Senior Design Manager

Suffolk Construction; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

401(k) plan with employer match

Generous paid time off

Health benefits including dental and vision

Job summary

Suffolk Construction is seeking a Senior Project Design Manager in Tampa, FL. The role involves leading integrated teams through design-build management processes from inception to completion, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in project execution.

The ideal candidate will have a professional degree in architecture or engineering, significant design project-management experience, and proficiency in relevant software tools. Suffolk offers competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities for career advancement.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in design project-management.
• Proven success on multiple projects across various commercial building types.
• Substantial knowledge of building codes and industry standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated design and construction teams.
• Manage project schedules and budgets.
• Ensure client engagement throughout project phases.

Skills

Project Management

Building Information Modeling

Design Coordination

Team Leadership

Client Relationship Management

Education

Professional degree in Architecture or Engineering

Certification as licensed architect or professional engineer

Tools

Autodesk Suite

3D modeling and analysis software

Job description

About Suffolk

Suffolk is a national enterprise that provides construction management services, real‑estate investment, design, self‑perform construction, and technology investment. Through data, AI, and advanced technology, we connect design, construction, and operations to deliver smarter, more predictable results.

The Role

The Senior Project Design Manager will lead integrated design and construction teams through Illuminate’s optimized, end‑to‑end design‑build management process from inception to completion. The candidate will enhance efficiency, accuracy, completeness, and speed of the design, documentation, and construction process.

Core Design Management

• Responsible for the successful realization of client's project vision, including performance, programming, cost, and schedule objectives.
• Lead the interface between design teams, Suffolk Operations, industry professionals, trade partners, regulatory agencies, and other project stakeholders to achieve project goals, embracing a culture of authentic collaboration and technical competence.
• Maintain and support client relationships during all project phases, ensuring a client‑first mentality that encourages active engagement in and ownership of all design decisions.
• Lead project team meetings, workshops, and other collaborative communications throughout a project's life cycle.
• Hold self and teams accountable for meeting deadlines; troubleshoot challenges by leveraging the full capacity of interdisciplinary project teams.

Design Phase Responsibilities

• Lead the development and management of optimized design processes for each project, supporting the efficient, linear delivery of fully coordinated and buildable drawings prior to the start of construction.
• Build upon Suffolk’s world‑class construction planning and execution capabilities by strategically aligning design and documentation development with construction sequencing, supporting streamlined workflows.
• In association with Illuminate VDC and Suffolk preconstruction experts, lead the execution of rigorous, real‑time project constructability reviews during the design process, ensuring that all documentation is complete, coordinated, and buildable prior to the start of construction.
• De‑risk project construction by identifying design gaps early in the design process and enabling active remediation before construction workflows are disrupted.
• At key project design milestones, liaise with preconstruction teams to evaluate and validate cost and schedule alignment with project objectives.

Construction Phase Responsibilities

• With Suffolk field operations team, prioritize design issue resolution in alignment with optimal construction sequencing, expediting responses to maintain pace of construction.
• Collaborate with key project stakeholders to ensure design decisions are made in step with project schedule and lead‑time requirements.
• Establish effective working relationships with the project design team to collaboratively identify, resolve, and complete design issues, serving as the liaison between the Architect of Record and the project team.
• Bring Suffolk and Illuminate’s full technical expertise to bear on project design challenges to rapidly produce solutions for review with architect and project team.

Illuminate Operations Management

• Track and report progress towards project milestone completion, staffing allocations, and project financial health.
• In collaboration with Illuminate leadership and the project team, analyze, refine, and test design construction workflow assumptions in real‑time to optimize Illuminate's process moving forward.
• Leverage and grow Suffolk’s proprietary constructability knowledge database, which serves as a critical input to a proactive QA/QC process throughout design.
• Support Illuminate’s design technology staff in the introduction of automated design and documentation processes and workflows.

Qualifications

• Certification as licensed architect or professional engineer is preferred.
• Professional degree in Architecture or Engineering; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Significant experience in the professional design services industry, with relevant design project‑management experience and industry knowledge aligned with project characteristics regarding size, complexity, and type.
• Proven success working on multiple projects and commercial building types across all projects.
• Experience managing teams through the duration of the project's design process, including completion of construction documentation (drawing & specification).
• Substantial hands‑on experience through the full construction administration cycle on multiple projects.
• Proficiency with building information modeling platforms, including the Autodesk Suite and other industry‑standard 3D modeling and analysis software.
• Substantial knowledge of jurisdictional building codes and extensive knowledge of industry standards and resources.
• Must possess Suffolk’s core values: passion, integrity, hard work, professionalism, and caring.

Benefits

Benefits include competitive salaries, auto allowances and gas cards for certain roles, access to market‑leading medical, emotional and mental health benefits, dental and vision insurance plans, virtual care options for physical therapy and primary care, generous paid time off, a 401(k) plan with employer match and access to expert financial resources, company‑paid and voluntary life insurance, tax‑deferred savings accounts, 10 backup daycare days per year, short‑ and long‑term disability, commuter benefits and more.

Compensation Information

Base salary for this position is just one component of Suffolk’s total compensation package. Actual salaries may be based on several factors, including a candidate's skill set, experience, education, and other qualifications. Suffolk offers a comprehensive benefits package as part of its overall compensation strategy.

Working Conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods, talk or hear, and perform fine‐motor hand and finger skills using a keyboard, telephone, or writing. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and reach with arms and/or hands. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee will spend time in an office environment with a quiet to moderate noise level. Job site walking is also required.

EEO Statement

Suffolk provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, national origin, citizenship, genetic information, disability, protected veteran, gender identity, age or any other status protected by law. This policy applies to recruiting, hiring, transfers, promotions, terminations, compensation, benefits, and all other terms and conditions of employment. Suffolk will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination toward, or harassment of, applicants or employees by anyone at Suffolk, or anyone working on behalf of Suffolk.