Design Manager

Black & White Engineering; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Black & White Engineering is seeking an experienced Design Manager to lead multi-disciplinary teams on flagship data centre and engineering-led projects. This role offers the platform to influence design delivery, mentor teams, and shape how complex engineering solutions are delivered across global client collaborations.

You’ll oversee design delivery, manage stakeholder relationships, drive change, QA/QC, and ensure alignment with client priorities.

Qualifications

• Direct knowledge of engineering design or architecture and the design process of building construction.
• Strong ability to manage and influence client relationships across multiple projects.
• Proven capability to identify opportunities and develop teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-disciplinary design delivery for data centre or engineering-led projects.
• Act as the lead project Design Manager, managing client stakeholders and representing the firm at meetings.
• Manage programme, scope, cost and risk with proactive reporting.
• Coordinate global teams and subconsultants ensuring installability and maintainability.
• Own change management, drafting notices and supporting fee proposals.
• Drive QA/QC and H&S considerations through the design process.
• Coach and line-manage team members, providing development opportunities.

Skills

Leadership

Client collaboration

Multi-disciplinary coordination

Design management

Mentoring / coaching

People management

Stakeholder management

Job description

If you’re an experienced Design Manager looking for the next step in your career — one where you can influence major projects, lead talented teams and shape how complex engineering solutions are delivered — this role offers you the platform to do exactly that.

Whether you’re driven by client collaboration, the challenge of multi‑disciplinary coordination, or the opportunity to guide and develop others, this is a role where your strengths will genuinely make an impact. And if you’re excited by the idea of working across global teams, contributing to industry‑defining data centre projects and growing your leadership profile, you’ll feel at home here.

What’s in It For You

Shape industry‑defining projects – Lead multi‑disciplinary project teams across sophisticated data centre and engineering‑led environments, delivering designs that are efficient, buildable and trusted by our clients.

Grow your leadership career – Mentor, coach and develop a team of Design Managers and Assistant Design Managers, contributing to the growth of our global design management capability.

Drive innovation and continuous improvement - Champion the use of our design management hubs, tools and processes while actively shaping the evolution of our Lead Design Consulting model.

Build meaningful client partnerships – Become a proactive, trusted point of contact for clients across multiple projects, helping strengthen relationships and identify opportunities for future collaboration.

Join a supportive global team – Work within a culture defined by Accountability, Integrity, Simplicity, Supportive and Quality — a team that celebrates diverse perspectives, encourages innovation and values professional development.

What you’ll be doing

In a typical week, you might be:

• Leading multi‑disciplinary design delivery for complex data centre or engineering‑led projects – coordinating mechanical, electrical, public health, civil, structural and other disciplines to meet client priorities.
• Acting as the lead project Design Manager, managing client stakeholder relationships and representing Black & White Engineering at key meetings.
• Managing programme, scope, cost and risk – anticipating issues early, driving decisions, and keeping clear, accurate reporting for both clients and internal teams.
• Coordinating global teams and subconsultants, ensuring localisation requirements are met and designs are practical to install and maintain.
• Owning change management – identifying scope creep, drafting change notices, managing design fee changes and supporting fee proposals for Director sign‑off.
• Driving QA/QC and H&S considerations through the design process, making sure our work meets our internal standards and regional regulations.
• Coaching and line managing team members – from regular 1:1s to helping them access the right projects, training and exposure to grow.

You will be joining a community that focuses on learning and development through regular lunch and learn sessions, investment in accredited professional courses or educational programmes. you can set the pace for your professional development, and whatever path you choose, you will receive relevant support.

The key elements of your experience you will need to demonstrate as part of the assessment process is direct knowledge of engineering design or architecture and the design process of building construction, your key capabilities managing and influencing client relationships and also your ability to identify opportunities

Company Overview

Black & White Engineering is a multi‑award‑winning engineering consultancy with offices across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

We are a leading provider of engineering design services for the data centre sector, delivering expertise across Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP), Civil and Structural, Power Systems, Sustainability, BIM, Design Management and wider specialist infrastructure disciplines.

Our teams support projects across all areas of the construction industry, offering practical, efficient design solutions that prioritise real‑world installation, maintenance and operational performance.

As one of the fastest‑growing consultancies in our industry, we offer genuine opportunities for progression—many of our engineers have developed into leadership roles as the business has expanded. Joining Black & White means making a meaningful impact with clients and colleagues, while receiving the recognition you deserve.