Senior Director Interior Design Hospitality

At Qiddiya Investment Company

We are shaping a landmark destination redefining entertainment, culture and hospitality in the Kingdom. The Hospitality Business Unit is developing a portfolio of hotel assets central to this vision. As these assets progress, we are seeking experienced professionals to help deliver them to the highest standards of design quality, guest experience and commercial performance.

In this role, you will lead the creative interior design agenda for the hospitality portfolio, defining narratives, signature elements and material strategies across all asset tiers to unlock distinctive, innovative and commercially effective designs that define each asset’s identity, and ensure this is carried through concept, mock-up and design freeze.

Key responsibilities

Lead the interior design definition of hotel concepts from development brief to approved design direction, curating distinctive, emotive and commercially viable environments aligned with Qiddiya, district and Operator visions

Articulate and position design proposals through compelling narratives, visuals and presentations to secure alignment and timely outcomes across governance and investment stages

Define interior design principles, narratives, material strategies and signature elements for each hotel tier, establishing consistent and distinctive design baselines across the portfolio

Oversee consultant briefing and scope definition, validating interior design scope, specialist inputs and FF&E requirements to ensure alignment with design intent, Operator standards and governance approvals

Oversee visualisation and design communication (including CGI strategy), ensuring concepts are clearly articulated and aligned with design narratives and stakeholder expectations

Lead and govern interior design and specialist consultants, driving strategic approaches on appointment, scope and deliverables and overseeing performance, quality and creative alignment

Provide functional governance to project-embedded design management teams, reviewing and endorsing interior design deliverables to ensure approved design intent is maintained through delivery

Lead structured review of design submissions across key milestones, providing clear feedback and endorsement to support design progression

Lead technical input to development briefs and coordinate across disciplines, embedding experiential intent across layouts, guest journeys, FF&E and key touchpoints

Oversee FF&E strategies and specifications, ensuring commercial alignment, procurement integration and consistency with design intent and Operator requirements

Lead mock-up and design validation processes, defining mock-up briefs, guiding inspections and ensuring quality through to design freeze

Provide creative and technical design oversight through design and construction, resolving interfaces and deviations to maintain quality and design integrity

Guide value engineering and design optimisation, balancing design intent with guest experience, cost, programme and operational requirements

Champion innovation in guest experience, materials and sensory design, embedding ESG and Vision 2030 priorities

Mentor teams and drive continuous improvement of design processes, standards and best practices across the portfolio

Requirements

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture or related discipline

Professional certifications

Professional membership or recognised certification preferred (e.g. RIBA, NCIDQ, BIID or equivalent)

Years of experience

15+ years’ experience in interior design, with strong hospitality focus and senior creative leadership experience

Skills & attributes required

Strong interior design literacy, creative judgement and design review capability across all project stages

Deep understanding of creative and technical hospitality design, including guest experience, spatial planning, materials, lighting and FF&E specification

Exceptional storytelling and visual communication, translating design narratives into compelling presentations and concept outputs

Ability to manage design consultants and influence creative outcomes

Commercial awareness of cost and programme impacts as well as FF&E budgets, procurement timelines and value engineering trade-offs

Strong stakeholder management and creative leadership, articulating design intent to secure alignment and drive decision-making

Proficiency in design and coordination tools (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud, SketchUp, Revit, BIM, CDE platforms, Aconex, Autodesk Construction Cloud etc.)

Preferred background & experience

Experience in a senior creative leadership role (Design Director, Studio Director or equivalent) within a leading design practice or developer environment

Proven track record delivering hospitality assets, including luxury and ultra luxury tiers

Experience managing interior design consultants across multiple projects

Experience managing FF&E strategies, specification development and mock-up programmes

Strong experience presenting design concepts and narratives to senior stakeholders

Experience working with international hotel Operators and brand standards

Experience in KSA / GCC or similar large-scale development environments preferred