Design Manager

ZipRecruiter; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading highways service provider in the UK seeks a Design Manager to lead their Highway Improvement Design teams. This key role involves planning, coordinating, and overseeing design projects while ensuring exceptional quality and compliance with statutory standards. Offering a competitive salary and a variety of employee benefits, this position aims to find a forward-thinking professional ready to make a significant impact.

Benefits

Sick Pay

Competitive salary

Purchase extra leave

Discounts through RJ Rewards

Life Assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience managing highway design improvements and statutory processes.
• Knowledge of design standards, local government procedures, and traffic regulations.
• Ability to prepare annual service plans and manage budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, resourcing, and delivery of the annual works programme.
• Ensure high-quality technical outputs and adherence to design standards.
• Foster a customer-focused culture and manage staff performance.

Skills

Team Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Financial Management

Health & Safety Compliance

Education

Relevant Engineering Degree

Job description

Job Description

Design Manager

Contract: Essex Highways

Location: Chelmsford

Contract Type: Permanent

We’re looking for a forward-thinking Design Manager to lead and inspire our Highway Improvement Design teams. Reporting to the Head of Design Services, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering high-quality design services and projects for Essex Highways, Essex County Council, and a range of external clients.

In this strategic leadership role, you’ll be responsible for planning, coordinating, and resourcing annual programmes of work—ensuring they’re delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards.

You’ll guide and support a team of dedicated professionals, fostering strong partnerships with both internal departments and external stakeholders to drive innovation and excellence in highway design.

The Role

• Lead your team in planning, resourcing, and delivering the annual works programme, ensuring performance and reporting deadlines are met.
• Support team leaders in managing staff and developing talent to deliver high-quality, efficient service for Essex Highways clients.
• Foster a customer-focused, responsive culture by promoting appropriate behaviours and responding clearly and promptly to stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate technical outputs by applying design standards and processes, and by reviewing and authorising reports and drawings.
• Promote Health & Safety, Environmental, Quality, and CDM standards by implementing ECC and Essex Highways policies effectively.

About You

• Experience of successfully managing highway design improvements and implementation including statutory processes involved with these activities.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, design standards, type approvals and local government procedures including The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works, Chapter 8, Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions.
• Financial management of processes including forward planning of programmes of work, budget accounting and monitoring of expenditure.
• Management of staff including performance management.
• Preparation of content for annual service plans.

Benefits

At Ringway Jacobs we recognise that our people make the difference, and in order to do what we do well, particular care is taken in nurturing and investing in our people. That’s why you will always be given the opportunity to utilise your expertise and develop your career.

Ringway Jacobs recognises the importance of helping our employees balance their work and home life by offering flexible working arrangements across many of our roles. We therefore welcome applications from people looking for an alternative working pattern e.g. part-time hours, job share etc. Please let us know on your CV or cover letter if this is what you are looking for.

In return for your hard work you will receive:

- Sick Pay

- Competitive salary

- Opportunity to purchase up to 5 days extra leave

- A variety of discounts through our “RJ Rewards” app, including restaurants, holidays, days out etc

- Life Assurance

- Employee Assistance Programme

- Pension scheme

The Company

We are Ringway Jacobs, a leading highways service provider working with local authorities across the UK. Formed in 2005, specifically to provide road network management solutions to local government, our unique blend of engineering capability, innovation and customer care make us the best in class. We support over 10,000 miles of highways, 10,000 miles of footway, almost 7,800 miles of public rights of way and 242,000 street lights. We excel in delivering safe, sustainable service excellence, through our passion, integrity and collaborative culture.

Ringway Jacobs is an equal opportunities employer. We wish to ensure equality of opportunity in employment and the fair treatment of all our employees.

If you require further details, please contact our Recruitment Team on 0330 311 2502 or e-mail them on [e-mail],