Principal Design Manager

Wates Group; Newbury; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Wates Group is seeking an established Principal Design Manager to provide design leadership across the South Coast and Thames Valley region. This senior role involves guiding design strategies from pre-construction through delivery, collaborating with Pre-Construction, Operational and Commercial teams to ensure successful project outcomes.

You will challenge and support teams on buildability, design risk, programme and technical issues, while mentoring Design Managers and working with clients,

Qualifications

• Established Principal Design Manager with significant experience in a main contractor environment.
• Strong track record across large, complex building projects.
• Experience across pre-construction and project delivery.
• Ability to build relationships and influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide design leadership and oversight across multiple major construction projects.
• Provide design assurance from tender and pre-construction through to delivery.
• Mentor and develop Design Managers across the region.
• Collaborate with clients, consultants and supply chain partners to resolve complex design challenges.
• Support work-winning, tender reviews and project mobilisation.

Skills

Design leadership

Stakeholder management

Buildability

Pre-construction experience

Mentoring/design managers

Job description

Are you an established Principal Design Manager who enjoys influencing design beyond an individual project? Do you thrive on solving complex design challenges, supporting project teams and creating consistency across a wider portfolio?

We are looking for a Principal Design Manager to provide design leadership across our South Coast and Thames Valley region.

This is a senior regional role where you'll work across projects from pre-construction through to delivery, providing leadership, assurance and practical support to our Design Managers and project teams.

How can we improve buildability? Where can design risk be identified earlier? How can we bring clients, consultants, supply chain partners and project teams together to achieve better outcomes? These are the kinds of questions you'll help our teams answer.

What You'll Be Doing

You'll provide design leadership and oversight across multiple major construction projects, working closely with Pre-Construction, Operational and Commercial teams to ensure design strategies support successful project delivery.

Role

You'll use your experience to challenge and support teams on buildability, design risk, programme and technical issues. You'll also play an important role in:

• Providing design assurance from tender and pre-construction through to delivery
• Supporting, mentoring and developing Design Managers across the region
• Working with clients, consultants and supply chain partners to resolve complex design challenges
• Supporting work-winning, tender reviews and project mobilisation
• Driving consistency, innovation and shared learning across our projects

What We're Looking For

Are you someone who can move comfortably between strategic conversations and the practical realities of delivering a complex construction project?

We're looking for an established Principal Design Manager with significant experience in a main contractor environment and a strong track record across large, complex building projects. You'll have the technical knowledge and credibility to challenge design solutions constructively, identify risk and help teams make informed decisions. Just as importantly, you'll be comfortable building relationships, influencing senior stakeholders and supporting the development of others.

You'll bring strong experience across pre-construction and project delivery, alongside a thorough understanding of construction methodology, design coordination, buildability and design risk.

Why Join Wates?

Would you like the opportunity to influence design across an entire regional portfolio rather than focusing on a single project?

You'll have the scope to shape design strategy across the South Coast and Thames Valley, working alongside experienced project and regional leadership teams while supporting and developing our wider design community.

• Influence major projects from work-winning through to delivery
• Help shape regional design standards and best practice
• Support and develop Design Managers across multiple projects
• Enjoy a role offering variety, autonomy and genuine regional influence
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, with flexibility where possible

If you're an established Principal Design Manager who values collaboration, technical excellence and the opportunity to influence how projects are designed and delivered across a wider region, we'd like to hear from you.

Our Commitments

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work. As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at [e-mail]