Design Manager

Willmott Dixon; Hitchin; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced pension scheme

Private medical

Life assurance

Incentive bonus

Sustainable car scheme

Job summary

Willmott Dixon, based in Hitchin, seeks a Design Manager to lead design on projects across education, leisure, transport, blue light, commercial and residential sectors. The role supports a hybrid working model with time split between the office, home, and onsite locations.

You will own the design process, manage consultants, and drive design programmes to meet milestones and budgets, delivering cost-effective, innovative technical solutions and ensuring regulatory approvals.

Responsibilities

• Leading the design process to produce accurate information that meets agreed specifications and cost plans.
• Managing the appointment and performance of consultants in line with their deed and agreed scope of services.
• Developing a design programme with consultants to meet whole-life programme milestones.
• Delivering cost-effective, innovative technical solutions.
• Chairing design team meetings and driving action plans to completion.
• Ensuring designs meet all statutory and regulatory approvals, with comprehensive tracking and documentation.

Job description

Are you ready to lead the design process on some of the most exciting and innovative projects in the region? Willmott Dixon is seeking a Design Manager to support our diverse range of projects across the London & East. Based out of our Hitchin office, you’ll enjoy a hybrid working model with time split between the office, home, and onsite locations.

As a Design Manager, you’ll take ownership of the design process, fostering collaboration across disciplines and driving project success. Leading the design on projects ranging from £10m to £100m across the following sectors: Education, Leisure, Transport, Blue Light, Commercial and Residential. You’ll oversee, monitor, and report on design programmes, ensuring high-quality outputs that align with project goals and budgets.

Key responsibilities include

• Leading the design process to produce accurate information that meets agreed specifications and cost plans.
• Managing the appointment and performance of consultants in line with their deed and agreed scope of services.
• Developing a design programme with consultants to meet whole-life programme milestones.
• Delivering cost-effective, innovative technical solutions.
• Chairing design team meetings and driving action plans to completion.
• Ensuring designs meet all statutory and regulatory approvals, with comprehensive tracking and documentation.

With a robust pipeline of projects and a transparent outlook, you’ll have the confidence that you’re joining a stable business with a fantastic culture.

We’re looking for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and has a passion for innovative construction solutions.

• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Proven experience as a Design Manager with a Tier 1/Tier 2 head contractor environment, or from an architectural/design consultancy with proven project exposure.
• Strong track record of leading and coordinating multi-disciplinary design teams.
• Technical confidence in reviewing design details, drawings, and specifications.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, able to influence both internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite and drawing mark-up tools.
• Attention to detail and the ability to manage complex, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience in developing and managing design programmes.
• Knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements relevant to construction design.
• The ability to produce cost-effective and creative technical solutions.
• Experience across multiple sectors such as Education, Health, Defence, Residential, Leisure, or public sector projects.
• Familiarity with preconstruction models and processes within a main contractor environment.
• Professional qualifications (e.g. CIOB, RIBA) or evidence of continued professional development.

Additional Information

In return we reward our people generously with a competitive package that gives you flexible benefits to fit your lifestyle and priorities.

• enhanced pension scheme
• private medical
• life assurance
• incentive bonus
• access to a market-leading sustainable car scheme

At Willmott Dixon we provide an inclusive and flexible working environment for people to thrive in and we are happy to support agile working wherever possible. We are a proud member of the Disability Confident Scheme.

About Us

With over 170 years of history, Willmott Dixon is a privately owned business with a purpose beyond profit — delivering brilliant buildings, transforming lives, strengthening communities and enhancing the environment for future generations. In 2025, we were recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the Top 10 Big Companies to Work For, ranked in the Top Five of Europe’s 1,000 best workplaces by the Financial Times, and became the first major contractor and developer to win a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.