Senior Design Manager

LGBT Jobs; Oldham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced pension

Private medical insurance

Car scheme

Job summary

Willmott Dixon in Oldham is seeking a Senior Design Manager to lead design on projects from £10m to £100m. The role offers hybrid working with time split between office, home, and project sites, and demands strong leadership, cross-disciplinary coordination, and a focus on quality and cost control.

Responsibilities include managing consultants, developing design programmes, and delivering innovative technical solutions while ensuring regulatory approvals and robust documentation.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with ability to manage multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience in developing and managing design programmes.
• Knowledge of statutory/regulatory requirements for construction design.
• Ability to produce cost-effective and creative technical solutions.
• Preconstruction experience desirable
• Knowledge of wider construction industry and future direction
• Strong negotiation skills
• Technical knowledge across architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical disciplines
• Team oriented and collaborative
• Proficient in MS Office and design software including Excel, Word, Outlook, MS Project, Bluebeam, and 3D modelling tools
• Pursuing CIOB or related professional membership
• Construction-related degree
• Valid driving licence
• CSCS card required

Responsibilities

• Leading the design process to produce information meeting specifications and cost plans.
• Managing appointment and performance of consultants per deed and services scope.
• Developing a design programme with consultants to meet milestones.
• Delivering cost-effective and creative technical solutions.
• Chairing design team meetings and driving actions to completion.
• Ensuring designs meet statutory/regulatory approvals with tracking and documentation.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Design management

Cost management

Preconstruction experience

Team collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Negotiation

Education

Construction-related degree

Tools

Microsoft Project

Bluebeam

Excel

Word

Outlook

Job description

Leading design on projects from £10m to £100m

Strong leadership and communication skills required

Competitive benefits package including pension, medical, and car scheme

Are you ready to lead the design process on some of the most exciting and innovative projects in the region? Willmott Dixon is seeking a Senior Design Manager, based out of our Oldham office, you'll enjoy a hybrid working model with time split between the office, home, and projects.

As a Design Manager, you'll take ownership of the design process, fostering collaboration across disciplines and driving project success. Leading the design on projects ranging from £10m to £100m across the following sectors: Education, Leisure, Transport, Blue Light, Commercial and Residential. You'll oversee, monitor, and report on design programmes, ensuring high-quality outputs that align with project goals and budgets. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the design process to produce accurate information that meets agreed specifications and cost plans.
• Managing the appointment and performance of consultants in line with their deed and agreed scope of services.
• Developing a design programme with consultants to meet whole-life programme milestones.
• Delivering cost-effective, innovative technical solutions.
• Chairing design team meetings and driving action plans to completion.
• Ensuring designs meet all statutory and regulatory approvals, with comprehensive tracking and documentation.

With a robust pipeline of projects and a transparent outlook, you'll have the confidence that you're joining a stable business with a fantastic culture.

About You

We're looking for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and has a passion for innovative construction solutions. Key skills and attributes include:

• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Attention to detail and the ability to manage complex, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience in developing and managing design programmes.
• Knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements relevant to construction design.
• The ability to produce cost-effective and creative technical solutions.
• Preconstruction experience highly desirable
• Working knowledge of the wider construction industry, its challenges and future direction.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Technical knowledge of construction design principles, practices, and systems, including architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical disciplines.
• Ability to work within a team environment.
• Able to use Microsoft suite of office programmes including Excel, Word, Outlook and Microsoft Project, Bluebeam, use appropriate software to review 3D models.
• Working towards CIOB or another related professional membership.
• Construction related degree.
• Valid driving licence.
• Appropriate CSCS card.

Additional Information

In return we reward our people generously with a competitive package that gives you flexible benefits to fit your lifestyle and priorities. This includes but is not limited to an enhanced pension scheme, private medical, life assurance, incentive bonus and access to a market-leading sustainable car scheme.

At Willmott Dixon we provide an inclusive and flexible working environment for people to thrive in and we are happy to support agile working wherever possible. We are a proud member of the Disability Confident Scheme.

About Us

With over 170 years of history, Willmott Dixon is a privately owned business with a purpose beyond profit - delivering brilliant buildings, transforming lives, strengthening communities and enhancing the environment for future generations. In 2025, we were recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the Top 10 Big Companies to Work For, ranked in the Top Five of Europe's 1,000 best workplaces by the Financial Times, and became the first major contractor and developer to win a King's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.

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