Executive Director, Design Excellence (Hospitality)

About the role

Qiddiya Investment Company is developing a landmark hospitality portfolio as part of a new entertainment and cultural destination in the Kingdom. The Executive Director – Design Excellence will lead the design function across all hotel assets, ensuring high‑quality, distinctive environments that meet commercial and brand objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the Design Excellence function, setting creative and technical design agendas from strategy through delivery.
• Curate design responses that integrate Qiddiya, district and operator visions.
• Define design principles, typologies and benchmarks for each hotel tier.
• Oversee consultant strategy, scope definition, briefing, selection and performance management.
• Provide technical input to development briefs, spatial planning and system integration.
• Guide design reviews, value engineering and design optimisation while preserving design intent.
• Champion sustainability, low‑carbon design and ESG alignment with Vision 2030.
• Mentor teams and drive continuous improvement of design processes and standards.

Required profile

• Proven track record delivering large‑scale hospitality portfolios, including luxury assets.
• Experience governing external consultants and multidisciplinary design teams.
• Experience working with hotel operators and brand standards.
• Background in large‑scale or multi‑asset development environments, preferably in KSA/GCC.
• 18+ years of experience in design management, architecture or interior design.
• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design or a related discipline.
• Professional membership or recognised certification preferred (e.g., RIBA, AIA, RICS).

Required skills

• BIM
• Design management
• Value engineering
• Sustainability and low‑carbon design
• ESG integration