POSITION SUMMARY

The Design Manager will be based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to act as part of the Company’s in-house corporate team to administer, review and facilitate action on design and construction documents to ensure compliance with programs and policies of the Company as well as applicable land development / building standards and government regulations to protect and advance the company’s standards and aspirations. Ensure that technical design processes and documents support the requirements of the Design Brief and all permitting requirements. Support the Project team with the prime objective that the project is built on time, within budget and to high standards. Focus on developing in-house Design knowledge and database.

DUTIES:

General:

• Develop Design Briefs.
• Develop design programmes, coordinating design stages and deliverables.
• Prepare for the engagement and the follow-up on activities related to the design works of the Project.
• Produce design meeting minutes and follow up on actions.
• Review deliverables across the different facets and phases of various projects.
• Implement review and quality assurance procedures consistent with Vietnamese and international methodologies to ensure successful execution of technical design documents and permits, with emphasis on guarding against errors and omissions, as well as, verifying constructability in the local market.
• If and as necessary, coordinate with the Design Director to interrogate local contracting, supplier, material and consultancy resources.
• Notwithstanding the simultaneous review of shop drawings and submittals as required of the Contractor, Site Supervisor and Construction Manager, perform technical review within required fast-paced time periods. Assist the Project Document Controller in ensuring all shop drawings and submittals are recorded and acted on in the required timeframes.
• Support the Design Director with internal and external design team members. Support internal Project team in design matters.
• As appropriate, coordinate and prepare design appendices to purchase orders for items which the Company may elect to directly purchase.
• Collect, collate and create design material and photographs necessary to prepare the monthly status report as well as other any other reports.
• Prepare PowerPoint presentations and printed materials.
• Produce succinct and professional graphic and report materials.
• Assist in the preparation of market and product presentation materials to prospective investors, retailers, property managers, etc.
• Coordinate with internal Sales & Marketing team to ensure all design-related material (Sale brochure, Sale Specification, Show Gallery, Show Unit) is ready for the project to be launched on time.
• Assist in the preparation of Tenant Fit-Out Guidelines and Design Standards.
• Identify and mitigate risks across all activities of project documentation.
• Build, grow and manage long-term relationships with design professionals, contractors and vendors and capitalize on partnership opportunities.
• Others ad-hoc duties as assigned by Design Director.

Interior Design focus:

• Carry out research of the Interior Design market (Residential, Hospitality, F&B, Retail, Office etc.) in Vietnam, understanding local requirements, global trends and their impact to design works.
• Liaise with operators, architects, interior designers and other experts to expand knowledge.
• Conduct visits to different projects within HCMC and summarize findings.
• Organize information and make accessible to the wider Project team.
• Identify local and international consultants/ contractors/ suppliers with relevant design experience. Maintain and keep updated a consultant/ contractor/ supplier register.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Required Qualifications:

• University Degree or equivalent degree in Architecture or Design.
• Clean record with respect to zero tolerance policies related to corruption, theft and substance abuse.

Required Experience:

• Proficient English-Vietnamese language and reading skills.
• Capable of communicating with local and international design consultants, verbal and in writing.
• Experience working for a sophisticated local and/or international design or construction firm.
• Experience working on projects in Vietnam.
• Fluent in design and construction terminology.
• Capable of reading and understanding plans and specifications of all design disciplines including civil, structural, MEPF, architectural, landscape, interior design.
• 6+ years of experience managing design documentation processes, ideally in mixed-use urban office-retail-residential and hospitality sectors.
• Keen eye for design and construction details, with full understanding of fit-out processes and sequences to achieve high-quality interfaces and finishes.
• AutoCAD and SketchUp proficiency.
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) proficiency.
• Experience in reading and understanding Codes and government regulations and applying the information during review of documents. Experience preparing permitting submissions to regulatory agencies.
• Experience working as a team member in a corporate setting on high-complexity projects is essential. Passionately committed to quality, integrity and lifelong learning.