Design Manager

VINCI Building UK; Southampton; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

VINCI Building UK is seeking a Design Manager to lead and coordinate the design process for a £180m student accommodation project at the University of Southampton, ensuring safety, quality and timely delivery as designs progress from concept to construction readiness.

You will collaborate with consultants, clients and project teams, manage design risk and compliance, and contribute to sustainability goals, modern methods and value engineering to optimise programme and cost.

Job description

VINCI Building has an exciting opportunity for a Design Manager to play a significant part in supporting the delivery of a £180m student accommodation project at the University of Southampton.

With a build programme to 2029, the scheme includes in excess of 1,500 new student beds, along with refurbishment and the restoration of a Grade II listed building.

Designed to operate emission-free, this project will exceed UK net zero carbon targets, along with a commitment to significantly increase affordable student accommodation.

As Design Manager for VINCI Building, you'll lead and coordinate the design process, ensuring designs are delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with project objectives. Working closely with consultants, clients, and project teams, you'll drive design quality, manage risks, and ensure compliance while supporting successful project delivery. Combining technical expertise with strong leadership and commercial awareness, you will play a key role in shaping project outcomes.

Leadership & Strategy

• Implement design management processes for individual projects, aligned to contract requirements and business objectives.
• Establish project design management governance, review gates and decision rights for design progression from concept through to construction readiness.
• Foster a collaborative culture focused on quality, safety, and continuous improvement across project teams and consultant partners.

Design Programme Ownership

• Develop and manage project design programmes independently; establish logic, interfaces and dependencies across design disciplines.
• Integrate consultant and supply-chain TIDPs into project programmes; monitor progress and implement corrective actions.
• Lead design coordination meetings focused on programme delivery, issue resolution, and stakeholder alignment.

Information Management & CDE (ISO 19650)

• Working with the Document Control and Digital Engineering team, implement Information Management plans (aligned to EIR/AIR/OIR) and BIM Execution Plans for project delivery.
• Establish and maintain CDE systems including naming conventions, workflows, and approval processes for project requirements.
• Ensure management of MIDP/TIDP publication and maintenance; ensure accurate status tracking and design progression visibility.
• Ensure coordination of model federation and clash detection processes; asset information management and oversee issue identification and resolutions.

Statutory & Regulatory Compliance

• Coordinate comprehensive approvals strategy including Planning permissions, Building Control, highways, utilities, and environmental consents.
• Manage Building Control strategy and coordinate submissions, amendments, and compliance evidence for project requirements.
• Ensure CDM 2015 compliance including design risk management, coordination, and effective communication with Principal Designer.
• Support Building Safety Act Gateway requirements for in-scope projects including designer competence management and design assurance.

Contract & Commercial Integration

• Review and assess Employer's Requirements and Works Information; develop compliant Contractor's Proposals aligned to project objectives.
• Establish design deliverable schedules with clear acceptance criteria and coordinate with project commercial milestones.
• Support compensation event and variation assessments with design impact analysis and commercial recommendations.
• Coordinate technical submittals and maintain approvals tracking systems linked to project delivery requirements.

Appointments & Novations

• Support consultant appointment processes including scope development, competence verification, and capacity assessment.
• Coordinate appointment and novation processes at project milestones; manage design scoping documentation and transition requirements.
• Monitor consultant performance against project requirements and implement improvement measures where necessary.
• Design Responsibility Matrix

Technical Reviews & Value Engineering

• Coordinate multi-disciplinary design reviews covering compliance, technical coordination, and constructability assessment.
• Support value engineering initiatives focused on cost optimisation, programme efficiency, and performance improvement.
• Identify opportunities for standardisation and efficiency improvements; coordinate implementation across the project teams.
• Coordinate temporary works and permanent works interface design and ensure appropriate approvals are obtained.

Sustainability & Carbon

• Implement project sustainability plans in line with Vinci Building’s Environment Roadmap, and building contract requirements.
• Coordinate carbon assessments and operational energy evaluations; integrate outcomes into design development processes.
• Support achievement of sustainability ratings and coordinate evidence compilation for design certification and handover.

Please Note:

To be eligible for this opportunity, candidates must already possess the right to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and applications requiring sponsorship cannot be considered.

This is a crucial site based role, therefore applicants must be able to commute to the project in Southampton on a daily basis.

We are VINCI Building

Operating from our network of offices throughout England and Wales, VINCI Building delivers new build, refurbishment and associated fitout works, with particular expertise in the education, healthcare, industrial, air, retail, commercial and mixed-use sectors.

We focus on technical excellence and experience to sustainably deliver best value for our clients. We understand and respond to the challenges of the modern built environment.

Our goal is always to build strong partnerships with our customers and stakeholders to ensure success by unlocking your strategic vision and turning it into a deliverable scheme. We are active in a wide range of sectors and value bands, allowing us to provide a regional service with national resources.

VINCI Building delivers complex projects and programmes, blending our corporate stability with the local knowledge our teams offer.

Sustainability is at the heart of our approach, and we are committed to respecting and protecting the environment in everything that we do. We take the time to understand and make a positive difference to each community that we work in to ensure that our projects leave a lasting legacy.

Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR) at VINCI Building is about recognising and celebrating each other’s differences and what they bring to the team. Harnessing this diversity and applying the experiences, abilities and unique qualities of individuals will enhance our business; therefore, we commit to equity of opportunity and fair treatment of all current and potential employees and encourage job applications from all.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the application process, please contact us directly.

VINCI Building recognises the importance of helping our employees balance their work and home life by offering flexible working arrangements across many of our roles which include working from home to enable employees to balance their working life with other priorities.