Design Manager

Londinium Recruitment

Design Manager
London / South East | Permanent |  £55,000 - £65,000 plus package DOE 
 
The Opportunity
We're working with a growing, established main contractor who are looking to bring a Design Manager into their team.

This is a really good opportunity for someone from an architectural background who has strong technical and coordination experience and is now looking to make the move into main contractor-side Design Management.

You don't necessarily need to have held the title of Design Manager before. What's important is that you understand the design process, can coordinate consultants and stakeholders, are confident reviewing drawings and technical information, and want to take ownership of design delivery from pre-construction through to completion.

The business has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality projects and has grown into a multidisciplinary principal contractor delivering refurbishment, fit-out and new-build projects across London and the South East.
 
About the Business
This is an established, privately owned contractor with a strong pipeline and a genuinely collaborative culture. They have built the business around repeat business, long-term client relationships and quality of delivery, rather than being a huge corporate contractor where people can get lost in layers of management.

The company operates across sectors including:
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • Healthcare
  • Education
  • Leisure
  • Retail
  • Social housing
  • Government / public sector
They have a multidisciplinary delivery team covering operations, commercial, pre-construction, design and project delivery, giving the successful candidate plenty of exposure across the wider business.
 
The Role
As Design Manager, you will take responsibility for coordinating and managing the design process across live projects, working closely with the pre-construction and delivery teams. You will be involved in:
  • Managing the design process from pre-construction through to delivery
  • Coordinating architects, consultants, engineers and specialist subcontractors
  • Reviewing drawings, specifications and technical information
  • Managing design deliverables against programme
  • Identifying design risks, discrepancies and coordination issues
  • Leading design coordination meetings
  • Managing design changes and ensuring they are properly recorded and communicated
  • Coordinating information between the design team, commercial team and site teams
  • Reviewing technical submissions and ensuring compliance with project requirements
  • Supporting procurement and subcontractor engagement from a design perspective
  • Working closely with Project Managers, Contracts Managers and Commercial teams
  • Ensuring design information is issued in line with programme requirements
  • Assisting with buildability reviews and value engineering
  • Managing the design tracker and ensuring actions are followed through
  • Supporting the resolution of technical queries and RFIs
  • Ensuring design information is suitable for construction
  • Supporting the project through to completion and handover
Who We're Looking For
The ideal candidate will come from an architectural / design background and have experience working within construction or the built environment. You might currently be working as:
  • Architectural Technologist
  • Architectural Coordinator
  • Project Architect
  • Technical Coordinator
  • Design Coordinator
  • Assistant Design Manager
  • Architectural Designer
You may already have some exposure to Design Management but are looking for a business that will give you the opportunity to step up and take ownership. We're particularly interested in people who have:
  • Strong technical understanding
  • Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders
  • Good knowledge of construction drawings and specifications
  • Experience working with consultants and contractors
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Strong communication and relationship-building ability
  • A commercial and practical approach to design
  • Confidence dealing with different disciplines
  • The ability to challenge information where required
  • A genuine interest in developing into a senior Design Management role
Main contractor experience would be advantageous, but isn't essential for the right architectural candidate.
 
Why Join?
This is an opportunity to join a business where you can have a genuine impact rather than simply becoming another person in a large design department.
 
You'll have exposure to senior management, project delivery and commercial teams, while being given the autonomy to develop the Design Management function across your projects.
The business has a very collaborative, personal culture, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and long-term relationships. They are continuing to grow and have a clear pipeline of work, making this a particularly good time to join.
 
If you're an architect or architectural professional who feels you've reached the point where you want to move beyond purely design-focused work and take ownership of the construction, coordination and delivery side of projects, this could be a very good next step.
 
If you're an architectural professional looking to make the move into main contractor-side Design Management, we'd be keen to speak with you.
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