Senior Design Manager

Arcadis; Athlone; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis in Athlone, Ireland seeks a Senior Client-Side Design Manager to lead design activities for pharmaceutical capital projects, coordinating architectural, process, mechanical, electrical, automation, civil and clean utility design disciplines.

You will manage external engineers, EPCM partners, and vendors, and drive procurement milestones to contract award. Strong GMP and client-side leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in delivering pharmaceutical or life sciences capital projects.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary design teams in GMP environments.
• Experience overseeing EPCM project delivery models.
• Strong client-side leadership on large-scale capital programmes.

Responsibilities

• Lead client-side management of design activities for major pharmaceutical capital projects.
• Coordinate architectural, process, mechanical, electrical, automation, civil, structural, and clean utility design disciplines.
• Lead internal work package owners, engineering teams, and SMEs through the design lifecycle.
• Manage external engineering consultants, EPCM partners and vendors.
• Oversee procurement and tendering through contract award and design package progression.
• Ensure project scope aligns with business case, manufacturing strategy, and operational needs.
• Monitor design progress against scope, schedule, and budget.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Problem solving

Team management

Education

Engineering degree or related discipline

Job description

Senior Client-Side Design Manager

Overview

Our Client is delivering a significant expansion programme to support the retrofit and development of its Athlone manufacturing facility for oral solid dose (OSD) medicines production.

As part of the Athlone Expansions team, the Senior Client-Side Design Manager will play a key role in leading and coordinating all design-related activities across major capital projects. Acting as the Owner's Representative, the successful candidate will oversee multidisciplinary design teams and ensure project delivery aligns with business objectives, GMP requirements, operational needs, project schedules, budgets, and governance standards.

The role will also have responsibility for managing the progression of project work packages from design completion through procurement and tendering activities. Working closely with the EPCM partner, procurement team, technical package owners, legal representatives, and construction management, the Design Manager will help ensure the successful delivery of procurement milestones and contract awards.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 15 years' experience delivering major pharmaceutical capital projects, with a strong track record managing EPCM partners and leading multi-disciplinary client-side teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the client-side management of design activities for major pharmaceutical capital projects.
• Coordinate architectural, process, mechanical, electrical, automation, civil, structural, and clean utility design disciplines.
• Lead and support internal work package owners, engineering teams, and subject matter experts throughout the design lifecycle.
• Manage external engineering consultants, EPCM partners, and specialist vendors.
• Oversee procurement and tendering activities through to contract award, ensuring efficient progression from completed design packages to market engagement, bid evaluation, negotiation, and award.
• Ensure project scope remains aligned with the approved business case, manufacturing strategy, and operational requirements.
• Manage design schedules and ensure key milestones are achieved to support overall project delivery timelines.
• Support capital budget planning and maintain cost control throughout the design phase.
• Monitor design progress against scope, schedule, and budget objectives.
• Identify project risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Manage design changes and scope control processes.
• Facilitate integrated design reviews and support technical decision-making across all disciplines.
• Establish and maintain project governance structures, reporting systems, and design controls.
• Maintain visibility of procurement schedules and critical-path tendering activities.
• Coordinate interfaces between design, construction, CQV, and operations teams to ensure designs are practical, constructible, and aligned with project execution plans.
• Facilitate workshops involving internal stakeholders, vendors, and EPCM partners.
• Drive stakeholder alignment on project priorities, key decisions, and change impacts.
• Ensure effective integration of process equipment with facility infrastructure.
• Coordinate long‑lead equipment requirements in line with procurement strategies.
• Provide regular updates on schedule, budget, risk, quality, and HSE performance to project leadership and governance boards.

Essential Requirements

Education & Experience

• Degree qualification in Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years' experience delivering pharmaceutical or life sciences capital projects.
• Proven experience managing multidisciplinary design teams within GMP-regulated environments.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing EPCM project delivery models.
• Strong client-side project leadership experience on large-scale capital programmes.

Knowledge & Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of GMP regulations and pharmaceutical engineering practices.
• Experience managing complex brownfield projects within regulated manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of OSD manufacturing facility design and delivery.
• Proven ability to manage interfaces between design, construction, commissioning, qualification, validation, and operational teams.
• Experience leading programmes consisting of multiple work packages and discipline leads.
• Strong risk management and mitigation capabilities.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and executive reporting skills.
• Professional qualifications such as PMP, PRINCE2, NEBOSH, or equivalent are desirable.

Key Competencies

• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead client-side project teams in complex capital project environments.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills under schedule and programme pressures.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across all organisational levels.
• Ability to build consensus and drive project delivery through collaboration and influence.