Design Manager

Manchester (Trafford Park & Salford Quays)
Permanent - Hybrid
Competitive + Flexible Benefits

Summary

We’re looking for an experienced and proactive Design Manager to join our team on the landmark Therme Manchester development.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the successful delivery of one of the UK’s most complex and high-profile projects, leading the coordination, management and integration of multidisciplinary design activities from design development through to commissioning and handover.

Working across our Trafford Park and Salford offices, you’ll act as a key interface between consultants, specialist contractors, BIM teams, project delivery teams and client stakeholders, ensuring design information is coordinated, compliant, buildable and delivered in line with programme requirements.

If you enjoy working in a collaborative project environment, driving technical excellence, solving complex engineering challenges and influencing project outcomes, we’d love to hear from you.

Some of the key deliverables in this role will include:

Design Management & Coordination

• Lead and manage the design coordination process across multiple disciplines and specialist packages.
• Ensure design deliverables are produced and issued in line with project programmes and key milestones.
• Coordinate design interfaces between consultants, supply chain partners, specialist contractors and project teams.
• Manage the resolution of design queries, clashes and technical issues.
• Support the development of practical, buildable and cost-effective design solutions.
• Ensure design activities support procurement, installation, commissioning and handover requirements.
• Manage technical submissions, design reviews and information release schedules.
• Drive continuous improvement and best practice in design management across the project.

BIM & Information Management

• Work closely with BIM teams to ensure compliance with project BIM Execution Plans and information management requirements.
• Support the development and coordination of federated BIM models.
• Review design outputs to ensure quality, consistency and compliance with project standards.
• Drive continuous improvement in design coordination and BIM quality performance.
• Support the implementation of project information management procedures and Common Data Environment (CDE) requirements.
• Ensure accurate production and management of as-fitted information, asset data and handover documentation.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, consultants, specialist contractors and internal delivery teams.
• Act as a key point of contact for design-related activities across the project.
• Facilitate design coordination meetings, workshops and technical reviews.
• Ensure actions arising from meetings are effectively tracked and closed out.
• Promote collaboration and effective communication across all project stakeholders.
• Liaise closely with project, operational and commissioning teams to ensure successful project outcomes.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Promote a positive culture where Health, Safety and CDM considerations are embedded within the design process.
• Support design risk reviews and hazard elimination initiatives.
• Ensure design activities comply with legislative requirements, industry standards and project procedures.
• Champion Safe by Design principles throughout project delivery.
• Support the identification and management of residual design risks.

Construction, Commissioning & Operational Readiness

• Ensure designs are developed with operational requirements, maintenance access and future asset performance in mind.
• Support commissioning strategy development and construction planning activities.
• Promote opportunities for off-site manufacture, standardisation and prefabrication.
• Coordinate specialist package integration to ensure a fully coordinated and efficient project solution.
• Support the delivery of accurate asset information and as-built documentation.
• Ensure designs align with construction sequencing, installation methodologies and commissioning requirements.

Commercial & Reporting

• Support design change management processes and identify impacts to programme, cost and scope.
• Assist with technical submissions and design approval processes.
• Contribute to project reporting activities and design performance monitoring.
• Provide accurate information to support commercial reviews and project governance requirements.
• Support value engineering initiatives and continuous improvement activities.
• Raise and manage technical queries, RFIs and design-related actions.

What we’re looking for:

Essential

• Experience in a Design Manager position within construction, engineering, MEP or major project environments.
• Strong understanding of multidisciplinary design coordination and project delivery.
• Experience managing consultant teams, specialist subcontractors and design stakeholders.
• Knowledge of BIM processes, Common Data Environments and design management best practice.
• Good understanding of CDM Regulations and design risk management.
• Excellent communication, organisation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced project environment.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Experience coordinating design information to support procurement, construction and commissioning activities.

Desirable

• Experience delivering large-scale complex developments within leisure, hospitality, infrastructure, healthcare or commercial sectors.
• Experience working within BIM Level 2 and ISO 19650 environments.
• Professional membership with CIOB, CIBSE, IET, ICE or APM.
• Degree, HNC/HND or equivalent qualification in Building Services Engineering, Construction Management or a related discipline.
• Chartered or Incorporated status, or working towards professional accreditation.
• Experience working on major projects valued in excess of £100m.

Benefits

We’re always evolving our benefits to ensure we're attracting and retaining great people. Some of what you can expect includes:

• Pension with a leading provider and up to 8% employer contribution
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Personal Wellbeing and Volunteer Days
• Private Medical Insurance
• Free 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible benefits including Dental Insurance, Gym Membership, Travel Insurance and Cycle to Work Scheme
• Ongoing personal and professional development opportunities
• Career progression within a leading engineering and construction business
• Opportunity to work on one of the UK’s most exciting and technically challenging projects.

 

Next Steps: 

 

As a business, we’re on a journey to build on our culture where everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect. This starts with recruitment and how we bring people into the organisation.  

 

We’ll do our best to outline the recruitment process to you ahead of time with plenty of notice. If you require any accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met. 

 

About Us: 

 

We are one of the leading independent engineering and services businesses in the UK. Founded in 1921, with a turnover of £500m and 3000 employees, we are proud of our history of developing great people through our investment in training. 

 

Working across a variety of sectors within the building and infrastructure industry, our innovative, responsible and forward-thinking approach allows us to work on fantastic ground-breaking projects, providing solutions using the latest tools and technologies. 

 

Progression is something we value, and we will make sure that when you join us you have a clearly defined development path, supported by regular reviews, training and ongoing support to enable you to be the best you can be. 

 

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