Principal Designer in Manchester

ROLE: Project Principal Designer Lead

HOURS: 40 hours per week

LOCATION: Mobile region

At Mitie, our people are our greatest strength, and our promise is to create a place to work where you can thrive and be your best every day. We're looking for a Principal Designer (CDM and Building Regulations) who will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of construction health and safety and regulatory compliance across Mitie's Central Government Portfolio.

Role Responsibilities:

• Ensure effective implementation, management, and compliance with CDM 2015 and Building Regulations, health and safety legislation, and industry best practices across all Mitie projects.
• Promote Mitie's CDM and health and safety policies to embed a strong safety culture across all project phases.
• Provide expert advice, guidance, and support to project teams throughout all RIBA stages; from enquiry and briefing, through design, tender, mobilisation, construction delivery, to practical completion and handover.
• Oversee the safe delivery of projects carried out by, for, or on behalf of Mitie, ensuring all stakeholders—clients, designers, consultants, and contractors—understand and fulfil their duties under both CDM 2015 and Building Regulations.
• Facilitate clear communication and collaboration among all stakeholders during both the pre-construction/design and construction phases.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with clients, tracking satisfaction and performance in managing project risks and responsibilities.
• Tailor CDM and Building Regulation management and support appropriate to the scale, complexity, and risk profile of each project.
• Collaborate with HSE, quality, and audit teams to ensure consistent alignment with Mitie's policies and procedures.
• Actively contribute to projects team meetings by sharing insights, lessons learned, and identifying priority health and safety risks affecting Mitie and its clients.
• Conduct site visits to identify existing hazards and client-imposed restrictions for inclusion in the pre-construction information.
• Ensure that health and safety risks are identified, communicated, and captured in the project risk register.
• Oversee the handover of relevant information from designers and contractors for inclusion in the Health and Safety File during construction.
• Compile and maintain the Health and Safety File as the project progresses.
• Deliver the final Health and Safety File including Operations & Maintenance manuals in the required format and within agreed timescales following project completion.
• Conduct CDM health and safety inspections on live project sites to monitor compliance and identify areas for improvement.
• Support Project Managers during both internal Mitie audits and external project audits.
• Deliver CDM and Building Regulation training sessions and workshops to Mitie personnel and external stakeholders.
• Provide advice on a range of specialist topics, including fire safety, hazardous materials, asbestos management, temporary works, work at height, confined spaces, and demolition activities.
• Stay informed on new and evolving legislation and maintain expert working knowledge of CDM, Building Regulations, and wider health and safety regulations.

Required Qualifications:

• Experienced Principal Designer.
• Working knowledge of the CDM Regulations 2015.
• Working Knowledge of UK Building Regulations.
• Experience advising on compliance within complex projects.
• Completion of a two-day Principal Designer training course (Desirable or willing to work towards).
• NEBOSH Construction Certificate, General Certificate, or comparable QHSE qualification.
• Association for Project Safety (APS) membership — IMaPS desirable or willing to work towards.
• Professional qualification in design or engineering discipline (Desirable or willing to work towards).
• Experience with public and private sector construction projects.
• Knowledge in areas such as asbestos, temporary works, fire safety, or confined spaces is beneficial.
• Understanding of prevention principles and design risk reduction.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Candidate must hold or be able to achieve SC level security clearance.

What's in it for you?

Build projects that matter. Deliver real impact. Grow your career with Mitie. You'll work on high-profile and meaningful construction projects that truly make a difference, with real responsibility and full ownership of project delivery from start to finish. Mitie is committed to supporting your professional growth, offering clear opportunities for career progression. You'll work in an environment that prioritises safety, quality, sustainability, and innovation, ensuring the highest standards are upheld across all projects. Competitive salary and benefits package. There's a place for you at Mitie — join us today!