Design Manager

As our Critical Infrastructures division and award-winning data centre team continue to grow, we are seeking an experienced Design Manager to own and coordinate the design delivery process across data centre and critical infrastructure projects within our growing Critical Infrastructures division.

Based at our Manchester head office, the role includes travel to project and client sites across the UK and occasionally Europe.

The successful candidate will be dynamic and enthusiastic, joining a key technical team within a growing international business with and an expanding client portfolio of projects.

Role Purpose

The Design Manager is responsible for delivery of the design process. They will own the design management plan, programme, responsibilities, information flow, reviews and approvals, coordinating outputs produced by internal designers, external consultants, suppliers and subcontractors. Managing the process from tender and pre-construction through design development, construction, commissioning and handover, they will ensure the right information is produced by the right parties at the right time and that outputs are coordinated, compliant, buildable and aligned with programme and commercial requirements. The role requires sufficient technical knowledge to review and challenge solutions, but is focused on managing and assuring others’ outputs rather than routinely undertaking detailed engineering design or acting as the technical authority for a specialist discipline.

Personal Specification

We are looking for an experienced Design Manager or senior engineering professional with broad multidisciplinary M&E knowledge and a strong record of managing design teams, consultants, suppliers and information deliverables on technically demanding projects.

Candidates must be able to review and challenge integrated critical systems, including power, generation, UPS, cooling, ventilation, fire and controls, together with the spatial and operational interfaces that affect coordinated design. Data centre experience is highly desirable, although relevant experience in other critical or high-availability environments will be considered.

The role requires clear leadership and communication, strong design governance, and the ability to manage scope, programme, responsibilities, information, interfaces, risk, change and approvals. The successful candidate will confidently engage clients and delivery partners, hold contributors accountable for agreed deliverables and coordinate assurance of designs for resilience, safety, compliance, buildability, maintainability and efficient operation.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

1. Own and manage the multidisciplinary design delivery process from tender and pre-construction through development, construction, commissioning and handover.

2. Maintain and drive the design management plan, responsibilities matrix, programme, information schedules, deliverable trackers and review processes.

3. Manage internal and external designers’ scopes, appointments, deliverables, interfaces, quality and performance, ensuring the right information is produced by the right parties at the right time. Lead design coordination and review meetings, record decisions and actions, and manage the timely closure of comments, approvals and technical queries.

4. Coordinate and assure compliant, buildable and commercially appropriate designs, resolving multidisciplinary interfaces, reviews and approvals.

5. Monitor design progress, resource, risk and change, escalating impacts on safety, compliance, performance, programme, cost or procurement.

6. Support procurement, construction and site activities; manage technical queries, support system commissioning activities and design close-out; and contribute to continuous improvement.

Skills and Qualifications

* Relevant engineering, building services or construction management qualification.

* Substantial experience managing multidisciplinary design through tender, development and construction, including internal teams and external consultants.

* Broad M&E knowledge with the confidence to review and challenge specialist outputs. Data centre or comparable critical-environment experience is preferred.

* Strong design governance, programme management, information management, consultant coordination, assurance, risk, change, leadership and communication skills.

* Proficient in Microsoft Office and familiar with AutoCAD, Revit and BIM workflows. Chartered status is desirable. Manchester-based, with UK and occasional European travel