Team Leader - Urban Infrastructure

Job Description

Team Leader - Urban Infrastructure

We are seeking a passionate, out-of-box thinking and critical-thinking leader who thrives on complex plot-level building projects and can successfully deliver as the Lead Design Consultant (LDC). This role requires a hands-on technical mindset, strong judgement, and the ability to integrate transport and infrastructure decisions with landscape, architectural, structural, and building services outcomes to protect programme, cost, approvals, and design quality.

The Team Leader reports to the Transport and Infrastructure Business Group Leader and has direct management responsibility for staff within the Urban Infrastructure team. The Team Leader is the line manager for direct reports and collaborates with other Business Group Leaders and disciplines to achieve “best for project” outcomes, predictable delivery performance, and target utilisation.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Lead plot-level building projects delivered as LDC, providing integrated urban infrastructure leadership across wet utilities, dry utilities, grading, internal roads, stormwater, access strategy, circulation, parking, and plot-level TIS, ensuring a coordinated and buildable outcome
• Act as the LDC focal point for plot-level infrastructure and access strategies, driving interdisciplinary coordination with Architecture, Structural, MEP/Building Services, and Landscape teams to resolve interfaces early and prevent rework (levels, grading, penetrations, ramps (and basements), service and utility corridors, utility rooms, stormwater retention, refuse/loading, emergency access, entry impacts)
• Provide technical governance and quality assurance for urban infrastructure deliverables, including proactive critical review (not only compliance checks) of concept options, detailed design, and authority submissions
• Lead the urban infrastructure strategy development (utilities, parking and grading) with a cost-and-space mindset
• Own authority approvals strategy for Abu Dhabi plot-level projects, including stakeholder mapping, submission packaging, meeting leadership, response coordination, and predictable close-out of comments across relevant entities (as applicable to project scope)
• Apply and enforce RIBA workstages on plot-level buildings projects, ensuring each stage deliverable is fit-for-purpose, coordinated across disciplines, and aligned to the project’s approval and procurement pathway
• Plan and manage resources across the Urban Infrastructure team to meet budget and programme constraints, including staffing plans, utilisation management, and timely identification of skill gaps or peak-load risks
• Manage project performance in collaboration with Project Directors/Project Managers, including scope definition, fee/budget control, change management inputs, risk management, and programme alignment with the wider LDC team
• Build and maintain a healthy backlog for the Urban Infrastructure team by working with the Business Group Leader and other Team Leaders to identify opportunities, shape scopes, support bid strategies, and contribute to client relationships and repeat work
• Mentor and develop team members to increase technical depth, interdisciplinary thinking, and plot-level LDC delivery capability, including targeted coaching on authority processes, RIBA staging, and coordination best practice
• Ensure consistent documentation and communication standards, including clear decision logs, interface registers, design risk items, and authority tracker management for plot-level projects
• Deliver plot-level LDC projects to agreed programme milestones, achieving on-time stage gate submissions/approvals as defined in the project baseline programme
• Meet agreed financial targets, including team utilisation, project budget adherence, and proactive management of scope change inputs to protect margins
• Achieve right-first-time quality outcomes, measured by reduction in rework cycles and authority resubmission rates attributable to coordination/technical gaps, and by internal QA pass rates at stage gates
• Improve coordination effectiveness, measured through timely closure of interface actions and reduced clashes/late design changes impacting Landscape/Architecture/Structural/MEP outcomes
• Build and sustain backlog coverage for the team in line with agreed business planning targets (pipeline health and forward workload visibility)
  
  

• Proven experience delivering plot-level building projects as Lead Design Consultant (LDC) or in a comparable multi-disciplinary lead role requiring active design integration and governance
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving ability on complex plot-level constraints (tight sites, basement/ramp geometry, utility corridors, grading/stormwater conflicts, access and circulation trade-offs, authority constraints)
• High-level understanding across transport and infrastructure disciplines as they apply to plot-level design, including wet and dry utility connections, plot grading, internal roads, stormwater, access strategy, circulation, parking design, and plot-level TIS requirements
• Preferred (not a must): Thorough understanding of Abu Dhabi authorities’ approvals processes and typical plot-level submission/coordination requirements, including managing multi-authority interfaces, comment resolution, and approval sequencing
• Proven experience leading and developing teams, including coaching, performance management, and building a “switched on” delivery culture
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence outcomes across multiple disciplines and stakeholders, including leading workshops, authority meetings, and senior client discussions
• Relevant degree and professional experience aligned to the role (Civil Engineering, Transport Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, or closely related field)