Director - Architecture - Hospitality - 20013111 HS8

Role Overview

Director - Architecture - Hospitality at Qiddiya Investment Company, based in the Kingdom. You will lead the creative architectural design agenda across a hospitality portfolio, defining design principles and shaping hotel concepts from development brief to endorsed design direction, while overseeing consultants and ensuring design integrity, technical compliance and performance are maintained through delivery.

Company Overview

Qiddiya Investment Company is shaping a landmark destination redefining entertainment, culture and hospitality in the Kingdom. The Hospitality Business Unit is developing a portfolio of hotel assets central to this vision.

Role Purpose

Lead architectural design and governance across a hospitality portfolio to deliver hotel assets to the highest standards of design quality, guest experience and commercial performance, ensuring design integrity and technical compliance from concept through to delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Design Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the architectural definition of hotel concepts from development brief to approved design direction, curating distinctive, emotive and commercially viable responses aligned with Qiddiya, district and Operator visions.
• Define architectural design principles, typologies and performance benchmarks for each hotel tier, establishing consistent and validated design baselines across the portfolio.
• Lead technical input to development briefs, shaping planning efficiency, gross-to-net ratios, spatial configuration and system integration for hospitality assets.
• Champion sustainability and climate-responsive design, embedding ESG and Vision 2030 priorities.

Consultant & Team Governance

• Lead and govern architecture and specialist consultants, driving strategic approaches on appointment, scope and deliverables and overseeing performance, quality and creative alignment.
• Oversee consultant briefing and scope definition, validating architectural scope and specialist inputs to ensure alignment with development briefs, asset positioning, Operator requirements and governance approvals.
• Provide functional governance to project-embedded design management teams, reviewing and endorsing architectural deliverables to ensure approved design intent is maintained through delivery.
• Mentor teams and drive continuous improvement of design processes, standards and best practices.

Design Coordination & Delivery

• Drive integrated coordination across architecture, interiors, landscape and technical disciplines, resolving interfaces and ensuring cohesive design outcomes.
• Oversee visualisation and design communication (including CGI strategy), ensuring concepts are clearly articulated and aligned with design narratives and stakeholder expectations.
• Lead structured review of design submissions across key milestones, providing clear feedback and endorsement to support design progression.
• Provide creative and technical design oversight through design and construction, resolving interfaces and deviations to maintain design quality and intent.
• Guide value engineering and design optimisation, balancing design intent, guest experience and asset performance.

Governance & Stakeholder Management

• Articulate and position architectural design proposals to secure alignment and timely outcomes through key governance stages.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture or related discipline.
• Professional membership or recognised certification preferred (e.g. RIBA, AIA, RICS or equivalent).
• 15+ years' experience in architectural design with a strong hospitality focus across luxury and mixed-tier projects.
• Experience in a senior design leadership role (Design Director, Principal or similar) within a major architecture practice or developer environment preferred.
• Proven track record of managing architect and multi-disciplinary consultant environments across multiple projects preferred.
• Strong experience presenting architectural concepts to senior stakeholders and Operators preferred.
• Experience working with international hotel Operators and brand standards preferred.
• Experience in KSA / GCC or similar large-scale development environments preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong architectural design literacy, judgement and technical review capability across all project stages.
• Fluent understanding of hospitality planning (areas, efficiencies etc.) and building systems (structural, MEP integration etc.).
• Ability to manage consultants and influence design outcomes.
• Commercial awareness of cost and programme impacts.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, articulating design intent to secure alignment and drive decision-making.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced environments, managing ambiguity and shifting priorities.
• Proficiency in design management and coordination tools (e.g. Revit, BIM, CDE platforms, Aconex, Autodesk Construction Cloud etc.).