Programme Design Manager (6 Month FTC)

Gatwick Airport; England; On-site; GBP 86,000; Full time

Job summary

A major international airport in the United Kingdom is seeking a Programme Design Manager to lead strategic projects enhancing operations. This role involves managing the design lifecycle, ensuring sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Ideal candidates have a degree in engineering or a related field, along with experience in design management. Benefits include a competitive salary, a welcome bonus, and various employee perks.

Benefits

5% Welcome Bonus

High street shops and restaurant discounts

Healthcare scheme

Life and disability insurance

Professional training to develop

Discounted travel

Volunteer days

Qualifications

• Previous multi-disciplinary experience in an engineering design or design management role.
• Experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams and external consultants.
• Demonstrable experience of setting and achieving clear programme milestones.

Responsibilities

• Lead the assigned Design Management team and manage the design management process.
• Collaborate with external design consultants for effective solutions.
• Ensure installations are delivered in line with approved designs.

Skills

Problem solving

Flexible and adaptable approach

Education

Degree level in engineering or construction

Job description

Programme Design Manager

Gatwick Airport

6-Month Fixed-Term Contract

Key Information

• Circa 86,000 + 5% Welcome Bonus + 4,750 Flex Allowance + Benefits

As Programme Design Manager in the Operations Programme, you'll lead the delivery of strategic projects that shape the future of London Gatwick. Working within a dynamic team in a live airport environment, you'll manage the full project lifecycle—from early design to installation—ensuring solutions are sustainable, cost-effective, and aligned with operational needs.

London Gatwick is a community of innovators and problem solvers, united by a passion for delivering exceptional passenger experiences and world‑class infrastructure. Your ideas will make a lasting impact on millions of passengers each year.

The role

Reporting to the Lead Design Manager and working as part of the Programme Managers' leadership team, you will lead the assigned Design Management team and take ownership of the end‑to‑end design management process within the programme delivery team. You will oversee design activities across all projects in the programme, provide technical assurance, promote best practices and innovative techniques, and ensure consistency across all design outputs.

You will collaborate with external design consultants to deliver effective solutions on time and within budget, and work closely with the Programme Construction Manager to ensure installations are delivered in line with approved designs.

Other duties include

• Agreeing on achievable project scopes that satisfy the sustainability agenda, project sponsors, and key stakeholder needs, alongside reworking scopes and technical requirements when important to do so.
• Challenging requirements, identifying operational constraints and defining the scope of work to satisfy the business needs.
• Interpreting complex requirements by asking the right questions.
• Agreeing on sustainable design solutions that meet project scopes, are realistically deliverable, meet GAL engineering standards, and are cost effective.
• Creating and communicating transparent and clear design briefs to external consultants, and managing consultants to ensure effective implementation of designs that meet quality requirements.
• Managing and reviewing the outputs of external design consultants, to ensure effective implementation of designs that meet quality requirements and are aligned with delivery milestones and governance tollgates.
• Working with the Asset Information Team and other stakeholders to determine the asset information requirements for design and construction contracts.

What are we looking for?

The live environment at Gatwick requires all our teams to have a flexible and adaptable approach, problem solving skills and an innovative outlook. Involved in projects from inception to completion, you'll work alongside multiple internal and external stakeholders. In addition, this role requires:

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent in an engineering or construction related field.
• Previous multi-disciplinary experience in an engineering design or design management role, ideally in a live operational environment.
• Demonstrable experience of setting and achieving clear programme milestones on high‑value programmes of work, with an ability to manage and get the most out of budgets and timeframes.
• Experience in leading multi‑disciplinary teams and external consultants.

Benefits

• 5% Welcome Bonus
• High street shops and restaurant discounts
• Healthcare scheme
• Life and disability insurance
• Professional training to develop
• Discounted travel
• Volunteer days

What it's like to work at Gatwick?

At Gatwick, our people are our biggest asset. We want our people to thrive and have the best experience while working with us. We know we are all at our best when we feel comfortable and included.

We are an organisation that places diversity, equity and inclusion at its heart. Our aim is to create a place where everyone belongs and has a voice, and we recognise that we all play an important role in our success.

To find out more about what it's like to work at Gatwick, visit our careers site.

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

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