A career at SAA gives you the opportunity to be part of a team that makes a real difference to people’s lives; creating places and spaces that form meaningful experiences in the way people connect with their communities.
From the moment of ideation to the exhilaration of creation, you will be amongst passionate and talented colleagues from around the globe, working together to make a mark in the evolution of our urban societies.
At SAA, we continually strive to enrich the greatest endeavour of all – human life – the quality of which all good designs are benchmarked against. And in this endeavour, we share with you the opportunity to give true meaning to the work that sustains it.
SAA. Building Dreams, Enriching Lives.
Your Responsibilities
Medical Planning & Design Leadership
- Lead the medical planning process across a diverse range of healthcare typologies, including preventative, outpatient, acute, and post-acute facilities.
- Develop strategic and master planning solutions based on clinical workflows, patient journeys, and operational best practices.
- Design and implement functional layouts at departmental and room levels that reflect current healthcare trends and evidence-based design.
- Coordinate with clinical staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrators, to ensure functional and user-aligned design outcomes.
- Ensure all medical planning solutions align with regulatory codes, and healthcare requirements
- Oversee planning input throughout design phases, ensuring that operational needs are accurately translated into architectural documents.
Project Delivery & Technical Expertise
- Lead and oversee healthcare design projects through all phases, from concept through construction documentation and implementation.
- Lead user group meetings, data collection sessions, and clinical workflow workshops.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of a client’s programmatic requirements, standards and policies for incorporation into the design solution
- Develop and present medical planning concepts using diagrams, reports, narratives, and presentations tailored to clients and stakeholders. Support schematic and design development with layout iterations, adjacencies, stacking plans, and department zoning.
- Collaborate with internal architecture and engineering teams to ensure integrated planning and design solutions that meet programmatic, technical, and budgetary goals.
- Review deliverables for quality, accuracy, and adherence to design and documentation standards.
- Maintain and update project documentation including meeting minutes, reports, and QA/QC checklists.
- Translate complex data and planning outcomes into actionable architectural solutions.
Client & Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as a key point of contact with clients for medical planning and strategic design discussions.
- Facilitate meetings with client representatives, clinical staff, and project consultants to drive consensus on design direction.
- Prepare and deliver compelling presentations to communicate planning and design solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Represent the firm in marketing efforts, interviews, and at key industry events to reinforce the firm’s healthcare design leadership.
Team Leadership & Mentorship
- Demonstrate strong leadership inspire high team performance and a shared commitment to design excellence. Mentor and coach junior staff, emerging professionals, and new planners to build internal capacity.
- Foster a collaborative and respectful working environment that values diverse perspectives and skill sets.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement and learning across teams and projects.
- Coordinate the work of multiple planning teams across large, complex projects, ensuring clarity and cohesion.
Business Development & Thought Leadership
- Collaborate with the Healthcare Sector Leads and Business Development team to pursue new opportunities and grow client relationships.
- Contribute to proposals, project fees, work plans, and budgeting during pursuit phases.
- Participate in client interviews and marketing presentations, positioning the firm as a leader in healthcare planning and design.
- Contribute to thought leadership by sharing innovative ideas, research findings, and project insights through publications, conferences, or professional networks.
- Actively support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in both project teams and client engagements.
Pre-requisites and Preferred Qualifications
- At least 15 to 20 years of relevant experience in healthcare planning and design, with leadership in delivering complex, large-scale medical projects in Singapore or the region.
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture, interior architecture, healthcare design, or a related field. Being a Qualified Person with the Board of Architects (BOA), Singapore is an advantage.
- Deep understanding of hospital operations, clinical workflows, and healthcare trends.
- Knowledge of local building codes, guidelines and planning parameters, especially for large medical projects.
- Exhibits strong analytical capabilities coupled with effective management skills, including the ability to inspire and guide a creative team.
- Capable of leading project teams and resolving issues quickly and effectively throughout project development.
- A collaborative and strategic thinker, focused on achieving optimal project outcomes.
- Possesses excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
- Demonstrates the ability to manage time efficiently to meet challenging deadlines and client requirements.
- Proficiency in planning, modelling, visualisation tools and design software – Autocad, Revit, Rhino and Grasshopper, Enscape and VRay
- Strong competency in Microsoft Office / Adobe Suite, and presentation tools such as InDesign and Photoshop
Real Impact, Made Together
SAA is a member of the Surbana Jurong (SJ) Group, a diverse and collaborative collective of problem solvers for the built environment, continually reimagining ways to create a smart and sustainable future.
As one of SJ’s 10 member companies, SAA is part of a global network of professionals in more than 120 offices in over 40 countries.
Submit Your Application
Please submit your application to our Career Portal at: https://surbanajurong.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SAAArchitectsCareer