Design Manager

Head Of Development, Nsw; Sydney; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Head Of Development, NSW is seeking an experienced Design Manager in Sydney to lead the full design process from concept through construction documentation and delivery. You will chair coordination meetings, manage consultants and ensure feasibility and programme certainty across multiple projects.

The role focuses on design leadership, cost-conscious decision making and strong stakeholder engagement to deliver high-quality residential and mixed-use developments within a disciplined feasibility

Qualifications

• Proven experience in design management or senior architectural coordination within property development or consultancy environments.
• Strong understanding of residential and/or mixed-use development processes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary consultant teams and manage budgets and programmes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the full design process from concept to construction documentation and delivery.
• Chair design and consultant coordination meetings and review design documentation.
• Manage consultant procurement, onboarding, scope alignment and transitions.
• Establish and maintain the overall design programme and ensure timely delivery of documentation.

Skills

Design management

Architectural coordination

Consultant management

Stakeholder management

Feasibility & cost awareness

Programme management

Job description

Design Manager

Location: Sydney, NSW

About the Company

This privately owned Australian development group delivers high-quality residential and mixed-use projects across metropolitan markets. The business is recognised for its design-led approach, disciplined feasibility management and strong consultant and delivery partnerships. With an active and expanding pipeline, the company is focused on creating well-resolved, commercially robust developments that respond to market demand and deliver enduring built outcomes.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Design Manager to lead and coordinate the full design process from concept through to construction documentation and delivery.

This is a pivotal role within the development team, responsible for driving design quality, managing consultant performance, protecting feasibility outcomes and ensuring programme certainty across multiple projects.

Key Responsibilities

Design Leadership & Coordination

• Lead and coordinate the full consultant team from concept design through to construction documentation
• Chair all design and consultant coordination meetings
• Review and rigorously interrogate all design documentation prior to issue
• Ensure design intent aligns with the approved development brief, feasibility parameters and programme milestones

Consultant Engagement & Management

• Lead consultant procurement including fee requests, assessment, negotiation and formal appointment
• Manage consultant contracts including onboarding, scope alignment and consultant transitions where required
• Maintain strong working relationships across architects, engineers and specialist consultants
• Manage consultant performance against agreed scope, budget and programme expectations

Budget & Value Management

• Establish and manage consultant budgets across projects
• Monitor design expenditure against approved budgets
• Lead value engineering initiatives to maintain alignment with cost plans
• Work closely with Development Managers to ensure feasibility integrity is maintained throughout design progression

Programme Management

• Establish and maintain the overall design programme from concept through to construction
• Drive timely delivery of documentation to meet DA, Design Excellence and construction timeframes
• Identify programme risks early and proactively implement mitigation strategies

Development Interface

• Partner closely with Development Managers to prepare and present project dashboards
• Support feasibility reviews and strategic decision-making processes
• Assist with authority engagement, stakeholder consultation and design panel presentations

Post-DA Delivery

• Maintain leadership through detailed design and construction documentation phases
• Coordinate consultant inputs for tender and construction packages
• Support construction phase design management, including RFI review and resolution

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience in a design management or senior architectural coordination role within a property development or consultancy environment
• Strong understanding of residential and/or mixed-use development processes
• Demonstrated ability to manage multidisciplinary consultant teams
• Commercial acumen with the ability to balance design quality with feasibility constraints
• Strong programme management capability and risk awareness
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

This role offers the opportunity to work within a nimble, design-focused development platform where design excellence and commercial discipline are equally valued, and where you will play a central role in shaping projects from early concept through to construction delivery.