Colour Material Finish Design Manager

About the role

The Colour Material Finish (CMF) Design Manager will define the colour, material and finish direction that shapes Etihad's guest experience from ground services to the aircraft cabin. Working closely with external consultants and internal stakeholders, you will translate the Etihad brand into tangible CMF concepts across every touch‑point of the guest journey.

Key responsibilities

• Define the material aesthetic and tactile direction for Etihad’s guest experience, creating a holistic CMF strategy across multiple touch‑points.
• Lead conceptual direction for both soft and hard products, including onboard amenities, seat and cabin projects, and architectural environments.
• Manage material and product development with internal partners and external suppliers, overseeing new soft‑product introductions and upgrades.
• Partner with project leads across cabin interiors, brand, product, hospitality, and service teams to ensure alignment.
• Create and maintain CMF guidelines for ground, aircraft, product, and service applications.
• Build and curate an on‑site material library and digital database of CMF samples and specifications.

Required profile

• Strategic mindset with the ability to see the big picture and develop holistic design approaches.
• Solution‑oriented thinking grounded in manufacturing realities for short‑ and long‑term implementation.
• Technical understanding of material properties for soft goods, seats, aircraft cabins, and architectural environments.
• Aesthetic sensitivity to current design trends and strong brand language awareness.
• Highly collaborative and proactive attitude to work with multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent visualization and storytelling abilities, capable of quick 2D sketches and fully developed 3D renderings.

Required skills

• 2D sketching
• 3D rendering
• CMF (Colour, Material, Finish) design
• Material property analysis