Senior Design Manager

About this Role:

Ambitious/experienced Senior Design Manager required by the regional Guildford office of this busy main contractor to work on several projects in the Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire areas.

Ideally situated along toward the top of the M3 /A3M corridor, or within this wider region the role will be to take the lead for Design Management on projects in the region, from input to tenders, second stage preconstruction and live on site.

In addition to your own project/s you will also have overview for 2 other Design Managers and so take management, mentoring and support role.

The scope of works you will focus on is typically private and local authority schools and colleges, care and retirement homes, healthcare, commercial and leisure, etc.

Work is secured via a mixture of competitive tenders, negotiated work for repeat clients plus regional and national frameworks.

Reporting to the Area Director and Head of Design for the group, working with preconstruction and project delivery teams, as Senior Design Manager you will be responsible for:

Management of the design development for your schemes;
Chairing regular design team meetings;
Management of consultant design teams;
Regular liaison with client, architect, consultants and the construction team;
Agreement of information required schedule; Ensuring key dates achieved;
Review of construction design information for buildability, compliance with contractors proposals, employers requirements, budget, current building legislation, etc;
Identifying opportunities for value engineering opportunities where appropriate;
Proactive issue resolution;
Managing specialist sub-contractor design teams;
Overall managing the smooth and timely delivery of detailed design information for procurement and construction throughout the build process.
Management, support and development of other Design Managers within the business.

The role is typically 3 days in the office plus visits to your sites, with some flexibility for working from home.

About the Company/Client/Project:

The company is a busy southern main contractor, with several offices and experience plus a proven track record in the delivery of schemes ranging £4m to £20m in value across the patch in the following sectors - private and local authority schools and colleges, care and retirement homes, healthcare, leisure, offices etc.

Turnover is circa £55m for the region, with a regional base close to the M3 and A3M.

Requirements including certificates and qualifications:

Either from an Engineering/Construction delivery or Architectural background, you will possess excellent technical and commercial knowledge, a keen understanding of construction methodology, materials and systems, procurement lead in times, building regulations, etc.

You will have excellent communication and negotiations skills, strong planning and problem solving ability, initiative and a positive approach. In terms of character, you will be a self motivated, positive and ambitious individual able to work well within a large team dynamic.

You will ideally have a proven track record of successful project delivery with a recognised Tier1 or 2 Main Contractor in a Senior Design Management role, or Design Manager looking to take the step up to Senior.

High standards, attention to detail and the drive to deliver on programme, specification and budget will be very well rewarded with excellent salary, benefits, promotional and development prospects.

For more information on this contract please contact Martin Olney on (phone number removed) or send your CV to

Candidates must be able to prove their eligibility to work in the UK