Lead Designer

Errigal Contracts Ltd; Ireland; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Errigal Contracts Ltd is looking for a Design Lead to manage design activities from tender submission to project close-out. This role involves coordinating between design, commercial, and operations teams to deliver projects efficiently.

The ideal candidate should have significant experience in the construction industry, particularly in design management, and possess strong leadership and communication skills. Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with regulations and managing multidisciplinary design teams effectively.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Design Lead / Senior Designer within the construction industry.
• Strong understanding of building regulations and technical standards.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary design teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design activities from tender submission through to project close-out.
• Monitor design progress and provide solutions to design challenges.
• Ensure design deliverables are live and up-to-date.

Skills

Design management processes

Leadership

Communication skills

Commercial awareness

Organizational skills

Proficiency in project management tools

Job description

Location:

1x vacancy in Head Office Monaghan & 1x vacancy in London

Department:

Design

About the Company

At Errigal, we’re more than just a market‑leading construction company, we’re a community built on respect, integrity, inclusivity, and transparency. Our success is driven by the people who bring passion and purpose to every project, and we believe that when our team thrives, so does our business. With specialist expertise in partition systems, external façades, interior fit‑out, ceilings, and bespoke solutions, we take pride not only in what we build, but in how we build it together. Our culture is grounded in trust, collaboration, and continuous growth, creating an environment where every individual is valued, supported, and empowered to make a meaningful impact. If you’re looking to join a company that celebrates its people as much as its projects, where your voice is heard, your ideas are encouraged, and your development is a shared priority, we’d love to welcome you to Errigal.

Role

This role will be central to the success of our projects, leading design activities from tender submission through to project close‑out. The Design Lead will act as the main point of coordination between design, commercial, procurement, and operations teams to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.

This is a hands‑on leadership role requiring strong technical knowledge, commercial awareness, and the ability to manage both people and processes effectively.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the design set‑up process at the start of each project, including drafting the TIDP (Task Information Delivery Plan) and design deliverables.
• Familiarise with project scope, available drawings, design intent, and construction programmes.
• Attend pre‑construction handover meetings.
• Ensure design deliverables are live, up‑to‑date, and revised as scope or client requirements change.
• Monitor design progress against programme and procurement schedules, highlighting risks or delays.
• Provide solutions to design challenges, compile and respond to RFIs, and maintain compliance with building regulations and industry standards.
• Lead internal design reviews and ensure quality assurance before submission to clients or upload to CDE.
• Liaise regularly with the planning, buying, operations, and commercial teams to ensure alignment on scope, procurement, and budgets.
• Chair internal design team meetings and attend external client design coordination meetings.
• Maintain clear, consistent communication with site teams and provide design support during installation stages.
• Extract procurement dates and package requirements from design programmes.
• Work closely with the buying team to ensure material schedules are accurate and user‑friendly.
• Maintain commercial awareness of how design packages are being developed in coordination with QS.
• Direct and support the design team and external consultants, setting weekly tasks and targets.
• Peer review junior team members’ work and promote quality excellence across deliverables.
• Organise purposeful site visits for yourself and junior designers to strengthen design‑to‑site integration.
• Lead by example in professionalism, meeting attendance, and proactive communication.
• Ensure design deliverables, procurement schedules, and variation trackers are updated weekly.
• Maintain regular communication with the commercial team to ensure alignment with budgets.
• Monitor project spend and time allocation.
• Actively manage design changes, ensuring registers and commercial leads are kept updated.
• Drive efficiency in model/drawing outputs to streamline procurement and reduce errors.

Key Skills Qualifications & Experience Requirements

• Proven experience as a Design Lead / Senior Designer within the construction industry.
• Strong understanding of design management processes, building regulations, and technical standards.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary design teams and coordinating with external consultants.
• Excellent organisational, leadership, and communication skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to support procurement and cost control.
• Proficiency in project management tools.