Design Manager - Office - Jeddah, KSA

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager - Office

Company: CTS Group

Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design & Engineering Management

Date Posted: 2026-10-06

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Oversees and manages the end-to-end design delivery process for complex data centre projects, ensuring technical coordination and buildability from concept to handover.

• Acts as a critical liaison between clients, internal engineering teams, specialist consultants, vendors, and project execution teams to drive project success.

• Coordinates multidisciplinary design activities across Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Structural, and Architectural engineering disciplines, ensuring integrated and clash-free design packages.

• Drives design reviews focused on technical compliance, constructability, operability, and adherence to programme, procurement, and construction priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on the office-based design management aspect, implying a strong emphasis on process, coordination, and stakeholder management within the central engineering function, rather than direct site execution. The "Reports To: Design Director" suggests a structured hierarchy within the design department.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and meticulously manage the project design programme, ensuring seamless alignment of engineering deliverables with procurement, manufacturing, and construction timelines.

• Coordinate intricate multidisciplinary design activities, encompassing Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Structural, Architectural, and specialized engineering domains.

• Effectively manage design consultants and specialist engineering partners, ensuring their scopes of work are clearly defined, deliverables meet quality standards, and performance metrics are achieved.

• Maintain a comprehensive design deliverables register and a precise information release schedule to track progress and facilitate timely execution.

• Drive and oversee BIM (Building Information Modeling) and digital design activities, ensuring integrated, clash-free, and construction-ready design packages are produced.

• Lead and facilitate design reviews with a sharp focus on technical compliance, constructability, operability, programme adherence, and overall project requirements.

• Coordinate critical design interfaces between the central office-based team and CTS's Execution, Manufacturing, Procurement, and other relevant operational teams.

• Serve as the primary office-based escalation point for site-based Design Managers, efficiently resolving escalated RFIs (Requests for Information) and technical queries, and formally approving design changes.

• Actively support value engineering initiatives and design optimization efforts, while rigorously safeguarding technical performance, system resilience, and client-specific requirements.

• Proactively manage design risks, changes, and technical interfaces, meticulously assessing potential programme and cost impacts to inform decision-making.

• Support the critical processes of permitting, regulatory approvals, and engagement with local authorities such as Balady/municipal authorities, Saudi Civil Defense, and the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).

• Manage consultant scope agreements, design fees, and associated commercial risks to ensure project financial health.

• Ensure that CTS engineering standards, established processes, and valuable lessons learned from previous projects are consistently applied across all design activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for strong project management, technical engineering acumen, and significant stakeholder engagement. The emphasis on "value engineering and design optimisation while protecting technical performance" indicates a balance between cost-efficiency and maintaining high standards crucial for data centres.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering strongly preferred; alternatively, a degree in Civil/Structural Engineering, Architecture, or another relevant technical discipline is acceptable.

Experience: 7+ years of relevant professional experience, with a significant portion dedicated to managing multidisciplinary design delivery for complex projects.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrable experience in managing the design lifecycle for data centres, mission-critical facilities, or comparably technically complex infrastructure projects.

• Profound understanding of Mechanical and Electrical systems, including their critical interfaces within mission-critical environments, resilience topologies, and Uptime Institute Tier standards.

• Proven experience across the full design lifecycle, from conceptualization and detailed design through to construction support and commissioning phases.

• Experience working within a Design & Engineering consultancy, an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contractor, or a design-build project environment.

• Strong proficiency and understanding of BIM/digital coordination methodologies and common data environments, specifically with tools like Revit, Navisworks, and BIM 360 / Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC).

• Knowledge of key Saudi Arabian regulations and standards, including the Saudi Building Code (SBC), Saudi Civil Defense fire and life-safety requirements, Balady/MOMRAH municipal permitting processes, and Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) grid-connection requirements.

• Ability to effectively manage external consultants, diverse technical stakeholders, and competing project priorities in a demanding environment.

• Fluent English communication skills (mandatory); Arabic language proficiency is considered advantageous. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for challenging environments characterized by high ambient temperatures and water scarcity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The strong preference for Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degrees, coupled with the requirement for specific knowledge of data centre systems and Saudi regulations, indicates a highly specialized role. The explicit mention of BIM tools suggests a modern, digitally-driven design process is central to CTS Group's operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating successful end-to-end management of multidisciplinary design delivery for complex infrastructure projects, ideally within the data centre sector.

• For each case study, clearly articulate the project's scope, your specific role and responsibilities, the design challenges encountered, and the innovative solutions implemented.

• Quantify the impact of your design management efforts, highlighting achievements in meeting programme timelines, controlling costs, ensuring technical compliance, and optimizing constructability.

