Design Manager (Progressive Contractor) in Belfast

Your new company HAYS is delighted to be working exclusively with a highly respected, design-led main contractor to recruit an experienced Design Manager. This is an exciting opportunity to join a business renowned for its commitment to quality, technical excellence and the delivery of outstanding construction projects across the United Kingdom and island of Ireland. With an impressive and diverse project portfolio, our client offers the opportunity to contribute to complex, high-profile schemes where innovative thinking, collaborative working and exceptional design management are central to successful delivery.

The position can be based from either the company's Belfast head office or its Dublin office, depending on the successful candidate, and will involve travel to construction sites throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Your New Role

Reporting to the Design Project Director, you will take responsibility for managing the overall design process across the projects allocated to you. You will appoint, manage and monitor consultants, designers and specialist subcontractors, ensuring that all contracted design deliverables are achieved while commercial opportunities are maximised and potential project risks are effectively controlled. You will also ensure that design information is coordinated and released in accordance with each project's construction programme and procurement schedule.

You will develop a detailed understanding of Employers' Requirements and performance specifications, identifying opportunities to enhance the detailed design, improve margins and reduce latent risk. Your responsibilities will include:

• Negotiating consultant appointments, scopes and fees
• Preparing design programmes and information release schedules
• Securing buy-in from the wider design and supply-chain team
• Monitoring progress throughout the life of each project

Working closely with project teams, clients, consultants and specialist subcontractors, you will review design information to ensure that it is clear, complete, fully coordinated, compliant with statutory requirements and aligned with the Employers' Requirements. You will organise and chair technical meetings during both the pre-construction and construction phases, manage technical queries, oversee RFI and document approval processes, and monitor planning, BCAR, sample approval and drawing-control requirements. You will attend client meetings and interviews, report on design development and information release, and provide clear technical guidance to clients and internal stakeholders.

You will also contribute to tender submissions, review tender drawings, support Estimating teams in identifying design gaps and risks, and provide technical and commercial assistance around design development, value engineering, potential variations and final accounts. Sustainability, quality and safe design will be important elements of your role. You will oversee BREEAM requirements, support the compilation of project handover information and help ensure compliance with relevant health and safety, quality and environmental management procedures.

You will chair design meetings focused on eliminating or appropriately managing residual health and safety risks, while encouraging innovative and sustainable design solutions across the business. As a senior member of the project team, you will additionally help develop the technical knowledge of construction colleagues through meetings and site inspections, maintain strong relationships with clients and consultants, promote effective communication and, where required, provide mentoring and people-management support.

What you'll need to succeed

To be successful, you should possess a relevant construction or design qualification at degree, postgraduate certificate or MSc level, alongside a minimum of three years' experience and a strong working knowledge of construction projects. You will need experience of document management, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and producing clear, coherent and fully coordinated designs. Previous experience within a supervisory or organisational position in the construction industry is also required.

You should be highly organised, detail-focused and confident in developing positive working relationships with clients and project stakeholders. Strong written and verbal communication skills, effective troubleshooting ability, team-working capability and the ability to motivate others will be essential, together with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications. Professional membership of an appropriate organisation such as RIBA, ACE, APM or CIOB would be advantageous, as would knowledge of AutoCAD, Building Information Modelling, web-based information portals and relevant site-management or first-aid qualifications. Given the geographical reach of the company's projects, you should be comfortable travelling to sites and working away from home for periods when required.

What you'll get in return

This is an exceptional opportunity to join a truly design-led contractor and become involved in an outstanding portfolio of projects across the United Kingdom and island of Ireland. You will work within a technically accomplished, collaborative environment where design quality, innovation, sustainability and effective project delivery are genuinely valued. The role offers considerable variety and visibility, giving you the opportunity to influence projects from tender and pre-construction through to delivery and final handover. You will collaborate with experienced clients, consultants, designers and construction professionals while continuing to develop your knowledge of innovative construction methods, products and sustainable design practices. The position also offers a choice of Belfast or Dublin as your primary office location, depending on your circumstances.

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.