FIFA Design Compliance Expert

Mace combines construction expertise with consultancy to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. Our values shape the way we consult and define the people we want to join us on our journey.

The project:

Mace is providing strategic project management consultancy for major new build stadiums, multiple stadium redevelopments and wider precinct transformations in Riyadh. The scope includes the delivery of new stadiums, increasing existing stadia capacity, delivering major mixed-use amenities and introducing robust knowledge-transfer to ensure operational excellence and long-term sustainability beyond construction.

The FIFA Design Compliance Expert will be part of the dedicated team to deal with all FIFA and World Cup requirements throughout the design process across the Stadium and Training site Programmes. The role provides authoritative interpretation, design assurance, and strategic guidance from concept design through detailed design, technical approvals, and design freeze. Working closely with the client, World Cup Authority, FIFA, Lead Designers, specialist consultants, and programme teams, the role ensures that permanent works and planned overlay are coordinated, compliant, buildable, and aligned with operational, legacy, cost, and programmed objectives. The ideal candidate will have experience in project design reviews from FIFA perspective in all design stages.

Your responsibilities will include:
•    Be part of the team that will interface with FIFA, the World Cup Authority, and the client, providing input in the design reviews, technical workshops, submissions, and approval meetings, and providing clear positions on compliance, design acceptability, derogations, and risks.
•    Own and maintain the FIFA design requirements, compliance matrix, and design assurance plan, translating FIFA stadium standards and host requirements into clear briefs, criteria, and actions for all design disciplines.
•    Review and challenge stadium designs from concept through detailed design to confirm compliance across the field of play, seating bowl and sightlines, spectator circulation, accessibility, safety and security, broadcast, media, hospitality, team and official facilities, back-of-house areas, masterplan tournament mode design, logistics, transport interfaces and fan experience.
•    Establish design-stage compliance gateways and coordinate the preparation, quality assurance, and submission of design reports, drawings, schedules, dashboards, and evidence packs required for FIFA and authority reviews.
•    Coordinate multidisciplinary design integration across architecture, structural engineering, MEP, ICT, security, fire and life safety, vertical transportation, landscape, wayfinding, acoustics, lighting, broadcast, and specialist venue systems, ensuring interfaces and spatial requirements are resolved before design freeze from a FIFA perspective.
•    Coordinate permanent works with temporary and overlay requirements, identifying where provisions, capacities, routes, loadings, spaces, and connection points must be embedded in the base design to avoid late redesign or unnecessary long-term cost.
•    Provide programme-wide design assurance across multiple stadiums and training facilities, reporting compliance status, design risks, departures, decisions, and mitigation actions, while promoting consistency and lessons learned across the venue portfolio.
•    Advise client leadership and design teams on FIFA strategy, value engineering, design changes, approvals, and legacy outcomes, ensuring cost or programme decisions do not compromise mandatory compliance or venue functionality.

You’ll need to have:
•    Degree in architecture, engineering, sports venue design, or a related discipline; professional accreditation and FIFA-related credentials are desirable.
•    Extensive design-stage experience on FIFA World Cup stadiums and training facilities, major football venues, or comparable international event venues, with involvement from concept design through detailed design and approvals.
•    Proven experience interpreting FIFA stadium requirements and converting them into design briefs, compliance matrices, review comments, technical submissions, and coordinated design solutions.
•    Strong technical understanding of stadium planning and design, including seating bowl geometry and sightlines, crowd movement, accessibility, safety and security, fire and life safety, broadcast and media, hospitality, player and official facilities, back-of-house operations, and overlay interfaces.
•    Experience leading multidisciplinary design reviews and resolving interfaces between architecture, engineering, specialist venue systems, operational requirements, BIM coordination, and temporary event infrastructure.
•    Programme-level experience providing design assurance across multiple stadiums, training sites or sport venues, with the ability to manage compliance, risk, cost, programme, approvals, and legacy considerations.
•    Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the credibility to lead technical discussions, provide clear design direction, and constructively challenge consultants and senior stakeholders.

Our values

Safety first - Going home safe and well: We champion a safe, diverse, and inclusive working environment, understanding the importance of well-being in every team.

Client focus - Deliver on our promise: We own the quality of deliverables and strategic outcomes and build long-term relationships with our clients.

Integrity - Always do the right thing: We influence positive outcomes within our industry while always aligning with our compliance obligations.

Create opportunity - For our people to excel: We champion a continuous improvement culture throughout all activities, inspiring our people and teams to develop.

Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. Even if you feel you do not fulfill all the criteria, please apply, as you may still be the best candidate for this role or another role within our organisation.

We are also open to discussing part-time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.

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