Senior Design And Interface Manager

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Job Description

Parsons is looking for an amazingly talented Senior Design & Interface Manager to join our Abu Dhabi team! In this role you will lead and coordinate the design integration and interface management efforts across all disciplines within the Airport Infrastructure Program. This role will oversee the coordination of design activities across terminal, airfield, and infrastructure works, ensuring seamless integration, compliance with program requirements, and the maintenance of design intent through construction and commissioning phases.

The Design Interface Manager will act as the primary link between design, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness teams to ensure technical alignment, resolution of design conflicts, and delivery of fully coordinated design packages. This position requires exceptional technical leadership, multi-disciplinary coordination expertise, and a deep understanding of design processes and airport infrastructure systems.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Design Coordination & Integration
• Lead the coordination of design activities across architectural, structural, MEP, civil, systems, and specialist disciplines.
• Facilitate multi-disciplinary design interface workshops to identify, document, and resolve conflicts early in the design process.
• Ensure alignment between design consultants, contractors, and PMCM teams to achieve fully coordinated and constructible designs.
• Support the integration of design deliverables with overall program objectives and master schedules.
• Design Interface Management
• Establish and maintain a structured design interface management process across all design packages.
• Maintain up-to-date interface registers and track the resolution of technical conflicts between disciplines and work packages.
• Ensure clear communication and documentation of interface responsibilities and handover points between different design teams.
• Collaborate with construction and systems integration teams to ensure that design interfaces translate effectively into field execution.
• Design Review & Quality Assurance
• Lead the review of design deliverables to verify compliance with project requirements, specifications, and applicable standards.
• Support and manage the design review process up to the systematic design stage, ensuring design quality and consistency.
• Validate that all design submissions meet functional, operational, and maintainability requirements.
• Ensure that design intent is preserved throughout construction and commissioning stages.
• Technical Issue Resolution
• Oversee the resolution of cross-disciplinary technical issues and design conflicts through structured review and coordination.
• Respond to and approve design clarifications, RFIs, and technical queries in collaboration with engineering leads.
• Manage the evaluation and approval of design changes, ensuring proper control, traceability, and documentation.
• Facilitate the decision-making process to ensure timely resolution of design-related challenges impacting project progress.
• Change Control & Configuration Management
• Manage design modifications and variations in alignment with the program’s formal change control procedures.
• Ensure that any design changes are technically validated, cost-assessed, and approved in accordance with project governance.
• Maintain accurate records of all design changes and their impact on downstream activities.
• BIM Integration & Digital Coordination
• Oversee the integration and management of Building Information Modeling (BIM) across all disciplines for design coordination and clash detection.
• Ensure BIM models are used effectively for design integration, constructability analysis, and visualization.
• Collaborate with the digital engineering team to maintain model accuracy, version control, and data integrity.
• Promote the use of digital tools and innovative technologies to improve collaboration and design quality.
• Regulatory & Operational Compliance
• Ensure all design works comply with ICAO, local authority regulations, and applicable international building codes.
• Coordinate with the ORAT and operations teams to align design deliverables with operational readiness and functionality requirements.
• Review designs to ensure they accommodate future operations, maintenance, and sustainability objectives.
• Support the approval process with relevant authorities and stakeholders.
• Scheduling & Progress Monitoring
• Monitor design progress and milestones to ensure timely delivery of coordinated design packages.
• Coordinate with project controls teams to track design deliverables and identify potential delays or bottlenecks.
• Report regularly on design performance, risks, and interface resolution status to senior management.
• Collaboration with Construction & Commissioning
• Work closely with construction teams to ensure constructability and technical feasibility of design solutions.
• Support commissioning teams by ensuring system design information is available and aligned with testing and validation requirements.
• Participate in design validation during pre-commissioning and operational readiness stages to ensure design intent is realized.
• Leadership, Mentorship & Continuous Improvement
• Mentor and guide design engineers, coordinators, and junior staff to enhance their technical and coordination capabilities.
• Foster collaboration between internal and external design teams, encouraging best practices and innovation.
• Capture lessons learned and contribute to the continuous improvement of design coordination processes.
• Support post-handover technical reviews to evaluate design performance and integration success.
  
  
  

What Required Skills You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Architecture, or a related discipline (Master’s degree preferred).
• Professional registration such as Chartered Engineer (CEng), Registered Architect, or PMP certification is advantageous.
• Minimum of 15 years’ experience in design management and interface coordination for large-scale infrastructure or airport projects.
• Proven expertise in multi-disciplinary design integration, design review, and coordination of complex engineering systems.
• Strong background in managing design teams, consultants, and contractors within PMCM or EPC environments.
• Deep understanding of airport terminal, airfield, and utility system design requirements and integration principles.
• Proficiency in BIM coordination tools (e.g., Revit, Navisworks, BIM 360, Synchro) and digital collaboration platforms.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills for resolving design conflicts.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills to coordinate across large, multi-functional teams.
• Thorough understanding of design codes, standards, and regulatory frameworks applicable to airport infrastructure.
  
  
  

What Desired Skills You’ll Bring

• Certification in Project Management (PMP), Design Management, or BIM Coordination.
• Familiarity with Lean Design and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) principles.
• Experience working on airport or transportation infrastructure projects, with an emphasis on multi-system integration and operational readiness.
• Familiarity with PMCM (Project Management and Construction Management) frameworks and ORAT (Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer) processes.
• Advanced knowledge of digital engineering and BIM workflows, including 4D/5D modeling and design-data management.
• Understanding of data-driven design coordination and digital twin applications in infrastructure delivery.
  
  
  

Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels no matter the race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!

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