Senior Manager - Interior Design

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national airline is looking for global talent to build on our ambition to be the World’s most inspiring airline with an exceptional guest experience.

JOB ROLE 

We are seeking an experienced Senior Manager - Interior Design to oversee the design and develop of all interior spaces, including aircraft, airport, lounge, office and other facilities. The role will also be responsible for industrial and product design, such as onboard equipment (e.g. dishware, cutlery), co-branded products, custom furniture, lighting, and other furnishings. This position reports to the Vice President, Guest Experience.

The successful candidate must have strong experience in commercial aviation cabin interior design and working with both Supplier Furnished Equipment (SFE) and Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) selection to meet brand and guest expectations. The candidate must be able to develop, drive and implement innovative solutions to meet brand, guest experience and commercial objectives.

The Senior Manager Interior Design will be the brand and guest champion during the entire lifecycle phase of all interior development. This shall include the early stages of definition, specification throughout the design, production, and construction phases, and up to final entry into service or facility opening. He/she will also manage the workflow and output quality of all designers, consultants and suppliers to ensure high standards are met within timeline constraints.

GENERAL ACTIVITIES

• Champion the brand, guest expectations and operational/service feasibility during all vendor meetings, communications and product reviews. This shall include, but not be limited to, LOPA, seating arrangement, onboard lavatory and galley ratios.
• Oversee airport design, including airline-controlled check-in areas (desks, custom signage), kiosks, chauffeur drive facilities, premium lounges, concierge rooms, crew rooms (check-in, rest areas), and corporate management offices.
• Collaborate with cross functional teams to deliver and implement new cabin interior products, with key internal stakeholders such as technical, operations, safety, catering, network planning, asset management and external stakeholders such as aircraft OEMs, suppliers and design agencies as required.
• Develop and maintain product roadmap and implement the design vision and lifecycle of all interior design projects.
• Management, coordination, and supervision of all parties involved, both internal and external, in the design, definition and development process focusing on brand and guest experience requirements.
• Translate guest trends, needs and expectations into workable product solutions.
• Align quality of cabin features with industry best practice and guest expectations such as Skytrax, AirSats, CSAT etc.
• Manage all designers, agencies and vendor stakeholders to deliver project objectives and timelines based on business cases developed in conjunction with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure interior selections and product features are crew and guest centric at the same time meeting brand, stature and commercial objectives.
• Liaise with technical teams to ensure design inputs are feasible in terms of maintenance, safety, quality control and commercial viability.
• Research industry wide best practices and products by conducting competitor analysis (bench marking) of leading airlines, airports, their interior features and products and manage the collection of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Undertake the development of all new cabin interior features such as cabin and seating selection, seating look and feel, aircraft trim and finish, galley selections and other customization options.
• Maintain high level of knowledge of Company policies and procedures, GACA regulations and Operations Specifications.
• Perform any related activities according to business requirements.

PROFILE REQUIREMENTS 

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of work experience, preferably with strong guest service orientation, and proven track record of professionalism and accomplishment with a leading airline in guest experience, branding and product development of which 5 years in a managerial position.

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Design, Marketing or any related field.
• Post-graduation qualification will be an added advantage.

Competency Requirements

• Strong proficiency in MS Office
• Strong understanding of aircraft configuration, cabin development technologies and guest objectives in product development
• Problem-solving and decision making
• High levels of innovation and influencing
• Business acumen
• Strong sense of design fundamentals, aesthetics and able to communicate design language effectively
• Good interpersonal skills
• Strong sense of initiative and accountability
• High level of professionalism and work ethics
• Adaptability and desire to work in an evolving/start-up environment where policies and processes are being created
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills