Job Description

Hill International is recruiting a Design Manager - Civil to join our team on a major airport development project. The Design Manager will lead and coordinate all civil design activities across the full project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with client requirements, regulatory standards, and programme objectives.

This is a core team, full-time role within an integrated client-side delivery team. The Design Manager - Civil acts as a key member of the project leadership, overseeing designer performance, design coordination, technical assurance, and interface management throughout the design and construction phases.

Responsibilities

Design leadership and strategy

• Lead and manage the civil design strategy in line with the client's Employer's Requirements, applicable aviation standards, and local regulations.
• Define and maintain the project's civil design brief, technical standards, and design governance framework in coordination with the Project Manager and other discipline leads.
• Ensure design solutions are safe, buildable, cost-effective, and aligned with programme and operational requirements.

Designer coordination and technical assurance

• Manage and coordinate the Civil Designer(s) and specialist sub-consultants across airside and landside infrastructure scopes (earthworks, pavements, drainage, utilities, roads, and external works).
• Review and approve civil design deliverables at all stages, ensuring compliance with standards, constructability, and interface requirements.
• Lead multidisciplinary design coordination to manage interfaces with structures, buildings, MEP, systems, and airport operations.
• Chair design review meetings and technical workshops; track and close design comments and actions.
• Support the management of design changes, technical queries, and value engineering proposals.

Regulatory and stakeholder coordination

• Coordinate with airport authorities, aviation regulators, and local authorities to support design approvals and permitting processes.
• Ensure civil designs comply with ICAO, EASA, national aviation authority requirements, and relevant local codes and standards.
• Act as the primary civil-design interface with key stakeholders, operators, and third-party utility providers.

Construction and delivery support

• Provide civil design support during procurement, tender clarification, and contractor engagement phases.
• Support the construction phase by reviewing shop drawings, method statements, RFIs, and temporary works related to civil infrastructure.
• Coordinate with the Construction Manager to resolve design-related issues arising on site.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10-15 years of experience in civil design management on major infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrable experience acting as Design Manager or Lead Civil Engineer on airport or aviation-related projects.
• Strong background in airside and landside infrastructure design, including pavements, drainage, utilities, and external works.
• Proven experience working in a client-side or PM/CM advisory role, overseeing designer performance rather than solely producing design.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary interfaces on complex, live-operational environments is highly desirable.
• Strong working knowledge of international and local civil and aviation standards (ICAO, EASA, national aviation authority requirements).
  
  English: professional working proficiency (mandatory - project working language).