• Include examples of design coordination methodologies, clash detection reports, and how integrated design packages were developed and managed.

• Demonstrate experience with design reviews, value engineering proposals, and the process of obtaining regulatory approvals. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of established design management processes, workflow diagrams, or standard operating procedures that you have developed or significantly improved.

• Illustrate your approach to managing design consultants, including contract administration, performance monitoring, and quality assurance.

• Detail your experience with BIM coordination processes, common data environment management, and the utilization of digital tools for design collaboration and issue resolution.

• Showcase your ability to integrate design considerations with procurement, manufacturing, and construction phases, demonstrating an understanding of the end-to-end project delivery lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on management and coordination, a portfolio demonstrating structured process implementation and successful project outcomes will be critical. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their methodologies for risk management, stakeholder communication, and ensuring technical integrity throughout the design phases.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the experience level (7+ years), specialized nature of data centre design management, and the location in Jeddah, KSA, the estimated annual salary range for this role is likely between SAR 250,000 - SAR 400,000 (approximately USD 67,000 - USD 107,000). This range can vary based on the candidate's specific qualifications, depth of experience, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employees and potentially dependents, a standard offering in international companies operating in Saudi Arabia.

• Paid annual leave, typically starting at 21-30 days per year, in line with Saudi labor law and company policy.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses, tied to project success and company profitability, a common incentive in project-driven industries.

• Professional development opportunities, including training, certifications, and attendance at industry conferences relevant to data centre design and engineering.

• Support for professional development and continuous learning, aligning with the company's focus on innovation and technical precision.

• Relocation assistance may be provided for candidates moving to Jeddah, depending on company policy and the candidate's location.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, typically structured as 5 days per week (Sunday to Thursday) from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM or similar, with a one-hour break. This is a standard full-time schedule for office-based roles in Saudi Arabia, with potential for occasional overtime during critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on industry benchmarks for Design Managers with 7+ years of experience in specialized sectors like data centres, adjusted for the Jeddah, KSA market. Benefits are inferred based on standard international company practices in the region and the nature of the industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Data Centre Development and Design & Build, with a strong focus on engineering excellence, innovation, and digital transformation within the EMEA region. This sector demands high reliability, scalability, and adherence to stringent technical standards.

Company Size: CTS Group is described as "fast-growing," indicating a dynamic environment with potential for rapid expansion and evolution. The presence of "over 40 nationalities" suggests a diverse and internationally-minded workforce.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, the company's description as "fast-growing" and its specialization in modern data centre solutions implies a relatively recent establishment or a period of significant recent growth and investment.

Team Structure:

• The Design department is led by a Design Director, with Design Managers reporting to them. This indicates a structured management hierarchy within engineering.

• The role involves close collaboration with site-based Design Managers, suggesting a distributed but integrated design function across office and project sites.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, with constant interaction expected with CTS's Execution, Manufacturing, and Procurement teams, as well as external consultants and vendors. Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on engineering excellence, innovation, and digital transformation underpins CTS's approach to data centre solutions.

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the focus on technical precision, performance metrics, and lessons learned.

• Standardized modular data centre units and digital systems development suggest a systematic and scalable approach to design and delivery.

• A collaborative and inclusive culture is promoted, with a high-performance expectation driven by technical precision.

Company Website: https://careers.cts-group.co

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on data centres, a critical and rapidly evolving sector, means that operations and engineering roles require a forward-thinking mindset. The international workforce and presence across EMEA suggest exposure to diverse regulatory environments and project scales.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Mid-Senior level, requiring significant experience in managing complex design processes and teams. It represents a critical function within the project delivery lifecycle, bridging conceptual design with practical execution.

Reporting Structure: The Design Manager reports directly to the Design Director, indicating a clear line of responsibility and a direct contribution to the overall design strategy and execution. They will also manage and guide external consultants and work closely with site-based Design Managers.

Operations Impact: The Design Manager's impact is profound, directly influencing project timelines, cost-effectiveness, technical performance, and the ultimate success and reliability of the data centre facilities. Their ability to ensure technically sound, buildable, and compliant designs is crucial for CTS Group's reputation and client satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific data centre engineering disciplines (e.g., power systems, cooling, network infrastructure) or advanced BIM/digital design technologies.

• Project Leadership: Potential to advance to a Senior Design Manager role, overseeing larger or more complex projects, or to transition into a Design Director position.

• Cross-Functional Development: Possibility to gain broader project management experience by working more closely with execution, procurement, or operations teams, potentially leading to roles in overall project delivery or operations management.

