Senior Design Manager

Wates Smartspace; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Wates Residential is seeking a Senior Design Manager to lead design management across major residential developments, collaborating with development, commercial, pre-construction and operations teams from concept to completion.

The role focuses on coordinating design outputs, ensuring quality, buildability and compliance, while managing consultants and stakeholder relationships and driving innovation and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Senior Design Manager, Design Lead or similar role within residential or construction.
• Strong understanding of design management and project delivery.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary consultant teams and complex stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• The ability to identify risk, solve problems and make informed decisions.
• Experience supporting bids, tenders and client presentations.
• A collaborative leadership style with a passion for developing people and improving performance.
• Professional membership or chartered status (or working towards) would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Leading design management across one or more residential developments.
• Coordinating and directing design activities from pre-construction through to completion.
• Reviewing and challenging design outputs to ensure quality, compliance and buildability.
• Identifying and mitigating technical, commercial and programme risks.
• Supporting bids, tenders and work-winning activity.
• Driving collaboration between internal teams, consultants and external partners.
• Championing health, safety, sustainability and Building Safety requirements.
• Mentoring and developing Design Managers and Assistant Design Managers.
• Promoting innovation, best practice and continuous improvement across projects.

Skills

Design management

Construction methods

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Communication skills

Risk assessment

Bid/tender support

Mentoring

Job description

Could you help shape the future of residential communities through exceptional design?

At Wates Residential, we're looking for a Senior Design Manager to play a key role in delivering high-quality homes and thriving communities. This is an opportunity to lead design management across major projects or a portfolio of developments, working collaboratively with development, commercial, pre-construction and operational teams from concept through to completion.

About the role

As a Senior Design Manager, you'll provide leadership and oversight across the design process, ensuring projects are coordinated, compliant, buildable and aligned to programme and budget requirements. You'll be at the heart of project delivery, managing relationships with consultants, clients and stakeholders while driving innovation, quality and continuous improvement.

What you'll be doing

• Leading design management across one or more residential developments.
• Coordinating and directing design activities from pre-construction through to completion.
• Reviewing and challenging design outputs to ensure quality, compliance and buildability.
• Identifying and mitigating technical, commercial and programme risks.
• Supporting bids, tenders and work-winning activity.
• Driving collaboration between internal teams, consultants and external partners.
• Championing health, safety, sustainability and Building Safety requirements.
• Mentoring and developing Design Managers and Assistant Design Managers.
• Promoting innovation, best practice and continuous improvement across projects.

What we're looking for

We're looking for an experienced design professional who combines strong technical expertise with excellent leadership and communication skills.

You’ll ideally have:

• Proven experience in a Senior Design Manager, Design Lead or similar role within residential or construction.
• Strong understanding of construction methods, design management and project delivery.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary consultant teams and complex stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• The ability to identify risk, solve problems and make informed decisions.
• Experience supporting bids, tenders and client presentations.
• A collaborative leadership style with a passion for developing people and improving performance.
• Professional membership or chartered status (or working towards) would be advantageous.

Why join Wates Residential?

At Wates Residential, we're creating places where people can thrive. You'll be part of a collaborative team delivering high-quality homes while helping shape the future of our design function. We offer the opportunity to work on exciting, complex developments and make a genuine impact on the communities we build.

Our commitments:

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

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].