Design Manager

canarywharf; Greater London; On-site; GBP 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Canary Wharf Contractors Limited requires an experienced Design Manager to lead and coordinate the design team and contractor designers, ensuring complete construction details on time while considering quality, buildability, cost, safety and environmental constraints.

Salary is circa £75,000 per annum, dependent on experience, with a closing date for applications and a focus on delivering integrated design solutions for major projects within the Canary Wharf Group environment.

Qualifications

• Design consultancy and structural engineering expertise required.
• Experience in design management on major multi-disciplinary projects is essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage and co-ordinate the design team and contractor designers to produce construction details.
• Discharge health and safety responsibilities per CWG manuals and safety plans.
• Oversee design process, interfaces, and construction strategy development.
• Review design against brief, buildability and cost constraints.
• Support procurement, approvals, and communications with consultants and contractors.

Skills

Design consultancy

Structural expertise

Design management

Education

Chartered Engineer

Job description

Department: CWCL

Company: Canary Wharf Contractors Limited

Reporting to: Director - Structures

JOB SUMMARY

To manage and co-ordinate the design team and contractor designers to produce complete and comprehensive construction details in due time, giving consideration to quality, buildability, cost, health, safety and environmental constraints.

Salary - circa £75,000 per annum dependent on experience

Closing Date - Monday 21 September 2026

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Understand and support Client's aims and objectives.
• Discharge responsibilities for Health and Safety as set out in the Canary Wharf Group Health Safety and Welfare manual also the Canary Wharf Group Construction Health and Safety Plan both in respect of the package and integration of the overall project.
• Empathise with overall design concept.
• Manage design process.
• Explore options and alternatives.
• Compare and benchmark design against other Canary Wharf and external projects.
• Ensure lessons learned from other projects are understood and taken into account.
• Assist with setting-up and implementing project systems and procedures
• Discharge responsibilities for Health and Safety as set out in the Canary Wharf Group Health Safety and Welfare manual also the Canary Wharf Group Construction Health and Safety Plan both in respect of the package and integration of the overall project.
• Assist other team members in dealing with queries and providing information on design matters such as:
• Project Definition
• Assist with development of construction strategy.
• Identify and define design criteria.
• Assist with defining design scopes and interfaces.
• Assist with negotiation of fees and agreements.
• Assist with development of design programme.
• Assist with development of construction strategy.
• Agree consultants' deliverables and issue dates.
• Obtain consultants' quality plans.

Design Stages

• Monitor design team progress against programme.
• Review design against brief and buildability requirements.
• Check information for co-ordination and completeness.
• Identify need for samples and mock-ups.
• Manage design changes.
• Obtain design risk assessments.

Construction Procurement

• Assist in development of procurement strategy.
• Assist in defining package scopes and key interfaces.
• Assist with preparation of trade contract documentation.
• Review design capabilities of tenderers.
• Assist in evaluation of tenders.
• Assist with contractual negotiations.

Construction Phase

• Verify contractor design and submittal programmes.
• Monitor information flow to and from trade contractors.
• Assist with review of contractor design proposals, method statements and technical submittals.
• Assist with processing of technical queries and requests for information raised by contractors.
• Assist with co-ordination of interfaces between packages.
• Assist with inspection of works to check compliance with design intent.
• Assist with processing of interim valuations.
• Assist with agreement of contractual variations.

Handover and Completion

• Assist with final inspections.
• Assist with obtaining and recording as-built information.
• Assist with agreement of final accounts and design fee payments.
• Obtain feedback from client and professional team.
• Produce or update lessons learned reports for use on future projects.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties as requested by the Director - Structures and/or Project Leader or other member of Senior Management.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Design consultancy / structural expertise is essential. Design Management experience on major multi-disciplinary, preferably high rise, projects, is required. Previous experience working for a contracting organisation is highly desirable.
• A proven commitment to continuing professional development and a background within Structural Engineering disciplines is essential. The successful post holder will be a Chartered Engineer, or a suitably qualified Technician, holding a UK or internationally equivalent engineering qualification, or be working towards the successful completion of a UK qualification (such as being chartered to MICE or MIStructE) or an internationally equivalent proven engineering qualification.
• Excellent inter-personal skills, and the ability to build relationships and influence decision-making is essential.
• Self-management and initiative; the ability to think analytically and laterally is essential.
• It is essential that the post holder be fully familiar with the coordination of interfaces between packages, to assist with processing of technical queries and requests for information raised by contractors.
• It is essential that the post holder be fully familiar with the integration of all design disciplines that are required for commercial and residential building (e.g. architectural, engineering, environmental, safety, services and structural disciplines, residential building).
• It is essential that the post holder be capable of handling meetings in difficult situations using skill and tact to achieve positi