Description
We are seeking an experienced Authorities Liaison Engineer to join our team in the UAE. The role will be responsible for managing and coordinating submissions, approvals, permits, and NOCs with relevant government authorities and utility providers throughout the design and construction stages of projects.
The successful candidate will act as the key interface between the project team, contractors, consultants, and authorities, ensuring authority requirements are understood, incorporated into project deliverables, and progressed efficiently to support project timelines.
Responsibilities
- Manage and coordinate all authority-related activities during the design and construction stages of projects.
- Prepare, review, track, and follow up on technical submissions, applications, permits, approvals, and NOCs.
- Liaise directly with relevant authorities including Dubai Municipality (DM), Dubai Development Authority (DDA), Trakhees, Dubai Civil Defence (DCD), DEWA, and RTA, as applicable to the project.
- Advise project teams on authority requirements, submission procedures, approval processes, and documentation requirements.
- Coordinate with contractors, design consultants, and technical disciplines to ensure submissions are complete and compliant with authority requirements.
- Monitor the status of authority submissions and proactively resolve comments, outstanding requirements, and approval constraints.
- Attend meetings with authorities and coordinate technical clarifications between the authority and project stakeholders.
- Maintain clear records and trackers for submissions, approvals, permits, NOCs, comments, and outstanding actions.
- Support project teams in obtaining approvals required for construction activities, inspections, utility connections, and project completion.
- Identify authority-related risks or potential approval delays and escalate these to the project leadership team.
- Support coordination of final inspections, completion certificates, and other authority close-out requirements relevant to the project.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture.
- Minimum 10 years of relevant experience, preferably within engineering consultancy, project delivery, or multidisciplinary project environments in the UAE.
- Strong practical experience dealing with UAE/Dubai government authorities and utility providers.
- Demonstrable knowledge of submission and approval processes involving DM, DDA, Trakhees, DCD, DEWA, and RTA.
- Strong understanding of architectural compliance requirements, authority regulations, development controls, and approval procedures within Dubai and the UAE.
- Experience coordinating authority approvals during both design and construction stages of projects.
- Familiarity with NOCs, permits, technical submissions, inspections, and project close-out requirements.
- Strong stakeholder management and coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively across contractors, consultants, project teams, and government entities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English; Arabic would be advantageous.
- Relevant authority accreditation/registration is highly desirable, particularly where required to undertake submissions or coordination with the respective authorities.