Design Manager

Bowmer & Kirkland Ltd.; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction group in the UK is seeking a Design Manager to oversee the design process across various projects. Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with building regulations, coordinating design teams, and driving safety in design initiatives. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, proven experience in design management, and excellent communication skills. Benefits include 25 days of holiday, private health insurance, and training opportunities.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays

Group Personal Pension Scheme

Private Health Insurance

Enhanced family friendly policies

Eye care voucher scheme

Training & Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a design management role, ideally within a main contracting environment.
• Solid understanding of current regulations (Building Safety Act, CDM, Building Regs, etc.).
• Experience in coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing specialist subcontractors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the management of the design process across one or more projects.
• Coordinate the full design team including consultants and design-and-build subcontractors.
• Ensure designs are compliant with Building Regulations and other statutory requirements.

Skills

Design management

BIM processes

Communication

Technical design background

Project management

Education

Degree in a construction-related discipline

Tools

Viewpoint 4P

Job description

Overview

As Design Manager, you will be responsible for managing the school design intent through detailed interrogation, coordination, and leadership of the design process across the full project lifecycle. This includes ensuring compliance with the Building Safety Act, CDM Regulations, statutory approvals, and B+K's internal governance. You will work collaboratively with clients, consultants, specialist subcontractors, and internal teams to ensure design excellence, programme certainty, and buildability—while embedding health and safety and digital innovation throughout. You will play a key part in ensuring information flows smoothly between the B+K, subcontractors, consultants, and the client, contributing to the delivery of high-quality, well-coordinated projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the management of the design process across one or more projects.
• Coordinate the full design team including consultants and design-and-build subcontractors.
• Manage the design programme, RFIs, change control and document control processes.
• Ensure designs are compliant with Building Regulations, planning conditions, CDM, and other statutory requirements.
• Drive Safety in Design (SiD) and embed buildability and health & safety risk mitigation.
• Oversee BIM coordination, clash detection reviews, and digital model audits.
• Support tendering, value engineering and pre-construction activities.
• Maintain a high level of technical and commercial awareness in all design decision-making.
• Engage in client meetings and lead proactive design-based communication.
• Participate in lessons learned and best practice forums to enhance our delivery model.
• Mentor junior design team members and actively support CPD development.
• Proven experience in a design management role, ideally within a main contracting environment.
• Strong technical design background with a degree (or equivalent) in a construction-related discipline.
• Solid understanding of current regulations (Building Safety Act, CDM, Building Regs, etc.).
• Experience in coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing specialist subcontractors.
• Skilled in BIM processes and using platforms such as Viewpoint 4P.
• Proactive, organised, and a confident communicator.
• Capable of managing a range of project types, tight deadlines, and complex design scopes.

About Bowmer + Kirkland

Since being established in 1923 Bowmer + Kirkland has grown to become one of the most successful privately-owned, and family run construction groups in the UK. Our Investors in People accreditation demonstrates our commitment to our staff and we are Scheme Partners of the Considerate Constructors Scheme - something which only a select number of high performing contractors achieve.

Requirements

• Qualifications and experience as listed in responsibilities above.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday per year, plus 8 bank holidays and Christmas Eve.
• Entry into the Group Personal Pension Scheme
• Private Health Insurance (subject to a qualifying period)
• Enhanced family friendly policies (subject to qualifying period)
• Eye care voucher scheme
• Training & Development Opportunities