Design Site Manager

• About Hive
  
  

Hive is a real estate development and operations company redefining modern living through character-driven spaces and community-focused environments. Born from the need to offer people a more meaningful and flexible way to live, HIVE blends personal comfort with shared experiences. Our thoughtfully designed apartments and dynamic hubs cultivate curiosity, dialogue, and a sense of belonging – because life is richer when it’s shared.

Our buildings are branded, hospitality-influenced residential products where the quality of interiors directly defines the resident experience. We are looking for a Design Site Manager to join us on-site and ensure that the design vision we have conceived is delivered with precision, integrity, and care.

• Purpose of Role:
  
  

The Design Site Manager will be the primary on-site guardian of HIVE’s architectural and interior design intent throughout the construction stage of one of our branded residential developments. Working closely with the Construction Manager, this role is responsible for reviewing all design-related submissions from the contractor, responding to technical queries, conducting site walks, and ensuring that every finish, material, and spatial decision on site reflects the approved design package. This is not a passive review role – we expect this person to be present, proactive, and opinionated in defence of design quality.

This full-time position is based in the UAE (with travel across sites in Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi) and reports to the Head of Design.

• Key Role Responsibilities:
• Review shop drawing submittals from the contractor across all architectural, interior design, and landscape packages, and issue formal responses in a timely manner.
• Respond to Requests for Information (RFIs) from the contractor, providing clear and well-reasoned design responses that protect the intent of the approved package.
• Review material submittals and assess proposed alternatives or substitutions against the specification, making recommendations that balance design intent, quality, and buildability.
• Review and assess proposed vendors and subcontractors from the contractor for all design-related scopes, evaluating their capability to execute HIVE’s finish standards.
• Action and respond to inspection requests, attending site inspections and providing written sign-off or corrective direction as required.
• Conduct regular site walks to proactively identify deviations from the design package, non-conformances, and quality issues before they become costly to resolve.
• Lead snagging processes at the relevant project milestones, producing detailed snagging lists and tracking resolution through to completion.
• Support the procurement of FF&E and OS&E by reviewing and selecting items within scope, ensuring that selections are consistent with the project’s design direction and quality benchmarks. The Construction Manager will lead the procurement process; this role provides the design input and sign-off.
• Oversee all decisions related to finishes procurement, including reviewing finish samples, mock-ups, and installed works to confirm compliance with the approved specifications.
• Ideal Candidate Profile
• A minimum of 8–10 years of professional experience in architecture or interior design, with significant exposure to hospitality, hotel, or high-quality branded residential projects. Candidates with 6–8 years will be considered where their site experience and design sensibility are demonstrably strong.
• An architectural background with a genuine passion for interiors is the ideal profile. We are looking for someone whose training gave them technical rigour but whose career has kept them close to materials, finishes, and the spatial qualities that make or break a resident’s experience.
• Proven experience in a site-based construction delivery role – reviewing shop drawings, responding to RFIs, conducting site inspections, and managing snagging on a live construction project. Experience on the contractor side alone will not be sufficient; we need someone who has worked as the designer’s or client’s representative on site.
• Strong technical knowledge of construction detailing, material specifications, and finish quality standards, combined with the confidence to challenge contractor proposals that do not meet the brief.
• A discerning eye for design quality. This role sits within a company that builds hospitality-grade residential product, and the candidate must understand what “good” looks like in that context – not just technically, but aesthetically. We will be looking for evidence of this through a portfolio.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, well-structured formal responses to RFIs and submittals. Experience is international – we value candidates who have worked on equivalent projects outside the UAE, provided they are comfortable operating in a fast-paced Gulf construction environment.
• Qualifications
• Degree in Architecture or Interior Design. Candidates with a pure architecture degree who have developed deep interior design expertise through their practice will be given strong consideration.
• Professional registration (ARB, RIBA, AIA, or equivalent) is an advantage but not a requirement. A strong portfolio demonstrating delivered hospitality or high-end residential projects is essential and must be submitted with application.
• Start Date
• Immediate or as agreed

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