Design Manager

Wates Group; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction firm in Cardiff seeks a Design Manager to enhance quality, buildability, and innovation in design processes. You'll work with diverse teams to manage realistic design programs and ensure compliance with health and safety standards. Ideal candidates will have strong technical skills, a collaborative mindset, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Exceptional benefits include competitive salary, flexible working, and extensive professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive salary & profit share scheme

Flexible working

Private Medical insurance

26 days holidays + bank holidays

Qualifications

• Experience in managing design processes and programs in construction.
• Ability to engage with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety regulations related to construction.

Responsibilities

• Drive quality outcomes and enhance buildability.
• Manage design programs and information schedules.
• Review designs for compliance and buildability risks.

Skills

Strong technical capability

Collaborative working

Innovation drive

Job description

The Vacancy

Wates are looking for a Design Manager to join our Wales team, delivering high‑quality new homes for local communities.

If you’re passionate about great design, enjoy working collaboratively, and have strong technical capability, this is an opportunity to challenge the norm, bring fresh ideas, and progress your career within a leading construction business. Join us and help create tomorrow, together.

This is a fantastic opportunity to develop professionally as part of a talented, diverse and supportive team.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our Design Managers are a valuable part of our business, driving quality outcomes, enhancing buildability and fostering innovation. Design Managers work collaboratively with our industry specialists and in-house technical experts to ensure that the design develops in accordance with the brief with a firm focus on added value, compliance, commercial viability, and best practice.

As our Design Manager you will:

• Collaborate with all relevant internal and external stakeholders to produce and manage a realistic design programme and information requirements schedule that supports design, procurement, and construction activities.
• Support the delivery of Continuous Improvement initiatives and drive innovation across projects.
• Ensure designs are robustly reviewed and verified to achieve compliance and mitigate Health & Safety, design, and buildability risks prior to construction.
• Identify and manage key risks and opportunities at each stage of the design and delivery process.
• Promote quality, coordination, and buildability from concept through to delivery.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive salary & profit share scheme
• Flexible working
• Car Allowance / Company Car (subject to Role/Grade)
• Travel covered to any of our sites (subject to HMRC advisory rates)
• Extensive corporate benefits including, Private Medical, Pension 8% employers’ contribution, Health and Wellness programme, 26 days holidays + bank holidays and much more…
• One of the best learning and development programmes which is customizable to support your career progression goals. (c.7000 training sessions delivered year to date across the WATES Group)
• Industry leading family leave benefits to included 26 weeks fully paid maternity, 12 weeks fully paid paternity.

Work for Wates

Wates is one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies. Founded over 125 years ago, we have a proud legacy in the built environment.

We are driven by our purpose, ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our three promises:

Thriving places – working with customers, partners and communities to create places that are more sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity.

Thriving planet – protecting nature and taking action on climate change by collaborating and innovating with our partners.

Thriving people – creating opportunities and relationships so that everyone who works for and with us feels included, invested in, and treated with care.

We are proud to be recognised as Gold Investors in People and as a Disability Confident employer. We also ensure that our recruitment processes do not treat anyone less favourably due to an offending background.

Awards

BEST PROJECT

Inside Housing Development Awards

WINNER 2022 Construction News Awards Winner

GOLD AWARD Investors in People 2022

GOLD AWARD Considerate Constructors Schemes (CCS) National Site Awards

TOP 50 EMPLOYERS 2022 Top 50 Employers for Women

WINNER 2022 Working Families Best Practice Awards