Design Manager

Elvet Recruitment; North East; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary up to £70,000 (DOE)

Permanent position

Job summary

Elvet Recruitment are recruiting a Design Manager on behalf of a long-standing civil engineering contractor to help deliver schemes across the North East. The role will cover Northumbrian Water AMP8/9 with work over the next 15 years.

You will lead design across clean water and wastewater networks, treatment facilities, pipelines and civil structures, manage design deliverables and QA/QC, oversee BIM processes and coordinate with clients and stakeholders to deliver integrated solutions.

Qualifications

• Design management experience
• Leadership of multidisciplinary design teams
• Knowledge of UK water sector and AMP programmes
• Familiarity with NEC4 contracts and modern delivery models

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate design activities across clean water and wastewater networks, treatment facilities, pipelines and civil structures.
• Ensure design solutions align with construction methodologies, programme requirements and TOTEX objectives.
• Manage design deliverables, technical queries, approvals and key milestones in NEC4 contracts.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards and planning consents.
• Maintain a live design risk register and support ECI to mitigate delivery risks.
• Oversee BIM processes and digital design workflows to improve coordination and minimise rework.
• Lead Value Engineering and Collaborative Planning workshops to identify efficiency gains.
• Manage design changes with clear communication to clients and stakeholders.
• Implement QA/QC processes including design verification and HAZOP/HAZCON reviews.
• Coordinate across civil, MEICA, geotechnical and temporary works disciplines for integrated solutions.
• Promote technical excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

Skills

Design management

Multidisciplinary leadership

UK water sector knowledge

NEC contracts knowledge

Education

Civil Engineering degree

Chartered status / MICE / CEng preferred

Tools

BIM (Civil 3D, Revit, ProjectWise)

Job description

Elvet Recruitment are recruiting a Design Manager on behalf of a long-standing civil engineering contractor to help deliver schemes across the North East

The role will cover the Northumbrian Water AMP8/9 schemes with work over the next 15 years

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate design activities across clean water and wastewater networks, treatment facilities, pipelines and associated civil structures.
• Ensure design solutions align with construction methodologies, programme requirements and TOTEX objectives.
• Manage design deliverables, technical queries, approvals and key milestones in accordance with NEC4 contracts.
• Ensure compliance with Northumbrian Water Engineering Standards, WIS, CESWI, DWI and EA requirements, as well as relevant planning consents.
• Maintain a live design risk register and support Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) to identify and mitigate delivery risks.
• Oversee BIM processes and digital design workflows, including Civil 3D, Revit and ProjectWise, to improve coordination and minimise rework.
• Lead Value Engineering and Collaborative Planning workshops, ensuring opportunities to improve efficiency and value are identified and implemented.
• Manage design change transparently, maintaining strong communication with clients and stakeholders.
• Implement robust QA/QC processes, including design verification, HAZOP/HAZCON reviews and document control.
• Coordinate effectively across civil, MEICA, geotechnical and temporary works disciplines to ensure fully integrated solutions.
• Promote a culture of technical excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

What We're Looking For

Ideally, you will have:

• A degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered status or a relevant professional qualification, such as MICE or CEng, is preferred.
• Proven experience in design management within the UK water sector, ideally gained with a contractor or design-and-build organisation.
• Strong knowledge of AMP programmes, TOTEX principles and the UK water regulatory environment.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary design teams and coordinating design through to construction.A good understanding of NEC contracts and modern delivery models.
• Experience with BIM and relevant digital design tools is desirable.

Remuneration

On offer is a salary of up to £70,000 (DOE) plus generous package

This is a permanent position and Elvet Recruitment Limited will be acting as an employment agency for permanent recruitment on behalf of our client.