Senior Design Manager

Wates Group; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction company seeks a Senior Design Manager for their Birmingham team. This role involves managing complex design processes, driving innovation, and ensuring compliance on high-profile projects. The ideal candidate will possess a passion for design and a collaborative mindset, contributing to impactful outcomes in construction.

Benefits

Competitive salary & profit share scheme

Car Allowance / Company Car

Private Medical

Pension (8% employer contribution)

Health and Wellness programs

26 days holidays + bank holidays

Industry-leading family leave benefits

Opportunities for learning and career development

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing complex design processes on major construction projects.
• A passion for design emphasizing functionality and sustainability.
• The ability to challenge norms and turn ideas into impactful results.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design programme and collaborate with teams to deliver outcomes.
• Identify design risks and convert them into opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

Skills

Design Management

Collaboration

Innovation

Attention to Detail

Job description

This is a Full Time/Flexible Working, Permanent vacancy that will close in 20 days at 23:59 BST.

The Vacancy

At Wates, we don’t just construct buildings—we craft places with meaning, impact, and innovation at their core. We are seeking a Senior Design Manager to join our Birmingham team and help shape high-profile, technically ambitious projects in the city.

If you see possibilities where others see limitations, thrive in complexity, and lead with creativity and clarity, this is your moment.

Why This Role?

As a Senior Design Manager, you will be a strategic force, turning vision into reality, balancing creativity with constructability, and driving design excellence. You’ll bridge imagination and execution, ensuring bold ideas meet practical delivery.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Rethink the ordinary. Challenge the status quo of design and construction.
• Lead from the front. Own the design programme, collaborating with consultants, commercial, and operations teams to deliver beautiful, buildable, and budget-conscious outcomes.
• Spot the hidden potential. Identify design risks and convert them into opportunities that add value and improve outcomes.
• Create cohesion. Align stakeholders, facilitate workshops, and champion coordination from concept to completion.
• Be the spark. Bring innovative thinking, elevate team performance, and leave a lasting impact on projects.
• Ensure compliance. Act as a competent professional under the Building Safety Act, signing off project components with full accountability for safety and regulatory compliance.

What You’ll Bring

• A passion for design that emphasizes functionality, sustainability, and real-world application.
• Proven experience managing complex design processes on major construction projects.
• A collaborative mindset with a keen eye for detail, quality, and innovation.
• The confidence to challenge norms, curiosity to explore "what if?", and the ability to turn ideas into impactful results.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary & profit share scheme
• Car Allowance / Company Car (role/grade dependent)
• Travel coverage to any of our sites (subject to HMRC rates)
• Extensive benefits including Private Medical, Pension (8% employer contribution), Health and Wellness programs, 26 days holidays + bank holidays, and more.
• Opportunities for learning and career development.
• Industry-leading family leave benefits, including 26 weeks fully paid maternity leave and 12 weeks fully paid paternity leave.

We welcome diverse talent to join us and grow our innovative business. Even if you don't meet all listed skills, many are transferable within the WATES Group.

If you need clarity or assistance during the recruitment process, contact our In-House Recruitment Team at [e-mail].

As an inclusive employer, we are committed to equality, recognized with gold accreditation from Investors in People, and are a Disability Confident employer. We value long-term relationships and understand the importance of a supportive environment.

This role requires an Enhanced and Barred Lists DBS check at offer stage. We assess applicants with criminal convictions individually and do not discriminate based on criminal records. Some roles may require additional checks.

Wates, over 125 years old, is a leading family-owned development, construction, and property maintenance company, driven by our purpose: ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our promises of thriving places, planet, and people.

Our awards include:

• Best Project - Inside Housing Development Awards
• 2022 Construction News Awards Winner
• Gold Investors in People 2022
• Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) National Site Awards
• Top 50 Employers for Women 2022