Interior 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 Interior Design Site Manager to work across our projects in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, ensuring that the interior design vision we have conceived is delivered with precision, integrity, and care.

Purpose of Role:

The Interior Design Site Manager will be the primary on-site guardian of HIVE’s interior design intent throughout the construction stage of two of our branded residential developments. Working closely with the Site Architects and Construction Managers, this role is responsible for reviewing all interior design-related submissions from the contractor, responding to technical queries, reviewing materials and finishes and

ensuring that every finish, material, and spatial interior decision on site reflects the approved design package. This position needs strong attention to detail, sound technical knowledge of interior construction and finishes, and the confidence to challenge contractor proposals where they compromise of design intent or quality.

This is a full-time, on site position based 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 interior design packages and issue formal responses in a timely manner.
• Respond to Requests for Information (RFIs) from the contractor relating to interior design, providing clear and well-reasoned responses that protect the intent of the approved design package.
• Review material submittals and finish submittals, assessing proposed alternatives or substitutions against the project specification, and making recommendations that balance design intent, quality, and buildability.
• Review and assess proposed vendors and subcontractors for interior design scopes, evaluating their capability to execute HIVE’s finish standards.
• Conduct regular site walks across projects to inspect installed interior works, proactively identify deviations from the design package, non-conformances, and quality issues before they become costly to resolve.
• Lead snagging processes for interior scope 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 interior finishes procurement, including reviewing finish samples, mock-ups, and installed works to confirm compliance with the approved specifications.
  
  

• A minimum of 8–10 years of professional experience in 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.
• 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 designer or client side during construction is strongly preferred; contractor-only experience will not be sufficient.
• Strong technical knowledge of interior 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.
  
  

• Degree in Interior Design. Candidates with a pure architecture degree who have developed deep interior design expertise through their practice will be considered.
• Professional registration (BIID, RIBA, AIA or equivalent) is an advantage but not a requirement.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating delivered hospitality or high-end residential interior projects is essential and must be submitted with application.
  
  

• Immediate or as agreed