Design Manager

Are you a proactive and dynamic Design Manager looking for a role where you have real influence over project success?
Do you want to work for a family-owned main contractor that values flexibility and trust, rather than micromanagement?
Would you thrive in a role that spans tender through to completion, working on diverse projects across residential, healthcare, leisure, education, and commercial sectors?

About the Company

This well-established, family-owned main contractor has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality projects across multiple sectors, including residential, healthcare, leisure, education, and commercial. With a typical project size of �15M-�20M, they focus on high-quality, well-managed schemes and pride themselves on fostering a collaborative, non-bureaucratic culture.

With a flexible approach to working and a commitment to empowering their team, they offer an environment where you can make a real impact without being micromanaged.

About the Role

As a Design Manager, you'll play a critical role in ensuring project success from tender through to completion. Reporting to the Head of Technical, you'll work closely with the Preconstruction Team during early-stage feasibility and tender processes, progressing into project delivery. You'll typically oversee one or two projects, depending on size and complexity.

This is a hybrid role, with flexibility to work remotely one day a week. The ideal candidate will be a forward-thinking professional who takes a proactive rather than reactive approach, identifying and mitigating design risks before they become issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the design process from tender through to completion, ensuring programme and budget alignment.
• Work closely with the preconstruction team on feasibility and tender stages, including single and two-stage tenders.
• Identify potential design risks early and implement mitigation strategies.
• Drive coordination between consultants, subcontractors, and internal teams.
• Ensure design information is delivered on time, meets contractual requirements, and is buildable.
• Review and challenge designs to ensure efficiency, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
• Attend client and design team meetings, offering technical expertise and solutions.
• Provide guidance and leadership to ensure a seamless design process throughout the project lifecycle.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Design Manager within a main contractor or developer environment.
• Background working on residential, healthcare, leisure, education, or commercial projects.
• Strong understanding of tendering, feasibility studies, and design coordination.
• Experience managing single and two-stage tenders.
• Ability to take a proactive approach, identifying future risks before they arise.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively.
• Strong knowledge of building regulations, design standards, and construction processes.

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Hybrid working - flexibility to work from home one day a week.
• Autonomous working environment - no micromanagement.
• Exposure to diverse, high-quality projects across multiple sectors.
• Supportive, family-oriented culture that values work-life balance.

If you're a proactive, solution-focused Design Manager looking for an opportunity where you can truly add value, apply today!

Aldwych Consulting values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

For the purposes of the Conduct Regulations 2003, when advertising permanent vacancies we are acting as an Employment Agency, and when advertising temporary/contract vacancies we are acting as an Employment Business.