• International Exposure: With CTS Group's EMEA presence, there are opportunities to engage with diverse international projects and standards, broadening professional experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within design management, with potential to move into leadership roles or broaden experience into overall project delivery. The emphasis on "lessons learned" suggests a culture that values continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, beneficial for career development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly "Office-Based" in Jeddah, KSA, requiring a full-time presence in the CTS Group's local office. This suggests a structured, collaborative office environment designed for engineering and project management functions.

Office Location(s): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This location is a major commercial hub in Saudi Arabia, offering good connectivity and access to resources. Specific details about the office facilities (e.g., amenities, collaborative spaces) would typically be provided during the interview process.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is likely to be collaborative, with shared spaces for design teams, project managers, and support staff to facilitate communication and coordination.

• Access to essential design tools, software, and technology will be provided, including BIM platforms and communication systems necessary for managing multidisciplinary design.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with fellow design professionals, project managers, and potentially senior leadership within the Jeddah office, fostering a strong team dynamic.

Work Schedule: Full-time, 5 days per week, aligning with standard business hours in Saudi Arabia (e.g., 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a break). While primarily office-based, the role may require occasional travel to project sites or other CTS offices as needed for critical project phases or stakeholder meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Jeddah emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration and direct oversight for design coordination activities. Candidates should expect a professional, structured office setting conducive to intensive project work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess alignment with the required experience, skills, and qualifications, with a specific focus on data centre or mission-critical project experience.

• Technical Interview: Discussion with engineering leads or senior management to delve into your technical expertise in Mechanical/Electrical systems, data centre design principles, and understanding of relevant standards (e.g., Uptime Institute).

• Design Management & Coordination Interview: An assessment of your project management capabilities, experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and consultants, BIM coordination skills, and approach to risk management. This may involve scenario-based questions.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present selected case studies from your portfolio, detailing your role, contributions, challenges overcome, and the outcomes achieved in design delivery. Be prepared to discuss your process and methodologies in depth.

• Cultural Fit & Final Interview: Conversations with senior leadership to evaluate your alignment with CTS Group's culture, collaborative style, and overall fit within the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase your end-to-end design management experience, ideally in data centres or similar complex infrastructure.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly state the scale, budget, timelines, and the specific, measurable results you achieved (e.g., % cost savings through value engineering, reduction in RFIs, on-time design delivery).

• Detail Your Role: Explicitly define your responsibilities, the team structure you worked within, and the specific contributions you made to the design process and its successful delivery.

• Showcase Process: Illustrate your approach to coordination, risk management, stakeholder communication, and quality assurance. Use visuals like Gantt charts, coordination workflows, or sample reports if appropriate.

• Highlight Technical Acumen: Be ready to discuss the technical challenges and solutions, especially concerning M&E systems, resilience, and regulatory compliance specific to Saudi Arabia.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for hypothetical scenarios related to design coordination conflicts, client change requests, or programme delays. Outline your systematic approach to problem-solving and decision-making.

• Practice articulating complex technical and project management concepts clearly and concisely, as if explaining them to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Research CTS Group's recent projects, company values, and their position in the data centre market to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio presentation and case studies suggests that demonstrating past performance and methodological rigor is paramount. Candidates should prepare to "walk through" their projects, articulating not just what they did, but how they did it and why it was effective.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• BIM Software: Revit (for modeling), Navisworks (for clash detection and coordination), Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) / BIM 360 (for common data environment and collaboration). Proficiency in these is mandatory.

• Project Management Software: Tools for programme management and tracking deliverables (e.g., Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, or similar).

• Collaboration Platforms: Microsoft Teams, Slack, or other internal communication and collaboration tools.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for generating design progress reports and performance metrics.

• Potentially, data analysis tools for assessing design efficiency and identifying trends from project data. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly client-facing in this role, understanding how design data integrates with CRM or project management systems for client reporting and commercial management might be beneficial.

• Automation within BIM workflows for tasks like drawing generation or data extraction could be relevant.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in BIM software, particularly Autodesk's suite (Revit, Navisworks, BIM 360/ACC), is a critical requirement. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience using these tools for detailed coordination and clash detection in complex projects.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Engineering Excellence: A deep commitment to technical precision, quality, and delivering high-performance, reliable solutions.

• Innovation & Digital Transformation: Embracing new technologies and methodologies to improve design, buildability, and operational efficiency.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where different perspectives are valued, and teamwork is paramount.

• High Performance & Precision: Driving projects with speed, efficiency, and a meticulous attention to detail, crucial for mission-critical facilities.

• Sustainability: Integrating environmentally conscious design principles and solutions into projects.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration between office-based design teams, site execution teams, manufacturing, and procurement is essential for integrated project delivery.

