Principal Design Manager in London

This is a key engineering leadership role, alongside the Systems Integration and Assurance Manager and the Quality and Business Improvement Manager, reporting to the Lead Engineering Manager who oversees the wider Engineering team on the project.

As Principal Design Manager, you are accountable for all the design on the project. You will lead our design team and manage the designers (including Costain Engineering and Design, Mott MacDonald / Systra Design JV and all subcontractors with design responsibility including contract management). You are responsible for the design being delivered on time, to budget and technically compliant to the HRS02 Works Information, comprising of the design for:

• Construction tunnel ventilation system, plus Construction Ventilation Control System
• Permanent Tunnel Ventilation system, plus VCS
• Tunnel M&E, including LV distribution, Lighting, Signage, CMS, Fire Main, Tunnel pumped drainage, CCTVS, PAVA and all associated
• Tunnel and M&E SCADA systems
• Open Route LV and lighting systems
• All associated design and engineering scope such as CAT checks, Noise and Vibration, EMC and Earthing and Bonding

All our designs must be safe, sustainable (including meeting the HS2 Carbon reduction targets), and efficient to construct. As a Principal Design Manager, you will be required to establish and lead a team of other design managers and digital engineering (BIM) on the project.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish collaborative working relationships with HS2, design organisations, delivery team and supply chain.
• Oversee all design and engineering related management on behalf of the Lead Engineering Manager.
• Set up and maintain all required Engineering Management plans and processes (as required by our contract and as necessary for design delivery) and check they are clearly defined and understood by the wider team. Ensure that these are being followed by the designers.
• Develop a programme led design delivery culture within the design team, with detailed integrated design programmes, short interval control methods and progress metrics as part of a weekly/monthly drumbeat. Ensure reporting on design progress and technical risks regularly.
• Establish MDIP (and specific TDIPs), with clearly defined outputs (deliverables) at each design stage and define how design deliverables can be progressively checked and earned value measured.
• Implement sufficient processes so that the designs we received from the designers are quality controlled, technically assured and are of sufficient detail for the design lifecycle stage.
• Manage Designer accounts, reporting of design account management and design progress.
• Manage design change and influence HS2, the other Rail systems contractor and our procurement/delivery teams to prevent unnecessary or disruptive design change.
• Ensure the designs are constructable, follow safe‐by‐design principles and achieve the projects sustainability goals.
• Provide judgment and advice, including bringing in wider Costain expertise as required, to create optimised solutions and to meet the HS2 requirements and achieve our commercial aims.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable ability to work with delivery teams, HS2, other/alliance Rails Systems contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Significant post‐graduate design, engineering or management experience in infrastructure or related industry with demonstrable track record of achievement.
• Be an authority in multiple design and construction process models (Especially M&E such as BSRIA).
• Practical approach, logical thought process and a methodical way of working.
• A creative and innovative approach to problem‐solving.
• Be a thought leader in the field of design and design management.
• Experience of design and assurance processes on rail systems projects.
• Experience of technical management being able to understand and review design deliverables.
• Experience of drafting effective contractual correspondence and the facilitation of collaborative solutions.
• Negotiating and team‐working skills with the ability to motivate and lead a team.
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrable legal, contractual, and detailed construction knowledge.
• Experience in implementing and delivering strategic objectives and dealing with change.

Desirable

• Competency to discharge the Principal Designer Role under the CDM regulations, on behalf of Costain.

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor's degree / Engineering or management apprenticeship with industry experience.
• Chartered member of professional institute (MICE/IMechE/MCIOB etc).
• Project Management training / skills.

Desirable

• Experience of multiple infrastructure markets/sectors.
• Master's / post graduate degree (preferred).

Costain helps to improve people's lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK's energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK's leading smart infrastructure solutions company.