Authorities Liaison Engineer

About the role

WSP in the Middle East is looking for an experienced Authorities Liaison Engineer to join its team in the UAE. The role manages and coordinates submissions, approvals, permits and NOCs with government authorities and utility providers through the design and construction stages of projects, acting as the main link between the project team, contractors, consultants and authorities so that authority requirements are met and project timelines are supported.

Key responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate all authority-related activities during design and construction.
• Prepare, review, track and follow up on technical submissions, applications, permits, approvals and NOCs.
• Liaise directly with authorities such as Dubai Municipality, Dubai Development Authority, Trakhees, Dubai Civil Defence, DEWA and RTA, as applicable.
• Advise project teams on authority requirements, submission procedures, approval processes and documentation.
• Coordinate with contractors, consultants and technical disciplines to ensure submissions are complete and compliant.
• Monitor submission status, resolve comments and outstanding requirements, and attend meetings with authorities.
• Maintain records and trackers for submissions, approvals, permits, NOCs and outstanding actions.
• Support approvals for construction activities, inspections, utility connections and project completion, and escalate approval risks to project leadership.
• Support final inspections, completion certificates and other close-out requirements.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience, preferably in engineering consultancy, project delivery or multidisciplinary project environments in the UAE.
• Strong practical experience with UAE/Dubai authorities and utility providers.
• Experience coordinating authority approvals in design and construction stages.
• Strong stakeholder management and coordination skills, and strong written and verbal English; Arabic is advantageous.
• Relevant authority accreditation or registration is highly desirable.

Required skills

• Demonstrable knowledge of submission and approval processes with DM, DDA, Trakhees, DCD, DEWA and RTA.
• Understanding of architectural compliance, authority regulations, development controls and approval procedures in Dubai and the UAE.
• Familiarity with NOCs, permits, technical submissions, inspections and project close-out requirements.