Design Section Head

About the role

We are seeking a Design Section Head to lead the civil design team for EPC substation projects in Abu Dhabi. The role involves overseeing all civil engineering activities from concept through construction, ensuring technical excellence and compliance with client and regulatory requirements.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Civil Design Section for EPC substation projects.
• Plan, organise and monitor civil engineering activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Review, approve and authorise calculations, drawings, specifications and technical documents before client submission.
• Develop engineering execution plans, design schedules and resource allocation plans.
• Supervise the design of substation control buildings, equipment foundations, cable trenches, underground utilities, roads, drainage, oil containment pits, fire‑water tanks, security fencing, site grading, earthworks and steel structure foundations.
• Lead value‑engineering initiatives to optimise cost while maintaining quality and safety.
• Coordinate with electrical, structural, mechanical, protection & control, telecom, BIM, procurement and construction teams.
• Liaise with clients, consultants, utilities, subcontractors and authorities on technical matters.
• Monitor progress against schedules, identify risks and implement mitigation measures.
• Provide technical support during procurement, construction, testing, commissioning and close‑out, and resolve site queries, RFIs and engineering deviations.

Required profile

• Proven experience leading civil design teams on EPC substation projects.
• Strong knowledge of international and local standards and regulations.
• Ability to develop execution plans, schedules and allocate resources effectively.
• Excellent coordination skills across multidisciplinary disciplines.
• Experience in risk identification, mitigation and value‑engineering.

Required skills

• IEC Standards
• BS Standards
• Eurocodes
• ACI standards
• AISC standards
• ASTM standards
• ASCE standards
• Civil engineering calculations and design drawings
• Project scheduling and resource allocation
• Value engineering
• Risk mitigation
• Document control procedures