Senior Manager - Urban Planning / GIS

About the role

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Manager to lead urban planning and GIS initiatives in Abu Dhabi. The role combines strategic leadership with hands‑on technical expertise to shape sustainable urban development across the UAE.

Key responsibilities

• Lead urban planning projects from concept to delivery, ensuring alignment with municipal objectives and UAE regulations.
• Oversee GIS operations, data management, and the implementation of best practices for accuracy, security and accessibility.
• Develop and execute strategic land‑use, infrastructure and sustainable growth plans.
• Manage, mentor and grow a multidisciplinary team of planners, GIS analysts and technical staff.
• Perform spatial analysis and data modelling to support policy recommendations and planning decisions.
• Collaborate with government agencies, stakeholders and community representatives to gather requirements and ensure project success.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations and documentation for diverse audiences.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies and best practices in urban planning and GIS.
• Control project budgets, timelines and resource allocation.

Required profile

• 15+ years of professional experience in urban planning, regional planning or related fields.
• Proven leadership and project management experience in large‑scale, multi‑disciplinary environments.
• Strong knowledge of UAE planning regulations, building codes and standards.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey complex concepts to varied audiences.

Required skills

• Spatial analysis
• Project management
• GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS)
• Geospatial database management
• Geospatial analysis tools
• Data modelling
• Python programming
• SQL