Design Engineering Manager

Universal Business Team; Ledston; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car or car allowance

Bonus opportunity

Free on-site parking

Auto-enrolment pension

Flexible working hours

Informal rewards (team lunches and ...

Job summary

Universal Business Team is seeking an experienced Design Engineering Manager to lead design governance across a high-volume, multi-project environment within healthcare and specialist settings. Based in Wetherby with flexible hybrid site presence, you will oversee an in-house design team, align with sales and project delivery, and drive value through robust governance and innovation.

You will manage 50–70 live projects, set standards, deliver high-quality outputs, and explore AI and offshoring

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a design team in construction, fit-out or healthcare environments.
• Strong understanding of design governance, coordination and assurance.
• Experience with AutoCAD, Revit and BIM workflows.
• Commercial awareness with scope, cost and programme influence.
• Excellent communication with clients and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the in-house design team delivering high‑quality outputs.
• Establish design governance procedures, standards and governance.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and industry standards.
• Oversee design resource planning, workloads and deliverables.
• Implement quality checks and KPIs for continuous improvement.
• Support commercial decisions with value engineering and cost control.
• Manage design change control to minimise impact.
• Act as technical authority for flagship projects with clients.
• Collaborate with Project Managers to transition design to delivery.
• Explore AI, automation and offshore opportunities in design.

Skills

Design leadership

People management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Client liaison

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

BIM

Job description

Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 per annum (negotiable DOE) + car or car allowance + Bonus
Hours: 40 hours per week | Monday to Friday (flexible start/finish times)
Location: Wetherby (office-based), with 1-2 days per week on site nationwide
Holidays: 25 days + 8 bank holidays + birthday off
Benefits:

• Car or car allowance
• Bonus opportunity
• Free on-site parking
• Auto-enrolment pension
• Flexible working hours
• Informal rewards (team lunches and recognition for project wins)

The Opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of a growing, highly respected specialist design-and-delivery business operating within complex care, healthcare and specialist environments. Following significant project growth and the expansion of an in‑house BIM/CAD function, the business is now seeking an experienced Design Engineering Manager to take ownership of design governance, team leadership and process maturity - ensuring high-quality, coordinated design outputs across a high-volume, multi-project environment.

This is a pivotal role, reporting into the Operations Director, with real influence over quality, systems, people and future innovation.

The Role

As Design Manager, you will lead and coordinate all design activity across a diverse portfolio of projects ranging in value from £5k to £1m, focused on specialist equipment, hoisting systems, hydrotherapy and integrated environments.

You will provide structure, accountability and technical assurance to an in‑house team of designers, while acting as a key interface between sales, project delivery and clients.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and managing the in-house design team, setting clear expectations for quality, performance and delivery
• Establishing and embedding robust design management procedures, standards and governance
• Ensuring design compliance with statutory regulations, industry standards and best practice
• Overseeing design resource planning, workloads, deliverables and information release schedules
• Implementing quality checks, KPIs and performance metrics to drive continuous improvement
• Supporting commercial decision‑making, value engineering and cost control through the design process
• Managing design change control to minimise cost and programme impact
• Acting as a client‑facing technical authority on complex and flagship projects
• Working closely with Project Managers to ensure seamless transition from design to delivery
• Exploring opportunities for AI, automation and potential offshoring within the design function

About You

This role will suit a Design Manager who combines technical credibility with strong people leadership and thrives in a fast‑moving environment where multiple projects run simultaneously.

You will ideally bring:

• Proven experience managing and leading a design team within construction, fit‑out or specialist environments
• Strong understanding of design governance, coordination and assurance
• Confidence reviewing, challenging and coordinating work produced in AutoCAD, Revit and BIM environments
• Commercial awareness with the ability to influence scope, cost and programme decisions
• Excellent communication skills and confidence working directly with clients and senior stakeholders
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage 50-70 live projects concurrently
• A proactive, improvement‑focused mindset with strong attention to detail
• Experience with COBie, BIM, specialist equipment integration or healthcare environments is beneficial but not essential.
• Chartered or professionally accredited candidates (or those working toward accreditation) are welcomed, as are those with architectural, engineering or technical backgrounds.

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