Design Manager (Interior Design/Architecture) - Riyadh, KSA

Our client is a global interior design firm with over 25 years of experience transforming spaces into meaningful brand and consumer experiences. Established by brand experts with a vision to connect design and commerce, the company now operates across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia Pacific, known for its collaborative approach, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. Job Summary We are seeking a highly experienced Design Manager with more than 12 years of professional experience to lead the design team and manage complex client projects from initial briefing and concept development through technical coordination, execution, and final handover. The successful candidate will combine creative leadership, technical expertise, commercial awareness, project management, and excellent client-facing skills. This is a senior, hands-on role for a confident leader who can inspire teams, manage demanding stakeholders, make effective decisions under pressure, and ensure projects are delivered to the highest standards, on time, and within budget. Role location: Riyadh, KSA Key Responsibilities • Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary design team, setting clear responsibilities, priorities, and performance standards. • Establish the creative direction for projects and maintain the design vision throughout all stages of development and delivery. • Manage multiple complex projects, including scope, schedules, budgets, resources, deliverables, risks, and quality. • Act as the primary senior contact for clients, building strong relationships and managing expectations professionally. • Lead client meetings, workshops, presentations and design-approval sessions. • Translate client requirements and feedback into clear, practical actions for the design and project teams. • Provide creative and technical guidance while remaining hands-on during critical project stages. • Review and approve concepts, presentations, drawings, specifications, material selections, and technical packages. • Coordinate with consultants, contractors, suppliers, production teams, and other project stakeholders. • Ensure designs are creative, functional, technically accurate, commercially viable, and compliant with relevant standards. • Identify and resolve design, technical, commercial, and coordination risks before they affect project delivery. • Manage design changes and communicate their impact on scope, fees, schedules, and resources. • Support proposals, fee submissions, tenders, resource planning, cost control, and business-development activities. • Maintain high standards of quality control, documentation, communication, and project reporting. • Contribute to the company's design strategy, reputation, operational improvement, and business growth. Qualifications, Experience, and Skills • Bachelor's or master's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Product Design, Graphic Design, or a related design discipline. • More than 12 years of progressive professional experience, including substantial experience in a senior design leadership position. • Proven success leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering complex, high-value, or high-profile projects. • Strong portfolio demonstrating creative excellence, technical capability, and successful project execution. • Extensive experience managing senior clients, presenting design solutions, negotiating requirements, and handling challenging situations. • Comprehensive understanding of the full design and project-delivery process. • Strong technical knowledge of relevant materials, detailing, specifications, production, construction, and industry standards. • Excellent leadership, communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills. • Strong commercial awareness, including budgets, fees, resource planning, cost control, and change management. • Advanced planning, decision-making, problem-solving, and risk-management abilities. • Ability to manage multiple projects, clients, teams, budgets, and deadlines simultaneously. • Proficiency in relevant design, documentation, presentation, collaboration, and project-management software. • Ability to remain calm, professional, and effective under pressure. • Hands-on, proactive, adaptable, detail-oriented, and accountable working style. • Fluency in English; additional languages are an advantage. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is a confident and accomplished design leader who combines creativity with technical depth, commercial judgment, and strong project-management capabilities. They can operate strategically while remaining closely involved in the details, inspire high-performing teams, build trusted client relationships, and take full ownership of projects from concept to completion. Portfolio links to be included in the CV Show more Show less

Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary design team, setting clear responsibilities, priorities, and performance standards. Establish the creative direction for projects and maintain the design vision throughout all stages of development and delivery. Manage multiple complex projects, including scope, schedules, budgets, resources, deliverables, risks, and quality. Act as the primary senior contact for clients, building strong relationships and managing expectations professionally. Lead client meetings, workshops, presentations and design-approval sessions. Translate client requirements and feedback into clear, practical actions for the design and project teams. Provide creative and technical guidance while remaining hands-on during critical project stages. Review and approve concepts, presentations, drawings, specifications, material selections, and technical packages. Coordinate with consultants, contractors, suppliers, production teams, and other project stakeholders. Ensure designs are creative, functional, technically accurate, commercially viable, and compliant with relevant standards. Identify and resolve design, technical, commercial, and coordination risks before they affect project delivery. Manage design changes and communicate their impact on scope, fees, schedules, and resources. Support proposals, fee submissions, tenders, resource planning, cost control, and business-development activities. Maintain high standards of quality control, documentation, communication, and project reporting. Contribute to the company's design strategy, reputation, operational improvement, and business growth.