Design Manager

Knightwood Associates; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Knightwood Associates, a well‑established contractor, invites applications for a Design Manager to lead the design process on central London commercial refurbishment projects. The role will suit those from main contractor backgrounds or architects moving into project leadership, with exposure to cut & carve schemes.

You will coordinate multi‑discipline teams, ensure buildability and regulatory compliance, and drive design programme delivery with clients, consultants and site teams.

Qualifications

• Previous Design Manager experience within a main contractor, or architectural background with strong job-running on complex commercial projects
• Experience delivering refurbishment, fit-out or cut & carve schemes
• Excellent technical and coordination skills across multidisciplinary design teams
• Strong understanding of construction methodology, buildability and design coordination
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Responsibilities

• Managing and coordinating the full design process across multiple commercial schemes
• Reviewing architectural, structural and consultant design information
• Leading consultant coordination meetings and driving design team performance
• Identifying and resolving buildability, sequencing and technical challenges
• Managing design programmes and information release schedules
• Liaising closely with clients, consultants, subcontractors and site teams
• Ensuring compliance with current UK Building Regulations and statutory requirements

Job description

Design Manager - Central London

A well‑established main contractor with an excellent reputation for delivering complex commercial refurbishment and cut & carve projects across London is looking to appoint a Design Manager to join their team.

They are open to candidates from a range of backgrounds, including experienced Design Managers from a main contractor environment, Design Managers with an architectural background or job‑running Architects looking to move to a main contractor.

This is an opportunity to join a highly respected contractor with a strong pipeline of secured Central London projects, excellent career progression opportunities and exposure to some of the capital's most technically challenging commercial refurbishment schemes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing and coordinating the full design process across multiple commercial schemes
• Reviewing architectural, structural and consultant design information
• Leading consultant coordination meetings and driving design team performance
• Identifying and resolving buildability, sequencing and technical challenges
• Managing design programmes and information release schedules
• Liaising closely with clients, consultants, subcontractors and site teams
• Ensuring compliance with current UK Building Regulations and statutory requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

• Previous experience as a Design Manager within a main contractor, or an architectural background with strong job‑running experience on complex commercial projects
• Experience delivering refurbishment, fit‑out or cut & carve schemes
• Excellent technical and coordination skills with the ability to manage multidisciplinary design teams
• A strong understanding of construction methodology, buildability and design coordination
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Competitive salary plus an excellent benefits package.