presentations for the client, covering design progress, interface status, safety issues, and key risks.

• Support project controls teams in assessing schedule and cost impacts of design/interface issues and changes.

• Coordinate with internal client stakeholders to ensure that design outcomes meet future operational and business needs.

• Interface with local authorities, utility providers, and other third parties to support approvals, NOCs, permits, and technical agreements.

• Facilitate cross discipline alignment among multiple design consultants, contractors, and suppliers to ensure integrated, consistent solutions.

• Lead and mentor a team of design managers, interface engineers, and safety/assurance specialists within the PMC.

• Promote a culture of quality, safety, collaboration, and proactive risk management across all design and interface activities.

• Ensure robust QA/QC processes are applied to design deliverables and interface documentation.

• Capture, document, and disseminate lessons learned in design, interface management, and safety assurance across the program.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or related discipline).

• Master's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Project Management, or related field is an advantage.

• Professional engineering registration/chartership (CEng, PE) is highly desirable.

• Project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2) and/or systems engineering/safety certifications are advantageous.

• Approximately 15 years' experience in major infrastructure, rail/transit, or complex multi-discipline projects, with strong emphasis on design management and interface coordination.

• Significant experience in a PMC, client, or international consultancy role managing design and build contracts.

• Proven track record leading multi-discipline design teams and managing interfaces between civil, MEP, systems, and third-party stakeholders.

• Demonstrable experience in engineering assurance, safety by design, and RAMS safety case processes.

• Experience working on large programs with multiple contractors and packages, ideally including rail/metro or similarly complex environments.

• Strong technical understanding of multi-discipline design processes and interfaces across civil, structural, MEP, and systems.

• Solid knowledge of systems engineering principles, interface management, and safety RAMS methodologies.

• Excellent project management, planning, and coordination skills in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a structured approach to risk and issue management.

• Highly effective communication, facilitation, and negotiation skills, including the ability to explain complex technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.

• High level of professionalism, integrity, and client service orientation.

• Proficiency with standard project management and collaboration tools; familiarity with requirements management systems, BIM/ CDE platforms, and document control systems is an advantage.

• Fluency in English (written and spoken); Arabic ideal.