• Consultant & Stakeholder Engagement: Proactive and clear communication with external consultants, clients, and regulatory bodies to ensure alignment and resolve issues efficiently.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing lessons learned and best practices across projects and teams to drive continuous improvement in design and delivery processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes a blend of technical rigor, innovative thinking, and collaborative execution. Candidates should highlight their ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, international team and their commitment to high standards.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex Project Demands: Managing the intricate design requirements for hyperscale data centres, which are technologically advanced and highly critical.

• Regulatory Landscape: Navigating and ensuring compliance with a complex set of Saudi Arabian building codes, safety regulations, and municipal requirements.

• Cross-Disciplinary Coordination: Effectively integrating diverse engineering disciplines (M&E, Civil, Structural, Architectural) and specialist systems to achieve a cohesive and clash-free design.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Keeping pace with the rapid growth of CTS Group and the evolving demands of the data centre market, requiring agility and efficient resource management.

• Balancing Cost and Performance: Achieving cost-effective designs through value engineering without compromising the critical performance, resilience, and sustainability requirements of data centres.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Data Centre Design: Opportunities to deepen expertise in cutting-edge data centre technologies, cooling solutions, power distribution, and sustainability practices.

• Digital Design Leadership: Developing advanced skills in BIM, digital twins, and other digital construction technologies for enhanced project delivery.

• Project Management Acumen: Enhancing skills in managing large-scale, complex international projects, including commercial, contractual, and risk management aspects.

• Industry Certifications: Pursuing relevant certifications in data centre design (e.g., CDCP, CDCS) or project management.

• Mentorship & Leadership Development: Potential to be mentored by senior design leaders and to develop leadership skills for managing larger teams and strategic initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents challenges inherent to the cutting-edge data centre industry, offering significant opportunities for professional development and specialization. Candidates who thrive on complex problem-solving and continuous learning will find this role rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you managed a complex multidisciplinary design delivery for a mission-critical facility. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure technical compliance and constructability?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and outcomes).

• "How do you approach value engineering in a design process, particularly when it involves critical systems like power or cooling? How do you balance cost savings with performance and resilience?" (Assess analytical skills and prioritization).

• "Walk us through your experience with BIM coordination. How have you used tools like Navisworks and BIM 360 to identify and resolve clashes, and what was the impact on the project?" (Demonstrate technical proficiency and process understanding).

• "How do you manage relationships with external design consultants and ensure they meet quality, scope, and timeline requirements?" (Evaluate stakeholder management and leadership).

• "Imagine a significant design change request comes from the client late in the design cycle. What steps would you take to assess its impact on programme, cost, and technical integrity?" (Test risk assessment and decision-making). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about CTS Group and our focus on data centre development in the EMEA region?" (Show research and genuine interest).

• "How do you contribute to a collaborative and high-performance team environment, especially in a multicultural setting?" (Assess teamwork and cultural fit).

• "How do you ensure that 'lessons learned' from previous projects are effectively integrated into new design processes?" (Gauge commitment to continuous improvement). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, follow a clear story arc: Project Context -> Your Role & Responsibilities -> Key Challenges -> Your Solutions & Actions -> Outcomes & Impact (quantified where possible).

• Visual Aids: Use slides with clear diagrams, flowcharts, screenshots of BIM models or clash reports, and concise data points. Avoid text-heavy slides.

• Focus on "How" and "Why": Don't just state what you did; explain your methodology, the reasoning behind your decisions, and the specific impact of your actions.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about technical details, specific design decisions, and challenges encountered during the project.

• Tailor to CTS: If possible, subtly connect your experiences and solutions to the types of projects and challenges CTS Group faces (e.g., high ambient temperatures, water constraints, specific Saudi regulations).

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily focus on articulating your design management process, technical understanding, and ability to collaborate effectively. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, so thorough preparation and practice are essential.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Manager position:

• Submit your application, including your CV and portfolio, via the provided link or email address (jobs@dc-forte.com).

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features case studies of complex infrastructure or data centre design management, clearly outlining your role, responsibilities, and quantifiable achievements in coordination, technical compliance, and programme delivery.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords and experiences directly relevant to the job description, such as "Data Centre Design Management," "Multidisciplinary Coordination," "BIM," "Revit," "Navisworks," "Saudi Regulations," and "Mission-Critical Facilities."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience with the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions, and prepare detailed explanations of your design management processes and technical problem-solving approaches.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research CTS Group's projects, their market position in the data centre industry, their values, and recent news to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding during the interview process.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with CTS Group or DC Forté before making application decisions.