Project Director

Project Director role and responsibilities

• Provide the oversight, management and administration services for the Design consultant services contract, reporting direct to the DSA Director.
• Responsible for overall direction, technical support and control of the Design programme & Design work plan with direct responsibility for design review, coordination, monitoring design schedules, design drawings / documentation, and bid process.
• Post-Contract responsibilities include monitoring of RFI responses and technical submittal, processing for design changes and programme.
• Facilitate and prepare, working closely with the DSA Director, Design Architect, Project Coordinator, the following:

a) DSA Project Execution Plan / Design work plan

b) Project Roles & Responsibilities Matrix. The R&R Matrix will need to be ultimately agreed with the Client /PM.

c) Project Quality Plan, Procedures and Work Instructions – Initial preparation, updates, and facilitating Quality audits via an Audit programme

• Provide the single point of contact for each Design consultant on design issues and act as “facilitator” for the resolution of internal conflicts and problem areas.
• Facilitate, chair and minute weekly coordination meetings or conference calls with the design consultants.
• Provide a point of contact with the Employers, Client Reps and their PM’s [where applicable].
• Ensure that the design team are aware of and have a common understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities.
• Assigned design managers, project coordinators etc.
• Prepare Requests for Proposals [RFP] including technical design scopes for consultants and identify design elements and deliverables to be undertaken for projects.
• Prepare information packages for projects to issue to consultants and other project participants.
• Be responsible for the administration of the design contracts; this will include ensuring that proper contracts have been executed in an expeditious manner, the consultants make their submittals (related to the administration and management of the contract such as the Design Work Plan) in a timely fashion, equitable fee breakdowns are submitted ahead of time, they are approved by the Client, verification of payment applications, change order administration related to consultants’ contracts, verification of insurance coverage and validity, etc.
• Provide technical support and supervision of the pre-design, design, and bid programmes including solicitations of interest, pre-qualification, preparation & review of request for proposals, adjudication and award recommendations.
• Monitor DSA design team & consultants’ performance in the conduct of design according to the established packaging strategy, including adherence to programme, cost, standards, codes, design coordination activities, and the production of construction bid documentation which would include providing assistance to obtain appropriate approvals from local regulatory authorities.
• Monitoring of resources employed by the various consultants.
• Review of Management, Execution plans, QA documentation submitted by Consultants.
• All administrative and commercial issues pertaining to Consultants.
• Monitor the status of open items in the “Action Lists” at least on a weekly basis to ensure speedy resolution of issues. Monitor “RFI-s” raised between consultants and follow up for responses in a timely manner.
• Monitor that design criteria have been developed across the entire development for all the design disciplines to aid the design and construction of future phases of the project and that they have been approved by the Client. Also ensure that the consultants abide by:

a) the General Requirements established for the Project

b) the Project Execution / Design Work Plan and related procedures.

• Ensure incorporation of best practices in building design where relevant
• Develop and update DSA design guidelines, FTP site/collaboration platform usage protocol and CAD + BIM standards, ensuring compliance by all design team members by policing the same. This may entail tutoring the team as required.
• Implement and police a first-class quality control protocols and regime within the DSA design team for the production of fully coordinated drawings and design documentation. Similarly QC protocols and regimes are to be insisted on from the other design consultants with adhoc checking and policing as required.
• Ensure that all design coordination meetings are chaired by the Design Manager / Project Coordinator to monitor schedule compliance and identify critical decisions / issues that could seriously impact the production of bid documentation.
• See that the design documentation (including progress documentation) are reviewed for completeness, competitiveness, coordination, constructability, any special specified Client requirements, etc. and that written review comments are submitted to the consultants in a timely manner. Review Specifications.
• Test & Approve design solutions proposed by the design team, ensuring that the design is the best in terms of value-engineering, health & safety, sustainability, fit for purpose, functionality, and aesthetic compliance.
• Review the design, as required, with the QS with a view to monitoring the budget.
• Recommend alternate solutions for cost-effective design.
• See that comments and answers issued during the bidding process are incorporated into the Construction Documents.
• Assist as required, for participation in the Employer’s Change control process.
• Facilitate, working closely with the Design Manager & project coordinator, the implementation of all Project controls, working with the DSA Design Architect, Site Architect and the available project resources, to include programmes, schedules, progress reports and records.
• Assist as required, for the production of executive reports on a monthly basis.
• Assist the Design Manager / Project Coordinator as required, for the implementation, all required schedules and log records for the use in managing, tracking, coordination, reporting and record keeping. These could include, but not be limited to the likes of:

a) Drawing, specification status & Issue logs with approval tracking – these will be provided by the Design teams.

b) Drawing & other deliverable schedules with approval tracking – these will be provided by the Design teams.

c) Design Variation log – this should be provided by the Employer’s PM but it is recommended that DSA should be looking after their own interests here and we suggest that a Commercial manager is employed who would pro-actively manage this process and seek the financial reimbursement thereof.

• In conjunction with the various design teams, identify variations and programme delays, manage and assist in the preparation of ensuing claims and EOT requests. This will require full cooperation of the Design teams and their management.
• Successful execution of work stages (concept, scheme and detail design), tender action and construction documentation.
• Timely issuance of invoices and payment follow ups.

DSA Company wide roles and responsibilities

• An overriding objective of this role is to ensure performance of all aspects of delivery under your control will be to the benefit of DSA’s business interest.
• Understanding the practice including Practice’s vision, mission, objectives, strategies, values policies and legal requirement.
• Ability to align your personal behaviour with the requirements, priorities and objectives of the Practice. The ability to behave in a manner that will consistently present a positive image of the DSA Practice.
• Ability to foster, build and maintain a business related network with companies and/or individuals with the purpose to achieve Business Development related objectives.
• Identify, analyse, understand, plan and give priority to client needs and how to deliver against and satisfy the client specific needs first time round.
• Ability to identify possible areas of concern, analyse and prioritise problem areas and to address these in a systematic approach.
• Identify individual strengths amongst team members and promote diversity in individuals.
• Participate in staff/ social functions.
• Ability to achieve strategic and other objectives by working together with a team of people following your lead and guidance.
• Establish and maintain a team environment where productivity, team work, personal development and team development are recognized.
• Review and recommend development and training of staff to meet company requirements.
• Ability to analyse, understand and participate in optimizing financial income & profitability within the Practice.
• Management & feedback on the financial performance of projects and other key tasks assigned.
• Management of the project financials including monitoring and reporting of the KPIs as applied for each project.
• Ability to identify, analyse, understand, plan and give priority to client needs and how to deliver against and satisfy the client specific needs first time round. (Know your client).
• Monitoring of client satisfaction and project close out.
• Address client issues, concerns and complaints.
• Your ability to foster, build and maintain a business-related network with clients with the purpose to achieve Business Development related objectives.
• Participate and manage client RFP’s in conjunction with the KSA bid team and finalizing issue of fee proposals after obtaining approvals from directors.

Interested candidates can directly send their CVs to recruit.dxb@dsa-arch.com mentioning "Project Director" as the subject.