Design Manager in England

The Design Manager will manage the day‑to‑day design process attending design meetings, conducting surveys and ensuring full compliance in line with sustainability and building regulations. The Design Manager will be responsible for attending project handovers, identifying potential design and programme challenges, recording and discussing design changes, producing production drawings specifically for joinery and associated materials, ensuring both internal and external customer needs are met in accordance with delivery dates, to the defined specification and quality standards. The Design Manager should be comfortable working to deadlines and attending meetings with clients and architects and communicating with a wide range of stakeholders.

Company Overview: With over 220 years of proud heritage, we are one of the UK’s oldest joinery companies. We are driving forward with world‑class talent, capability, and turnaround to deliver exceptional service and value across London and the South East. We offer a supportive and professional working environment where craftsmanship is valued and rewarded.

Vision, Values & Mission: To create exceptional interiors, together. By providing clarity to your vision through collaboration and with your best interests at heart. Every day, our customers can expect quality, integrity and proactivity.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Working with the estimating and commercial teams on potential projects to provide expert advice where necessary.
• Attend on site design meetings and conduct site surveys as necessary, ensuring full understanding of the requirements of the project.
• Understand the sustainability requirements of the project (BREEAM, LEED, SKA etc).
• Identify any potential design and programme challenges early in the project and raise this with the Project Manager in a timely manner.
• Identify, record and communicate all known design changes to the commercial team as soon as they are found.
• Carrying out site meetings as and when necessary.
• Maintain and complete internal design trackers and assist Document Controller with project documentation for client approval and O&M manuals.
• Manage all design elements of the project to ensure works are completed as per the customers required delivery dates.
• Liaising with internal teams and project managers to ensure effective and timely handover of drawings for production.
• Responsible for the creation of production drawings using relevant systems for manufacturing purposes specifically for Joinery and associated processes and materials.

Required Skills:

• Attention to detail and a strong desire for accuracy.
• Good organisational skills.
• A flexible and proactive approach to work.
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent judgement and decision making.

Required Qualifications:

• A relevant technical Joinery qualification.
• Experience in AutoCAD 2D (minimum) working to a high level of detail and resolution.
• Experience within a manufacturing joinery business is essential.
• Use and awareness of 3D model development tools for coordination (Solidworks) would be an advantage.
• Experience of modelling production joinery specifically using Autodesk Inventor an advantage.

Behaviours:

• Confident.
• Calm under pressure.
• Professional.
• Team focused.
• Organised and disciplined.
• Self‑motivated.
• Quality focussed.
• Inquisitive and open minded.
• Flexible with a can‑do attitude.
• Fully committed.

Performance Measures:

• On‑time completion of jobs (drawings completed to internal and client programmes).
• Customer repeat business.
• Right first time and reduction of NCR’s.
• Completion of work in strict accordance with client requirements, and producing accurate cutting sheets and drawings.
• Achieving budget costs (labour and materials).
• Internal and external customer satisfaction.

Resources, Links and Interfaces:

• Head of Operations.
• Design department and Production Co‑ordinators.
• Workshop and Delivery Operatives.
• Internal and External Customers.
• Main client project team.
• Architects and Interior Designers.
• Contracts department (Project Managers, Site Manager and Quantity Surveyor).
• External installation companies.

Full‑time position. Salary is based on experience. Located in our extensive operations, including a state‑of‑the‑art 23,000 sqft manufacturing facility and finishing studio.