Senior Design Manager

Tilbury Douglas; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Private medical insurance

Life assurance and pension

Volunteering days

Flexible working

Job summary

Tilbury Douglas is seeking an experienced Senior Design Manager to lead the design function across the North East region. You will oversee complex construction projects from bid through to construction design, ensuring safety, compliance and on‑programme delivery.

You will mentor design teams, drive value engineering and design governance, and collaborate with clients, consultants and subcontractors to deliver healthcare, education and commercial schemes with excellence.

Qualifications

• Experience leading multidisciplinary design teams on complex construction projects.
• Knowledge of healthcare, education, commercial and public sector environments.
• Strong procurement experience (framework, negotiated, single-stage and two-stage).
• Leadership, communication and stakeholder management excellence.
• Understanding of Building Regulations, CDM and sustainable design.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior design leadership across multiple projects and frameworks (£2m–£40m).
• Lead design strategies aligned with programme, commercial and client objectives.
• Drive governance, risk management and value engineering.
• Build relationships with clients, consultants and stakeholders.
• Support bid and pre-construction activities with high-quality proposals.

Skills

Design leadership

Stakeholder management

Mentoring

Value engineering

Commercial awareness

Planning

Education

Construction degree or HNC

CIOB membership advantageous

Tools

Powerproject

TeamPlan

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are looking to appoint an experienced Senior Design Manager to join our Building team, supporting projects across the North East region. This is a senior leadership role responsible for leading the design function on complex construction projects ranging from £2m to £40m, from tender stage through to completion of the construction design phase and production of operating and maintenance manuals.

You will provide strategic design leadership across a portfolio of projects, influencing outcomes from bid stage through to successful delivery on site. Working closely with clients, consultants, specialist subcontractors and internal teams, you will drive design excellence, innovation and value, ensuring projects are delivered safely, compliantly and in line with programme and commercial objectives.

As a senior member of the business, you will champion best practice in design management, support the development of design capability across project teams and play a key role in securing and delivering major healthcare, education and commercial projects.

Key Duties

• Provide senior design leadership across multiple projects and framework opportunities (£2m–£40m), managing consultants, specialist subcontractors and project teams from bid stage through to project completion.
• Lead the development and implementation of design strategies, ensuring solutions are innovative, buildable, compliant and aligned with programme, commercial and client objectives.
• Drive design governance, risk management and value engineering activities, identifying opportunities to improve quality, sustainability, buildability and overall project performance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, consultants and key stakeholders, leading design workshops, resolving complex technical challenges and ensuring effective decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support business growth through bid and pre-construction activities, including design planning, technical submissions, tender interviews and the development of high-quality, winning proposals.

About You

You will be an accomplished design management professional with a proven track record of leading multidisciplinary design teams on complex construction projects within a main contractor environment.

You will bring:

• Extensive experience delivering projects through both pre-construction and construction phases, ideally across healthcare, education, commercial and public sector environments.
• Strong knowledge of framework, negotiated, single-stage and two-stage procurement routes, with the ability to influence project strategy from bid stage through to delivery.
• Excellent technical expertise across architectural, structural and building services disciplines, together with a thorough understanding of Building Regulations, CDM requirements and sustainable design principles.
• Outstanding leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience mentoring and developing Design Managers, Coordinators and wider project teams.
• Strong commercial awareness, planning capability and problem-solving skills, enabling you to manage risk, drive value and deliver successful project outcomes in complex environments.

A degree or HNC in a construction-related discipline, or equivalent technical experience, is desirable. Professional membership with a recognised industry body such as CIOB is advantageous. Experience with Microsoft Office, document management platforms and planning software such as Powerproject or TeamPlan is expected. A valid CSCS card and driving licence are required.

What We Can Offer You

• Competitive salary and car allowance
• 26 days annual leave, with the option to buy or sell up to 3 days
• Additional long service leave at 3, 7 and 10 years
• Private medical insurance (with option to extend to family)
• Life assurance and pension matched up to 8%
• Enhanced family leave policies
• 2 volunteering days per year
• Flexible and agile working (role dependent)
• Employee Assistance Programme, including financial advice
• Payment of professional membership fees
• Access to “Perks at Work” discount platform
• Flexible benefits including critical illness cover, dental insurance, travel insurance, cycle to work scheme and retail vouchers

Who We Are

Tilbury Douglas is a leading UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fit-out company, delivering vital projects across sectors including health, education, highways, justice, defence, aviation, water, and environment.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages innovation and celebrates individual differences. We are proud to hold Investors in Diversity status.

Please note: we do not hold a sponsorship licence. This role is subject to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance.

We look forward to receiving your application.