Future City Thinker

Atkins Realis Group

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead regional urban strategy initiatives across MEA and APAC, delivering future-ready frameworks, master plans, and policy guidance.
• Champion thought leadership through keynote speaking, publications, and strategic advisory roles that influence urban discourse globally.
• Envision next-generation cities by integrating emerging technologies, climate resilience, mobility innovation, and socio-cultural dynamics.
• Develop and communicate urban narratives that inspire action using storytelling, visualisation, and strategic framing to engage clients and stakeholders.
• Mentor and guide multidisciplinary teams, fostering a culture of innovation, design excellence, and strategic thinking.
• Engage with high-level stakeholders including government agencies, city leaders, and private sector partners to co-create urban visions.
• Translate global trends into local strategies, ensuring contextual relevance while pushing the boundaries of possibility.
• Drive innovation in planning tools, data-driven decision-making, and scenario modelling to support strategic foresight.
• Analyse urban trends and data using GIS and other planning tools to inform strategic decision-making, working with our digital teams to push boundaries.
• Advocate for design excellence and innovation in all aspects of urban transformation.
• Engage stakeholders through workshops, presentations, and participatory design processes to ensure inclusive and responsive planning that feeds into strategic level planning and development.

Requirements:

• Post graduate qualification in urban design, urban planning or related field and preferably with a professional affiliation (or eligible for membership).
• Candidates will ideally have a minimum of 15 years relevant working experience in strategic urban planning, and master planning with a portfolio of city-scale projects and regional leadership.
• Proven track record in thought leadership published work, speaking engagements, or recognised contributions to urban discourse.
• Deep understanding of MEA and APAC urban contexts, including cultural, political, and economic dynamics.
• Experience working with smart city frameworks, sustainability strategies, and future mobility concepts.
• Lead the production of high-quality urban and regional planning, design and master planning project submissions in the UAE, KSA and the wider Middle East and Africa.
• Exceptional visualization and storytelling skills able to translate complex strategies into compelling visuals and narratives via various visual and graphic media including hand and computer graphics.
• Lead in the preparation of technical bids and fee proposals for strategic planning and master planning projects and other major projects where appropriate.
• Experience in working with a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English.
• Capable of working on own initiative or as part of a larger multidisciplinary team.
• Will be required to travel within the Middle East region to projects in a variety of geographical locations, including Saudi Arabia.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with clients, attending meetings, workshops and seminars.
• Other duties associated with the main role and responsibilities will be requested from time to time.