Senior Manager: Technical (Architecture, Civil & Structures)

One of three positions in the team - The Senior Project Manager: Technical (Architecture, Civil, Structures & Rail) is a senior, client facing role within a PMC organization, responsible for managing and assuring the end to end design and build process for architectural, civil, structural, and rail infrastructure works on a major program (e.g., metro, mainline, light rail, or multi modal hub). This is a non operational role focused on project and design management, technical governance, safety by design, and contractor oversight on behalf of the client. The role ensures that all consultants, contractors, and stakeholders deliver coordinated, safe, compliant, and constructible designs and built works that meet the employer s requirements, authority regulations, and project objectives for scope, time, cost, quality, and safety.

Key Responsibilities

1. Client Representation & Governance

• Act as the primary PMC focal point for technical matters across architecture, civil, structures, and rail infrastructure (track, earthworks, rail civil interfaces).
• Represent the client in high level technical, design, and coordination meetings with consultants, contractors, authorities, and third parties.
• Ensure employer s requirements, design briefs, and technical standards (including rail specific criteria) are clearly communicated, understood, and implemented by all delivery partners.
• Provide independent advice and recommendations to the client on technical, risk, and program issues related to the built environment and rail scope.

2. Design Management & Technical Assurance

• Lead and manage the full design lifecycle (concept, schematic, detailed design, IFC) for:

• Architectural works (stations, depots, ancillary buildings, public realm)

• Civil and structural works (viaducts, bridges, tunnels, cut and cover, retaining structures, foundations, earthworks)

• Rail civil and track related infrastructure (trackform, slab/ballast design, formation, drainage, trackside civil works)

• Review and comment on design submissions, BIM models, calculations, reports, and specifications to ensure compliance with:

• Employer s requirements and project design criteria

• Local building and rail infrastructure codes and authority requirements

• Applicable international standards

• Chair and coordinate multi discipline design review workshops, value engineering, and constructability reviews to optimize solutions for safety, functionality, operations, and cost.

• Oversee requirements management and traceability for the architectural, civil/structural, and rail infrastructure scope from requirements capture through verification and close out.

• Ensure adherence to technical assurance processes, including formal design verification and validation, peer reviews, and independent checks.

3. Interface & Multi Discipline Coordination

• Coordinate all interfaces between architecture/civil/structures/rail and other disciplines (MEP, signalling, telecoms, power, rolling stock, systems integration, utilities, highways).
• Manage and maintain interface registers, ensuring early identification and resolution of cross discipline and cross contract issues (e.g., track structure interaction, rail station integration, rail road interfaces).
• Ensure that architectural and structural designs accommodate rail system, track alignment, clearance, access, evacuation, and maintenance requirements.
• Support project wide design and interface governance in collaboration with the Design & Interface leadership.

4. Safety, Engineering & Compliance (Non Operational)

• Embed safety by design principles into all architectural, civil, structural, and rail infrastructure solutions, covering construction safety, operational safety, and maintainability.
• Oversee compliance with engineering and safety standards, including structural robustness, fire and life safety, evacuation strategy, and rail specific safety requirements.
• Review and monitor RAMS, hazard identification, risk assessments, and mitigation measures relevant to the built environment and rail infrastructure scope.
• Coordinate with independent reviewers, safety assessors (ISA), and authorities to secure approvals and certifications.
• Ensure all required technical and safety approvals (including rail infrastructure approvals) are planned, tracked, and obtained in line with program milestones.

5. Design Build Coordination & Construction Support

• Align design outputs with construction methodologies and sequencing for stations, civil structures, and rail infrastructure; identify constructability issues early and drive resolution.
• Support the client in evaluating and approving design changes, technical deviations, and value engineering proposals from contractors that affect architecture, civil, structures, or rail.
• Oversee application of configuration management to architectural, structural, and rail civil designs, including version control and change tracking.
• Provide senior technical input on RFIs, non conformance reports, and field changes raised during construction; coordinate with design consultants and contractors to implement robust solutions.

6. Program, Cost & Risk Management

• Monitor design and construction related technical activities against the integrated master schedule and key milestones for stations, civil structures, and rail infrastructure.

• Identify critical path activities and constraints; develop and monitor mitigation and recovery actions where delays arise.

• Support the client and project controls team in assessing schedule and cost impacts of technical issues or design changes.

• Maintain and regularly update risk registers for architectural, civil/structural, and rail scope, defining mitigation and contingency measures.

• Prepare clear, concise technical and progress reports, dashboards, and presentations for client leadership and governance boards.

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Rail Engineering, or Architecture (with strong technical focus), or a closely related discipline.

• Master's degree in Engineering, Rail/Transportation, Architecture, or Project Management is an advantage.

• Professional registration/chartership is highly desirable.

• Project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2) is an advantage.

• Approximately 15 years experience in architecture and/or civil/structural engineering for major infrastructure or transport projects, including significant rail related works (metro, mainline, LRT, high speed, or similar).

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

• Proven track record managing multi discipline design for complex stations, depots, viaducts/bridges, tunnels, and associated rail infrastructure.

• Demonstrable experience in technical assurance, safety by design, and securing approvals with relevant building and rail authorities.

• Experience coordinating closely with MEP, rail systems (signalling, telecoms, power), and track disciplines in a large, multi contractor environment.

• Strong technical understanding of architectural, civil, structural, and rail infrastructure design principles, codes, and best practices.

• Solid knowledge of design governance, systems engineering concepts, interface management, and safety RAMS fundamentals.

• Excellent project management, planning, and organizational skills in complex, multi stakeholder environments.

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

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

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

• Proficiency with standard project and design tools; familiarity with BIM/Revit, civil/structural and track design software, and common data environments (CDE) is an advantage.

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