Workplace Design Manager

Government Property Agency; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Government Property Agency is seeking an experienced Workplace Design Manager to ensure the Government Workplace Design Guide across projects and provide day-to-day design guidance.

The role covers interpreting requirements, directing design briefs for CAT A & B RIBA stages, assuring inclusive and flexible workplaces, and coordinating with GPA teams and external partners to deliver high-quality workspace.

Qualifications

• Experience in design management on large-scale projects or programmes.

Responsibilities

• Advising the Head of Workplace Design on project design status and alignment with priorities.
• Overseeing compliance with GPA Design Guide and Employer Requirements.
• Developing Employers’ Requirements for each project’s design.
• Interpreting client requirements into briefing material for designers for CAT A & B RIBA stages.
• Ensuring design approvals are obtained at appropriate levels and kept credible.
• Providing assurance in design and procurement processes, including framework selection and tenders.
• Collaborating with government and private sector design professionals.
• Serving as the design point of contact for designers, contractors and partners.
• Attending site inspections and progress meetings as required.
• Managing governance around design change and approvals.
• Coordinating with internal/external stakeholders on design policy and guides.
• Communicating guides and policies to GPA community and client groups.

Skills

Design management

Stakeholder management

Senior management liaison

Job description

The Workplace Design Manager (WDM) is responsible for ensuring the Government Workplace Design Guide and supporting handbooks are applied consistently across specific projects. They also provide day to day advice and guidance to the project team on design matters. Acting as the tactical Intelligent Client on specific projects, the WDM interprets the Government Workplace Design Guide, GPA's Employer Requirements and any client specialist requirements, informing design briefs for developers and GPA's consulting design partners to produce designs for each RIBA stage. The WDM provides assurance that all designs support the GPA's commitment to create workplaces that are safe, inclusive and accessible and as flexible as possible to support smarter and hybrid working practices. This includes overseeing and being responsible for approving the design throughout each RIBA stage of a project's life cycle, and offering advice and providing assurance on all aspects of design against both our standards and our client requirements. The WDM will manage and develop our guides, standards and policies to ensure our projects are at the forefront of sustainable and inclusive workplace design. This will involve coordination with colleagues within the Workplace Design Team and the wider GPA to develop coordinated guidance for the development of high-quality workspace for a modern civil service.

Reporting to the Head of Workplace Design, the Workplace Design Manager will be responsible for:

• Advising the Head of Workplace Design on the status of their allocated projects design, ensuring it remains aligned with wider programme priorities. Regular monitoring and reporting on the overall design progress;
• Overseeing compliance with standards and specifications set out in the GPA Design Guide, Employer Requirements and associated documents;
• Developing the GPA's Employers Requirements (ER) for each project's design;
• Engaging effectively with the identified client/s on design related matters and ensuring that they are kept appropriately updated throughout;
• Interpreting Design Guide and Client specialist requirements into appropriate briefing material for designers to use during CAT A & B RIBA stages, minimising the need for bespoke spaces;
• Ensuring client specialist requirements are intelligible, credible, received at the right time and have been approved by an appropriate person in the department before being progressed;
• Providing advice, assurance and acceptance where necessary on designs and specifications, representing the interests of the client in the project procurement process, e.g. framework selection, individual project tender exercises and contract management;
• Working with public sector subject matter experts in design-related areas across government, and private sector professionals including the property industry.
• Acting as a design point of contact for the project designers, contractors, consultant partners and their supply chains;
• Attending site as required whether for formal site inspections, design sign offs or progress meetings;
• Managing the governance around design change across projects, including required approvals at the appropriate levels;
• Collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders on the development and maintenance of our guides, standards and design policy - ensuring these align with GPA's wider business objectives;
• Support in the communication of these guides, standards and design policies to the wider GPA community, project teams, external stakeholders and client groups.

We are looking for an experienced design professional who can demonstrate practical experience of design management and delivery on large scale projects or programmes in multi-disciplinary project teams.

• Ability to manage effective relationships with senior management