Design Director

FUCHI PTE. LTD. is a specialised civil and structural engineering company based in Singapore, and a subsidiary of Gecoss Corporation, a publicly listed Japanese engineering group. Leveraging the technical expertise and global resources of its parent company, Fuchi focuses on Earth Retaining and Stabilising Structures (ERSS) and Temporary Earth Retaining Structures (TERS). The company provides engineering design, project management, and construction supervision services for complex infrastructure and building projects, serving both public and private sector clients. By collaborating with major listed main contractors, consultants, and developers, Fuchi delivers safe, efficient, and innovative ground engineering solutions that meet the highest standards of quality and safety.

We are seeking an experienced and technically proficient Design Director to lead our ERSS/TERS design function. The successful candidate will be responsible for the end-to-end planning, execution, and delivery of design packages, ensuring strict compliance with design specifications, regulatory requirements, and workplace safety standards. This role requires close collaboration with main contractors, consultants, authorities, and other stakeholders, as well as strong leadership of internal design teams and subcontractor partners.

The Design Director will play a pivotal role in driving technical excellence, strengthening engineering capabilities, and supporting the company's continued growth in Singapore's construction sector. This position reports directly to the Managing Director and works closely with headquarters in Japan, as well as with engineering consultants, government agencies, and industry partners.

【Job Description】

1)Project Leadership and Design Delivery

Provide strategic leadership and oversight for ERSS/TERS projects from initiation through to completion. This includes defining project objectives, setting priorities, and ensuring that all deliverables meet contractual, technical, and quality requirements within agreed timelines.

2)Team Management and Development

Supervise and mentor a team of design engineers and drafters, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Ensure teams receive the necessary guidance, training, and resources to achieve high performance and professional growth, and build succession depth within the design function.

3)Technical Expertise and Engineering Oversight

Provide technical advice and innovative solutions to clients and project teams, including geotechnical assessment and finite element method (FEM) analysis to optimise retaining system design. Review and approve engineering designs, drawings, and submissions, ensuring accuracy, feasibility, and compliance with industry standards, and recommend design or methodology improvements where necessary.

4)Risk Management and Problem Resolution

Develop and implement risk management frameworks to identify and mitigate potential design and construction risks at an early stage. Lead troubleshooting efforts on site to resolve technical challenges quickly and effectively, and capture lessons learned into the company's design standards and review checklists.

5)Stakeholder and Regulatory Coordination

Liaise effectively with main contractors, consultants, government authorities, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless project execution. Lead design coordination meetings and technical presentations in English, and oversee compliance with Singapore's technical, regulatory, and workplace safety requirements while maintaining strong professional relationships across all parties.

6)Business Development and Headquarters Liaison

Support business growth by preparing technical proposals and value-engineered design alternatives for tender submissions, and by building long-term relationships with listed main contractors and developers. Work closely with the parent company in Japan to transfer design know-how, align technical standards, and report on project performance and engineering capability development.

【Job Requirement】
1)Minimum 10 years of professional experience in the ERSS/TERS sector of the construction industry. The successful candidate must have spent at least the last 5 years in a listed or global construction company, to demonstrate familiarity with large-scale project delivery, the latest technical practices, and current regulatory requirements in the ERSS/TERS sector.

2)A proven career progression comprising at least 10 years as a Design Engineer with hands-on involvement in ERSS/TERS works, and at least 5 years in a senior managerial role directly supervising design engineers, drafters, and multidisciplinary teams, including resource planning across concurrent projects.

3)Demonstrated track record of designing at least 5 ERSS/TERS projects, each with a contract value exceeding SGD 5 million or equivalent, including collaboration with listed main contractors on large-scale infrastructure or building works.

4)Strong capability in proposing optimised and value-engineered ERSS/TERS designs. Proficiency in geotechnical assessment for retaining system design is required.

5)A Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering or a related field a Master's degree is an advantage.

6)Possession of a professional certification related to civil engineering works is a must, such as:

-Professional Engineer (PE) in Civil Engineering (Singapore), or

-Chartered Engineer (CEng, UK), or

-First-class Civil Engineering Works Execution Managing Engineer (Japan), or

-other equivalent internationally recognized qualifications