Principal Designer Representative in Birmingham

This is an opportunity to play a key role in delivering safer infrastructure through intelligent design and robust risk management. You’ll be part of a collaborative project environment, contributing your expertise to complex construction programmes while continuing to develop your own professional capability.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Principal Designer Representative to lead and support health, safety and CDM compliance across the design and early construction stages of infrastructure projects. The role focuses on integrating risk management into design, supporting project teams, and ensuring statutory duties under CDM 2015 are effectively discharged.

What you’ll be doing:

• Acting on behalf of the Principal Designer to manage and coordinate CDM duties
• Reviewing design management arrangements, risk registers, surveys and information flows to ensure alignment with CDM requirements
• Providing health and safety input during design development and optioneering
• Working with designers to apply preventative design principles and reduce foreseeable risks
• Supporting the Client in compiling, maintaining and issuing pre-construction information
• Preparing, reviewing and handing over the Health and Safety File at appropriate project stages
• Visiting sites ahead of construction to understand conditions, constraints and existing risk information
• Supporting the transition of design risk into construction planning, including review of Construction Phase Plans and risk assessments
• Undertaking regular site assurance activities and producing routine H&S performance reports
• Establishing and maintaining near‑miss and incident reporting processes
• Promoting continuous improvement through lessons‑learned sessions and engagement with project teams at all levels

What we’re looking for:

Essential experience and qualifications:

• NEBOSH Diploma, NEBOSH Construction Certificate, or equivalent health and safety qualification
• Proven experience delivering the Principal Designer function on medium to large construction or infrastructure schemes
• Strong understanding of CDM Regulations 2015 and associated UK construction H&S legislation
• Confidence working with clients, designers and contractors in a professional advisory capacity
• Experience producing CDM-related documentation including risk registers, pre-construction information and Health & Safety Files
• Clear written communication and the ability to manage competing priorities

Advantageous but not essential:

• Construction or engineering-related degree (or equivalent)
• Experience on major utilities or transmission-scale infrastructure projects
• Membership of a recognised professional institution (e.g. IOSH or equivalent)

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.