Director Design Central Desk

Role Purpose:
As an industry-first centralized function, the role supports establishing and operationalizing the Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia (EMEAA) Design and Engineering Central Desk from the ground up — defining streamlined processes, governance frameworks, and scalable ways of working to drive consistency, speed, and quality across the EMEAA region. The role will play a critical part in shaping how Design and Engineering inputs are delivered at scale, ensuring efficient workflow management, effective stakeholder alignment, and continuous process optimization.
A key member of the EMEAA Hotel Lifecycle and Growth (HLG) function, leading a team of Design and Engineering subject matter experts, supporting projects across Europe, IMEA, and EAPAC/Asia. The role spearheads pre-pipeline design and engineering support, as well as design documentation reviews of signed projects, positioning itself as a strategic enabler of high-quality, brand-aligned design outcomes in line with IHG’s global vision and standards.
 

Key Accountabilities:
• Works closely with the EMEAA regional Design, Engineering, and Development teams to support feasibility reviews of hotels considered for management or franchise within an IHG brand.
• Supports on-brand and cost-efficient design solutions, including space planning, interior design direction, FLS, and engineering aspects of hotel projects.
• Collaborates with the respective Heads of Design & Engineering and Brand teams across IMEA, Europe, and EAPAC to understand IHG goals, brand strategies, and standards for each brand.
• Leads and manages workflows involving internal stakeholders to ensure feasibility reviews and design/drawing reviews are completed within agreed timelines.
• Manages the review process of hotel projects against IHG design standards, including concept, schematic, and detailed design documentation across Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape, Signage, Engineering, and FLS.
• Supports the development of IHG’s prototypical brand handbooks and conducts end-to-end desktop design reviews of prototypical hotel projects.
• Champions sustainable design practices and supports the company’s Journey to Tomorrow net-zero carbon ambitions.
• Leads, mentors, and develops a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Sets clear priorities, allocates resources effectively, and ensures alignment of team deliverables with regional and global objectives.
• Drives consistency and quality across all team outputs through structured review processes, knowledge sharing, and best practice implementation.
• Acts as a mentor to colleagues, supporting both individual development and overall team growth within Design & Engineering Central Desk.
 

Key Skills & Experience:
Educational Attainment:
• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, and/or Project Management
 

Critical Expertise & Experience:
• Typically 10+ years of combined experience in design, construction, and project management of hospitality projects. Experience working with international hotel brands is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of architectural design and construction principles, with a sound understanding of applicable codes and regulations.
• A self-starter and committed team player with a flexible interpersonal style; strong communication, project management, and influencing skills; and experience working in multi-national environments with sensitivity to cultural nuances and competing priorities.
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight, while collaborating effectively to drive consensus in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly present project information and updates to internal and external stakeholders, consultants, contractors, and senior management.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including managing, mentoring, and developing team members to deliver high-quality outcomes.