Design Manager

Morgan Sindall Construction; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Sindall Construction is seeking an experienced Design Manager for their Cambridge office to lead design aspects of projects. The role involves managing project design resources, ensuring compliance with design procedures, and coordinating with stakeholders, contributing to innovative and sustainable project delivery. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in main contracting, particularly within Education, Office/Lab, and Residential schemes.

Benefits

Pension scheme matched up to 6%

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Private healthcare

Life assurance up to 4x salary

Professional qualification/membership recognition up to £1000

Mental wellbeing support

Company car/car allowance

High street discounts

Long service awards

Enhanced family leave

Qualifications

• Understanding of RIBA work stages and main contracting.
• Experience in Pre-construction and on-site design management.
• Familiarity with low carbon design techniques.

Responsibilities

• Manage design aspects of projects and tenders.
• Coordinate activities of design teams and external stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with design management procedures and current legislation.

Skills

Design Management

Sustainability Knowledge

Construction Knowledge

3D Design / BIM

Education

BA / BSc in relevant field

Job description

Full Time, Permanent

We are looking for an experienced and talented Design Manager to manage the design aspects of projects and tenders in progress within the Cambridge business. This position is office and site based.

About the role:

The Design Manager will establish, maintain, and manage effective project design resource and team profile at bid and delivery stages, whilst leading and providing a professional, comprehensive, and sustainable design service for the customer and key partners / suppliers.

Managing and co-ordinating safely the overall design process through the RIBA design stages, challenging the brief, and bringing innovation and continuous improvement benefits to the projects at bid and delivery stages.

You will ensure the completion and compliance of design management departmental procedures, be involved with “design strategy” and approach, and ensure adherence to the design brief / scope of service. You will also develop a comprehensive scope of service for the key stages of the project.

The successful candidate will co-ordinate the activities of the design team, contractors, and statutory bodies (e.g., Local Authority planners & Building Control/HSE) in line with programme critical dates, ensuring that the design process recognises compliance issues, current legislation, standards, and codes of practice.

What are we looking for?

As an experienced Design Manager, you will have a good understanding of RIBA work stages, two-stage design and build procurement, and design management in pre-construction as well as on-site design management. Ideally, you also hold construction knowledge from previous main contracting positions with qualifications to a BA / BSc level and/or membership of relevant professional institutes such as CIOB. Main contractor experience is preferred.

Ideally, you will have:

• Significant experience in the main contracting market, working on Education, Office/Lab, & Residential schemes between £10 and £50 million.
• Ability to lead a professional team of consultants, along with strong sustainability knowledge including Passivhaus, Nabers, BREEAM, with previous project experience across the Bid/Delivery stage.
• Experience in Pre-construction (PSCA), 3D design / BIM, knowledge of low carbon design techniques, and practical application.

To thrive in our business, you should share our passion for the project at hand and enjoy working in an inclusive and hardworking team environment. At Morgan Sindall Construction, our employees work collectively, encouraging and challenging each other to succeed. We treat everyone equally and have developed a community where voices are heard and respected.

Benefits

We support our colleagues in achieving a healthy work-life balance. We understand that many of our people have family and personal responsibilities, and we are committed to providing that support. Benefits include pension scheme matched up to 6%, 26 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising to 30 days after 8 years), private healthcare, life assurance up to 4x salary, professional qualification/membership recognition up to £1000, mental wellbeing support, company car/car allowance, high street discounts, long service awards, Sharesave Plan, incentive schemes, enhanced family leave, and more.

About Us

Morgan Sindall provides national construction and infrastructure services to private and public sector customers across a range of markets. We aim to create great results for our customers, partners, and ourselves.

Our leadership focuses on building a sustainable and profitable business unit based on relationship-driven, selective work, motivated by delivering an exceptional customer experience. Relationships with customers and supply chain partners drive our strategy. We pursue a balanced approach to securing new work, engaging with customers, and frameworks that foster long-term relationships and repeat business.

Please refer to the full Job Description upon completing your application.

At Morgan Sindall Construction, we encourage diversity and embrace individual differences. We value the ideas, experiences, and perspectives each person brings to their work, team, and the wider business.

We are committed to creating the best workplace in the industry, where everyone feels included, treated equally, fairly, and with respect.

We promote an inclusive culture where you can be yourself at work. We believe this approach brings out the best in everyone and fosters a fun, dynamic, innovative, and rewarding environment.

Morgan Sindall is an equal opportunities employer and has been accredited with the Positive About Disabled People ‘Two Ticks’ accreditation. We are also an Investors in People company.