Senior Design Manager

Balfour Beatty plc; Motherwell; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Smart working

25 days annual leave

Pension

Job summary

Balfour Beatty is seeking a Senior Design Manager to lead the design process for the LT14 Lewis Hub project in Scotland. The role involves managing multidisciplinary design teams, coordinating with customers and partners, and ensuring buildable, compliant solutions across converter stations and substations.

You will be based at Maxim Park, Eurocentral with travel to sites such as the Isle of Lewis; a hybrid work pattern is expected to support project needs and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Proven senior-level design management experience on large infrastructure or energy projects.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary design teams and coordinating across organisations.
• Strong understanding of buildability, construction methods and risk.
• Knowledge of BIM and digital design processes; familiarity with current procurement and contracts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the design process to ensure safe, buildable, cost-effective solutions.
• Develop and implement the project design strategy and manage interfaces across converter station, substation and related infrastructure.
• Coordinate civil, structural and M&E disciplines and manage third-party design partners.
• Brief design teams, review proposals, and advise on constructability and risk.
• Collaborate with engineering, commercial, planning, procurement and construction teams.
• Present designs and progress to customer and project leadership; engage with statutory authorities.

Skills

Design management

Multidisciplinary coordination

Leadership

BIM coordination

Stakeholder management

Buildability concepts

CSCS card

Education

Tools

BIM

Job description

About the role

Job Title: Senior Design Manager

Location: Maxim Park, Eurocentral (Hybrid) Project Travel: Regular visits to project sites such as the Isle of Lewis

Company: Balfour Beatty

Project: LT14 Lewis Hub – AC Substation and HVDC Converter Station

About the Role

This position is primarily based at our Maxim Park Eurocentral office, with travel to project locations throughout Scotland. Projects may include mainland and remote locations such as the Isle of Lewis, therefore flexibility and a willingness to travel are essential.

Help deliver critical energy infrastructure for Scotland

Balfour Beatty is looking for an experienced Senior Design Manager to join supporting the delivery of the LT14 Lewis Hub Converter Station

Primarily based at Maxim Park, Eurocentral, you will work with multidisciplinary teams across the project and travel regularly to the development site at Arnish Moor on the Isle of Lewis.

This is an opportunity to play an important role in one of Scotland’s major electricity transmission projects, helping to unlock the renewable energy potential of the Western Isles and strengthen the wider UK transmission network.

About the Project

Balfour Beatty is working with SSEN Transmission as a principal contractor on the Lewis Hub, supporting the preparation and delivery of this nationally significant infrastructure project.

Working closely with SSEN Transmission, project partners, specialist designers and the local supply chain, Balfour Beatty is helping to plan the safe and efficient delivery of the development. This includes preparations for the project workforce and close engagement with the local community to minimise pressure on housing, services and the island’s tourism economy.

As Senior Design Manager, you will help ensure that Balfour Beatty’s design responsibilities are effectively managed and coordinated, providing the link between the project’s designers, customer, commercial teams and construction teams.

What you'll be doing

As a Senior Design Manager, you will lead and manage the design process, ensuring that solutions are safe, buildable, cost-effective and aligned with the customer’s technical, commercial and programme requirements.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development and implementation of the project design strategy.
• Managing the design process from initial proposals through to construction delivery.
• Ensuring design solutions meet customer requirements, agreed budgets and programme commitments.
• Coordinating multidisciplinary design teams, including civil, structural and M&E disciplines.
• Managing third-party consultants and novated design teams.
• Ensuring designers are appropriately briefed and have the competence and resources required to deliver.
• Reviewing design proposals and providing advice on buildability, construction methodology and project risk.
• Working closely with engineering, commercial, planning, procurement and construction teams.
• Managing design interfaces across the converter station, substation and associated infrastructure.
• Presenting design proposals, progress updates and technical information to the customer and project leadership team.
• Liaising with statutory authorities, service providers and other external stakeholders where required.
• Supporting design assurance, BIM coordination and change-control processes.
• Identifying opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.
• Supporting, coaching and developing members of the wider design team.

Who we're looking for

You will be an experienced design professional with a strong track record of managing multidisciplinary design activities on large, complex or technically challenging projects.

You should have:

• Proven senior-level design management experience within project delivery, pre-construction or work-winning environments.
• Experience developing and successfully implementing project design strategies.
• Experience managing design on major infrastructure, energy, utilities, civil engineering or complex construction projects.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to coordinate multiple design disciplines and organisations.
• Experience managing external, third-party or novated designers.
• A clear understanding of buildability and the relationship between design, construction, programme, risk and commercial requirements.
• Strong customer, stakeholder and relationship-management skills.
• Good working knowledge of BIM and digital design processes.
• Experience working with current procurement and contractual arrangements.
• Strong report-writing, presentation and numerical skills.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, technical standards and codes of practice.
• Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office.
• A valid CSCS card.
• The flexibility to travel regularly to the Isle of Lewis and other project locations.
• Experience within the power transmission, HVDC, converter station or substation environment would be highly advantageous.
• Professional membership with an appropriate institution, such as RIBA, CIBSE or the IET, would also be beneficial.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to work on a high-profile energy infrastructure project that will support the expansion of renewable energy and help strengthen the future resilience of the UK electricity network.

Based at Maxim Park, Eurocentral, you will join an experienced and collaborative team while maintaining a visible presence on the Isle of Lewis. You will have the opportunity to influence major design decisions, work with leading technical specialists and contribute to infrastructure that will provide a lasting benefit to communities across Scotland.

Professional and personal development

The size and scale of Balfour Beatty coupled with our strong pipeline of work provides incredible opportunities, regardless of what stage you are at in your career.

We encourage and empower our employees to take control of their career and explore which part of the business they want to work in and what role is right for them. We actively encourage our managers and employees to have open communication throughout the year about wellbeing, development and career opportunities.

We're proud of the Balfour Beatty Academy. Whether it’s sharpening your technical expertise, improving your personal skills or seeking support to become professionally qualified, our 70:20:10* approach to development means we have a learning approach that suits everyone.

*70% learning on the job, 20% learning from those around you, and 10% formal training courses and learning events.

For further information about Balfour Beatty Scotland please go to www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/Scotland - You can also check out further job opportunities in the careers section

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Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Why join us?

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About us

From Dunfermline’s tramways in 1909 to highland hospitals today, Balfour Beatty has been trusted for over a century to deliver the complex and critical infrastructure and iconic buildings Scotland relies on.

We have the people, knowledge and experience to safely deliver projects right first time, maximising value for money and ensuring a positive social impact and inclusive economic growth for local communities.

Our award-winning sustainable projects, including active travel, Passivhaus and retrofit, demonstrate our commitment to supporting Scotland’s transition towards net zero in the built environment.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion

To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, www.disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at [e-mail]