SVP, Head of Spatial Design, CRESA, Group COO

Head of Spatial Design

Design spaces that shape how Asia’s leading AI-driven bank is experienced. 

At DBS, physical design is a strategic expression of our brand and a source of competitive advantage. This is a rare opportunity to own how DBS is experienced across workplaces, wealth centres, branches and specialised client environments—combining behavioural insight, digital intelligence, sustainability and disciplined delivery to create intuitive, meaningful spaces that reflect our ambition to be an AI-driven bank with a heart. You will set the Group design vision, raise quality across markets and build the standards and governance that enable great ideas to scale. 

What you will shape 

Set the global design vision. Create distinctive, progressive standards for DBS workplaces, wealth centres and retail environments—translating brand ambition into compelling physical experiences. 

Elevate design quality. Lead critiques and design reviews, balancing aesthetics, customer and employee experience, functionality, risk, cost and delivery. 

Build an effective design ecosystem. Direct leading architects, interior designers and specialist agencies; create the conditions for bold thinking and disciplined execution. 

Codify and govern excellence. Own global playbooks, approval frameworks and design principles that protect consistency while enabling thoughtful local adaptation. 

Lead Group design governance. Represent CRESA on the Group Design Council and establish a Spatial Design Council with representatives from Brand, Marketing, business segments and CRESA across core markets to drive alignment, standards and decisions. 

Own design assurance and approval. Review concepts, detailed drawings and buildability; provide the final CRESA design recommendation before proposals proceed to implementation. 

Design for people and planet. Apply behavioural insight, inclusive design and sustainable material choices to create spaces that work harder and feel better. 

Champion the moments that matter. Elevate the smaller, high-impact details that shape a sense of arrival and the end-to-end human experience—from hospitality cues and service touchpoints to the spatial placement of media, digital content, wayfinding and signage within branches. 

The role 

You will be the senior design authority within CRESA, shaping the end-to-end spatial experience across a diverse regional portfolio. You will move fluently between enterprise strategy and design detail: setting a north star, challenging proposals, aligning senior stakeholders and ensuring every project delivers a recognisable, modern and human DBS experience. 

Develop future-facing concepts grounded in customer journeys, employee needs, behavioural science and global design trends. 

Translate business and brand objectives into clear spatial strategies, design briefs and measurable outcomes. 

Oversee the full design lifecycle—from discovery and concept through detailed design, implementation and post-occupancy learning. 

Lead on-site design observations, milestone reviews and quality-control meetings, ensuring delivery remains true to the approved concept, brand standards, budget and programme. 

Chair design reviews and provide decisive, constructive direction to internal teams and external partners. 

Shape scalable standards for retail, wealth and workplace formats across multiple markets. 

Champion sustainability, circularity, accessibility and long-term adaptability in every solution, including compliance with the DBS Sustainable Fit-out and Operations Guide and relevant recognised green-building standards. 

Build trusted partnerships across CRESA, business units, Group Marketing & Communications, technology and market leadership. 

Track emerging materials, tools, technologies and methods, and convert the best ideas into practical advantage for DBS. 

Partner with business, brand and service teams to translate hospitality principles into practical service design changes, ensuring that physical settings, customer or employee behaviours and customer journeys work as one coherent experience. 

Set principles for the spatial impact of media, digital screens, environmental graphics, wayfinding and signage in branches, so content is visible, relevant and integrated without compromising the overall aesthetic. 

Lead and develop a small, high-impact Group team spanning design governance, branch programmes and behavioural design. 

Your canvas is regional. Your impact is human. 

This role suits a design leader who can protect a bold creative idea, earn trust in a complex organisation and turn ambition into spaces that are beautiful, buildable, sustainable and unmistakably DBS. 

What you bring 

Leadership & influence 

Design & technical depth 

Typical experience 

Requirements:

A degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Environmental Design or a related discipline is required; a master’s degree is advantageous. You should bring at least 15 years of relevant spatial or interior design experience, including senior leadership in corporate real estate, a leading design consultancy or a complex global organisation. Your experience should cover the full lifecycle from concept and detailed design through construction, completion and post-occupancy learning, supported by strong knowledge of building codes, construction methods, material and furniture specifications, and sustainable building practices. Additional qualifications in design thinking, user experience, behavioural science or business will be valued. A portfolio demonstrating distinctive, executed and preferably award-recognised work will strengthen your application. 

Leadership & Influence

 Enterprise-level leadership; able to inspire teams and influence senior stakeholders.  

Confident communicator and presenter with strong design judgement. 

Strategic, commercially aware and comfortable navigating ambiguity and trade-offs. 

Skilled at agency leadership, vendor management and constructive critique. 

Curious about how behaviour, culture and service shape spatial outcomes.   

Design and Technical Depth:

Deep expertise across branded retail environments, wealth formats and corporate workplaces. Proven ownership of design standards, playbooks, governance and multi-market roll-outs. 

Strong grounding in architecture, interior design, ergonomics, materials and buildability. 

Working fluency in relevant design tools such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit and Adobe Creative Suite. 

Demonstrated capability in sustainable, inclusive and evidence-led design. 

Location: DBS Asia Central

Job: Corporate Services

Schedule: Regular

Employee Status: Full time