Senior Design Manager

BW: Workplace Experts; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

BW: Workplace Experts in Greater London is seeking a Senior Design Manager to lead the design and technical management across a portfolio of projects, coordinating consultants and subcontractors from inception through to completion. You will drive tender submissions, ensure compliance, set design strategy, and maintain strong communication with clients, landlords, and authorities to secure approvals.

The role demands leadership, BIM awareness, and a track record in interior fit-out or

Qualifications

• Experience in design management across D&B/CDP projects.
• Knowledge of tender processes and value engineering.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and coordinate consultants.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and technical management across multiple projects.
• Coordinate consultants and subcontractors from inception to completion.
• Ensure design quality, compliance, and timely information release.
• Engage with landlords and authorities for approvals.
• Chair design meetings and manage design progress reporting.
• Maintain design strategy and document registers.

Skills

Design management

Tender process

Construction coordination

Leadership

Communication skills

Regulatory compliance

Education

Relevant professional qualification in design/architecture

Tools

BIM

Document control systems

Job description

Established in 1999, BW: Workplace Experts is a dynamic and diversified company specialising in the creation of modern, contemporary spaces. We believe that offices are more than just physical spaces but the foundation to promote thriving organisations, foster collaboration, support communities and inspire employees to grow and develop.

Role Overview:

The Senior Design Manager will lead the design and technical management process across multiple projects, overseeing and coordinating the work of consultants and subcontractors from project inception, through the tender phase, and into successful project completion. They will be responsible for managing and prioritising the successful delivery of several concurrent projects, ensuring consistent design quality, technical compliance, and effective collaboration across all stages of each project lifecycle. In addition, the Senior Design Manager will liaise with landlords, statutory bodies, and relevant authorities to secure all project-specific approvals, consents, and agreements required to support the successful delivery of their project portfolio.

Key Requirements:

• Aiding with the tender process in evaluation and put together a quality, innovative proposal from a design management point.
• Taking responsibility for the technical aspects of the tender submission and making sure that the tender bid is compliant with the tender documents and that the technical submission is of the highest quality, ensuring that it achieves the highest standard in process.
• Engaging with the Design team early during the tender process to gauge a better understanding & building relationship to establish a win strategy.
• Engaging with specialist sub-contractors during the tender process to seek advice, best value and establish a winning strategy.
• Undertaking a Design Audit at project commencement to establish key issues, priorities, benchmarking, mock-ups, scope gaps, RFIs and buildability.
• Setting up and managing the quality control procedures on the project alongside the project team members with regards to samples and mock ups as required on the project.
• Establishing and implementing the agreed design strategy on projects and all design management procedures.
• Establishing and maintaining effective communication between the Project Teams, Client’s Team, Design Consultants, Statutory Bodies and sub-contractors.
• Developing and monitoring design programs and information release schedule to meet targets, producing and completing a Milestone Programme to the agreed timescale and producing and distributing monthly Design Progress reports to the design team.
• Reviewing the scope of services from architects and consultants, agree the design scope for sub-contractors and the preparation of a Design Responsibility Matrix in the event of a D&B project.
• Controlling and reviewing design documents such as drawings for approval and distribution maintaining an accurate Document Register working with the project document controller.
• Chairing design meetings, workshops as required, to coordinate the consultants and sub-contractors design portions to meet target dates, affordability, Statutory and Employers Requirements.
• Providing ongoing support and liaison to other Project Team members in procuring sub-contractors and materials.
• Providing a single point of reference for design related queries within the business.

Requirements:

• Knowledge of building contracts mainly experience of working on D&B & CDP’ projects.
• Experience of implementing and maintaining a design management system, including site-based work.
• Good knowledge of the design process, at commercial and construction design stages with a Main contractor
• Working knowledge of building regulations.
• Basic understanding of BIM (Building Information Modelling).
• Effective communication skills in all areas including written, oral and presentational.
• You will need good management and leadership skills and the ability to demonstrate assertiveness at an appropriate level.
• Appropriate academic or professional qualifications.
• Need to have experience in design, preferably interior fit out and refurbishment and must possess demonstrable commercial and technical awareness.