Senior Design Manager

John Sisk & Son Ltd; Hatfield; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

26+ days annual leave

Excellent Benefits Package

Job summary

John Sisk & Son Ltd is looking for a Senior Design Manager to oversee design delivery for a £50m Veterinary college project in Hatfield. This role involves leading design processes, managing requirements from stakeholders, and facilitating compliance within the life sciences sector. Ideal candidates should have a degree in a construction-related field and at least 10 years of experience, preferably with a focus on design management in healthcare or life sciences. The position offers a competitive salary, 26+ days annual leave, and an excellent benefits package.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in design management.
• Strong design bias towards architectural CSA or engineering MEP.
• Healthy understanding of design workflows in life sciences.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of effective design across projects.
• Manage design teams and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Identify and resolve design technical issues.

Skills

Contractual procurement routes understanding

Design & Build (D&B) knowledge

Life science technologies understanding

Design stage planning

Stakeholder engagement

Team management and mentoring

Education

Degree in construction related discipline

Job description

Overview

John Sisk & Son have an opportunity for a Senior Design Manager to work on our £50m Veterinary college in Hatfield.

As Senior Design Manager you will lead the delivery of effective design across multiple projects, or a single large‑scale project. To provide a focus for, and lead the pre‑construction and construction design processes, liaising with the client, client vendors, the design team, in‑house bid team, operations team and other supporting digital / information functions within the John Sisk & Son business overseeing the design and development of facilities, equipment, and processes within the life sciences & technology sector, ensuring compliance with regulations and industry standards. This role shall be client facing, with the requirement for wider stakeholder engagement.

Travel shall be within the regional geographic of the locations, with a requirement to work between co‑locations (site, office, clients’ offices).

Responsibilities

• Possess a strong understanding of contractual procurement routes and contractual administration, Design & Build (D&B), Engineering Procurement Construction Management (EPCM), Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC), JCT and NEC Contracts
• Possess a strong understanding of life science technologies and processes, including equipment, instrumentation, vendor engagement and workflows
• Possess a strong understanding of design stage plan of works to reflect client design and procurement work‑stage i.e. RIBA, FEL (Front‑End Engineering Design), Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC).
• Work closely with various stakeholders, including scientists, engineers, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
• Identify and resolve design and technical issues that may arise during the project lifecycle.
• Identify opportunities for improvement in design processes and facility operations.
• Manage and mentor design teams, ensuring they have the necessary skills and resources to succeed.
• Providing a focus for and leading the pre‑construction phase briefing and design processes.
• Leading John Sisk & Son design management procedures, providing a functional link between the commercial, construction teams, other John Sisk & Son in‑house digital and innovation support functions and the designers throughout the project life.
• Implementing the processes that enable the design to be challenged and interrogated within a collaborative team framework.
• Implementing agreed processes for the production, control and distribution of design information at different project stages.
• Ensuring regular progress reporting of the design.
• Ensuring design information is thoroughly reviewed: for buildability, safety and maintainability, ‘completeness & compliance' and technical suitability before use.
• Assisting the Design Leader in promoting innovation in design management, methodology, processes and practices.
• Assisting the Design Leader in promoting the application and adoption of the Company’s vision and values in all design management activities.
• Design for Manufacture and Assembly, and solutions optioneering.
• Managing consultancies.
• Information and Change Control.
• Design compliance (client’s compliance and legislative compliance).
• Provide a mentoring role for junior design managers / co‑ordinators.

Experience

• The ideal candidate will be diploma/degree qualified with a minimum of 10 years’ experience.
• The ideal candidate shall have an exceptional working knowledge of current LST procurement routes, contractual administration and a good understanding of design stage workflows associated within the LST sector. The candidate will have a strong design bias either towards an architectural CSA or engineering MEP background, with a good understanding of the other discipline.
• They will give support to both the pre‑construction and construction processes, and play a leading role in the review, research, understanding and implementation of innovative design solution to every stage of the design process, and be responsible for leading the tasks and processes of the design team.
• The ideal candidate will liaise between the client, design consultants and the project staff for design matters, and liaise with the Site Management for the development of design package and procurement strategies.
• Healthcare and Life Science experience would be beneficial.

Qualifications

• Degree in construction related discipline.
• Minimum six years’ construction industry experience.

Additional Information

• Competitive salary.
• 26+ days annual leave.
• Excellent Benefits Package.

At Sisk we are committed to attracting and hiring diverse talent into our organisation.