Design Manager / Senior Design Manager

People Group Limited; Sudbury; Hybrid; GBP 83,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid role

Immediate start

Teams interview

Job summary

People Group Limited seeks a capable Design Manager to join a major project in the Sudbury/Suffolk area. You will drive design management from current stages through to completion, coordinating with the client (DfE), external consultants and site teams to deliver the sports block, swimming pool, gym, changing rooms and related facilities.

The role is hybrid, site based 3-4 days a week with an immediate start and a Teams interview process.

Qualifications

• DfE project experience preferred but not essential.
• Strong coordination with external consultants and site teams.
• Experience delivering high-end educational facilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Design Management Plans.
• Coordinate external design teams and consultants.
• Ensure compliance with education layouts, BB101 acoustics, and safety regs.
• Review drawings for buildability and value engineering.
• Chair design team meetings and liaise with DfE and commercial teams.
• Maintain risk registers and run design risk workshops.
• Track design programmes against milestones and align with cost plan.
• Oversee RFI process and document approvals.
• Coordinate handover documentation including O&M manuals.

Skills

Design management

Consultant coordination

Compliance standards

Value engineering

Stakeholder comms

Risk management

Programme control

RFI/document control

Handover closeout

Job description

Fantastic Design Manager opportunity to join a Project and see this through to completion based in the Sudbury / Suffolk area, immediate start! A Design Manager is required to join a main contractor, and deliver for a Department for Education (DfE) client, the building is a secondary school academy and specialist performing arts college, with the particular focus being a sports block, completing the swimming pool, gymnasium, changing rooms and other areas within the block. The project is already underway and a competent, confident and capable Design Manager is required to see this through and deliver stage 5 construction completion including handover, as well as handover checklists, closing out planning ensuring school or educational buildings meet strict government standards, budgets, and timelines. The design manager will act as the bridge between the client's output specifications, external consultants, and the construction team, DfE experience is ideal but not essential.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Design Management Plans (DMPs) Develop, implement, and maintain project-specific DMPs that align with company procedures and DfE standards.
• Consultant Coordination: Appoint, manage, and coordinate external design teams, architects, and specialist engineering consultants.
• Compliance and Standards: Ensure all educational layouts, environmental conditions (such as BB101 acoustic and ventilation standards), and building safety regulations are strictly met.
• Buildability and Value Engineering: Review technical drawings and specifications to maximize buildability, spot design clashes early, and identify cost-effective value engineering options.
• Stakeholder Communication: Chair design team meetings and act as the primary link between the DfE/school stakeholders, commercial teams, and site construction crews.
• Design Risk Management: Maintain project risk registers and lead regular workshops to mitigate technical, financial, and regulatory risks.
• Programme and Cost Control: Track detailed design programmes against key milestones while keeping the design aligned with the project's commercial cost plan.
• RFI and Document Control: Oversee the Request for Information (RFI) process, technical approvals, and information distribution.
• Handover and Closeout: Coordinate technical handover documentation, including Health & Safety files and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) manuals - stage 5

Key Information:

• (Apply online only) day rate
• Project run until summer 2028
• Immediate start
• Interview to be carried out via teams initially
• DFE experience is ideal however not essential
• Hybrid role - site based 3-4 days per week