Director Design

Through our Founding Chancelor’s vision, Aga Khan University is committed to providing world-class healthcare services through the development of innovative, safe, and patient-centered healthcare environments. The design and architecture of healthcare facilities play a critical role in achieving these goals by ensuring functional, efficient, sustainable, and aesthetically appropriate infrastructure. The Head of Design will lead all architectural design functions, ensuring that projects align with the organization’s mission, vision, and regulatory standards, while enhancing patient care, staff efficiency, operational effectiveness, and environmental sustainability.

Job Role / Responsibilities :

Reporting to the Chief Facilities and Administrative Services Officer, you will lead a team of diversified professionals and will lead the space planning and design management of campus facilities, including master planning and conceptual / schematic design of buildings. The role involves managing in-house design projects, leading architectural teams, and reviewing external consultants’ work to ensure alignment with AKU’s design philosophy and standards. The Head of Design will oversee the entire design lifecycle, from concept development to completion, ensuring designs meet clinical, regulatory, sustainability, and aesthetic requirements.

Specific responsibilities will include :

• Lead the design and planning of new healthcare facilities, expansions, and renovations.Lead and manage a team of architects and CAD / BIM operators.
• Prepare concept design, detailed design and construction drawings with design based on user requirements ensuring adherence to AKUs design philosophies. Ensure that spaces and sizes identified by users are as per international standards.
• Ensuring compliance of design with best industry practices in terms of patients’ safety and quality of care.
• Ensure designs comply with healthcare building codes, fire safety, accessibility, and environmental sustainability standards.
• Develop design guidelines and standards specific to healthcare environments that integrate environmental sustainability principles
• Lead the incorporation of environmental sustainability in all design projects, ensuring compliance with green building certifications and sustainable architecture standards.
• Draft TORs for Master Planning conceptual / schematic and design and coordinate with others.
• Guide PMs in selection of local architects and engineering consultants for detailed design of projects and also guide them with solutions on detailed design, coordination and quality issues.
• Prepare Physical Facilities layouts for the University’s annual events such as Convocation, Awards Night, Donor Dinner and PGME Ceremonies
• Support fundraising campaigns through design presentations.
• Collaborate with procurement and construction teams for seamless project execution.
• Provide regular reports on design progress, sustainability outcomes, and issues to senior management.

The requirements

Sector

Social Development