Interface Manager

About QSAS

QSAS is a Saudi-based company focused on creating original content-led destinations and immersive experiences. The team combines storytelling, creative thinking, and advanced technology to deliver memorable environments rooted in Saudi history, culture, and heritage. Its work spans research-based content creation as well as digital and physical installations at scale.

Team Environment

The Riyadh studio is building an interdisciplinary team and looks for people with deep expertise in one area, along with the flexibility to collaborate across creative, technical, and delivery disciplines. This approach values professionals who can connect different specialisms and help turn ideas into complete, integrated experiences.

Role Overview

The Interface Manager is a senior coordination role responsible for aligning the Real Estate/Construction scope with the Immersive Experience Design scope across active projects. This position acts as the main accountability point for scope completeness at the interface, managing the full journey from design coordination through construction, systems integration, and handover. The role suits someone who understands both construction delivery and experiential or exhibition project management, and who can translate between base-build contractors and creative technologists.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the integrated work breakdown structure and master scope register across all live projects, covering both real estate activities such as base build, fit-out, MEP, and civil works, and experience-related scopes such as AV, content, interactives, graphics, and fit-out.
• Lead regular interface coordination meetings with real estate and lab/workstream leaders to keep scope boundaries, sequencing, and technical dependencies aligned.
• Develop and maintain the Interface Management Plan for each project, including interface points, responsibilities, communication routes, and escalation steps, and refresh it at each gate or milestone.
• Oversee integrated schedules and budgets across the project’s different scopes.
• Manage the combined risk register and issues log, ensuring visibility across all workstreams.
• Maintain the integrated planning and cost-control view for the full project.
• Serve as the main contact between real estate/PMC teams and QSAS Lab teams so that design intent is protected during contractor execution.
• Review RFIs, shop drawings, and method statements for interface impacts and ensure responses are coordinated in a timely way.
• Track scope boundaries between contractors and subcontractors on site, and intervene early to resolve conflicts that could affect schedule or quality.
• Coordinate logistics and installation phasing between base-build and fit-out contractors to prevent site clashes and downtime.
• Carry out structured interface readiness checks at milestone gates before work advances to the next stage.
• Maintain one integrated programme schedule for both real estate and lab workstreams, including interface milestones, design freeze points, access windows, and system integration periods.
• Identify dependencies between workstreams, highlight schedule impacts in either direction, and propose mitigation options with associated cost and programme effects.
• Support Programme Directors with the Project Execution Plan, Design Responsibility Matrix, and Employer’s Requirements so that interface requirements are clear and unambiguous.
• Take part in design reviews, value engineering, and construction progress meetings as the integration custodian, ensuring decisions are shared across both workstreams.
• Own the change control register for interface-related scope changes, assess cross-workstream impacts, and ensure formal approval before implementation.
• Keep interface documentation current in the EDMS, including RFIs, TQs, coordination drawings, interface agreements, approved derogations, and close-out certificates.
• Coordinate the Handover and Commissioning Plan so that testing, witnessing, acceptance, and systems integration requirements are clearly sequenced across both scopes.
• Contribute to Lessons Learned reports at close-out, focusing on interface failures, scope gaps, and opportunities to improve future delivery.
• Build strong working relationships with real estate stakeholders and QSAS Lab stakeholders across production, creative, technology, and procurement at programme level.
• Represent QSAS as the interface lead in client coordination forums, PMC progress meetings, and joint site inspections.
• Support senior leadership with governance reporting for bodies such as the Creative Committee and the Board.
• Help develop QSAS interface management standards, templates, and processes so that lessons from one project strengthen the next.
• Maintain disciplined programme management practices, including live documentation, consistent meeting attendance, and timely closure of action items.
• Handle scope disputes with objectivity and integrity, keeping project outcomes above individual team or vendor preferences.
• Manage personal workload and priorities to deliver reports, coordination outputs, and escalation recommendations on time and to the expected governance standard.
• Set a reliable example of integration discipline that can be reused across future QSAS projects.

Qualifications and Experience

A bachelor’s degree in construction management, project management, architecture, engineering, or a related field is required. A postgraduate qualification such as an MSc, PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, or an equivalent programme/project management credential is considered an advantage.

The role calls for 10–15 years of progressive project and programme management experience across construction and/or experiential environments, including at least 5 years in an Interface Manager, Package Manager, or senior Project Manager role on complex multi-discipline projects. Experience should include managing interfaces on projects valued at SAR 50M+ and working in multi-contractor environments with parallel real estate and experience workstreams. Exposure to employer/client-side delivery, giga projects, or major Saudi cultural and tourism programmes such as Diriyah, NEOM, AlUla, or Qiddiya is highly valued. Prior work on museums, cultural attractions, themed entertainment, or large-scale experiential projects is also strongly preferred.

Technical Competencies

• Practical knowledge of interface management methods, including Interface Management Plans, Scope Registers, Design Responsibility Matrices, and RFI/TQ tracking.
• Working understanding of AV and experiential systems, including content delivery infrastructure, interactive systems, and commissioning processes.
• Document control and EDMS administration experience using tools such as Aconex, Procore, or similar project information systems.
• Strong risk management capability, with the ability to identify, assess, document, and escalate interface risks using structured mitigation analysis.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong cross-disciplinary communication skills, with the ability to work credibly with both construction teams and creative technologists.
• Highly organised and detail-focused, while still keeping sight of the complete project scope.
• Comfortable working across Saudi cultural norms and international project environments.
• Clear and structured written communication for reports and escalation notes.
• Arabic language ability is highly advantageous.
• PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, or RICS membership is a plus.

Additional Information

This is a senior, onsite role based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The position requires close collaboration across design, construction, technology, and delivery teams, with a strong emphasis on coordination discipline, governance, and integration between multiple project scopes.