CAD Designer /Project Manager, Warehouse, Office Fit-Out and Solar Projects in Manchester

This is not a heads-down, screen-only drawing role. It is a hybrid position combining hands-on AutoCAD design with full project management ownership. You will take projects from the very first sketch through to installation and handover, working shoulder-to-shoulder with clients, internal teams and suppliers to deliver safely, on time and to specification.

Every project brings brilliant challenges. One week you might be designing the simplest load-bearing pallet racking; the next, a complex automated storage structure, a high-spec office refurbishment, or a rooftop solar PV system. The role suits someone technically strong in AutoCAD layout design who is equally comfortable running a project and talking confidently with a customer on site.

Your Key Areas of Responsibility

• Design & Technical (Hands-on AutoCAD)
  • Creating compelling designs and schemes for warehouse and commercial projects in AutoCAD, translating customer needs into practical, efficient, buildable solutions.
  • Conducting site surveys to understand the design challenges, constraints and opportunities first-hand.
  • Updating designs throughout the project lifecycle to reflect client changes, while maintaining full compliance with Health & Safety standards and Building Regulations.
• Project Management & Delivery
  • Managing the full project lifecycle, from order through to completion and handover.
  • Procuring materials, labour and plant, and coordinating multiple contractors on site.
  • Producing work programmes and H&S documentation, ensuring CDM compliance throughout.
  • Kicking off and monitoring projects with regular site inspections and proactive customer liaison.
  • Monitoring progress, budgets, risks and opportunities, and keeping every project on track.
• Client & Relationship Focus
  • Acting as a trusted, visible point of contact for clients from first survey to final handover.
  • Building genuine relationships with warehouse managers, operations directors and facilities leads.
  • Representing NSI Projects professionally on site.
• Standards, Quality & Improvement
  • Maintaining accurate drawing standards, templates and project records.
  • Feeding practical insight back into how we design, price and deliver.

What We’re Looking For

• Located within a commutable distance of our Leyland office; this is an office-based role with regular travel to sites.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD (2D essential; 3D a bonus).
• Ideally experience in racking and shelving, mezzanines, or internal fit-outs (partitioning, ceilings, etc.). Candidates with other relevant construction and/or engineering experience are also welcomed.
• Strong negotiation, organisation and communication skills.
• Understanding of contract conditions and H&S legislation.
• A customer-focused mindset and a genuine passion for delivering great results.

You are

• Technically sharp and detail-driven; you take pride in getting a drawing right.
• A confident communicator, equally comfortable discussing load capacities and talking a client through their options.
• Organised and calm under pressure, able to juggle several projects without dropping the ball.
• Someone who takes ownership, you see a project through from first line to final handover.

Why NSI Projects?

Over 45 years in the industry and a growing reputation in solar PV and sustainability services. We deliver smart, sustainable commercial spaces across the UK, from cutting-edge warehouse solutions to high-spec office refurbishments and innovative solar installations and we are proud of our reputation for quality, teamwork and innovation.

We work with household names such as DHL, Coca-Cola, Victorian Plumbing and Polestar, alongside a host of SMEs who value our design, procurement and project management expertise. You will join a small, ambitious team where your wins are visible and your impact is immediate. You won’t get lost here — you’ll be central to how we design, win and deliver great work, with the opportunity to shape your own projects and grow your career.

First 3 Months: Your Success Scorecard

• Month 1: Learn the Toolkit & the Sites
  • Deep-dive into NSI’s product lines and AutoCAD standards. Shadow estimators, designers and delivery teams. Attend your first site surveys.
• Month 2: Own Your Drawings
  • Independently produce layouts and schemes for live projects. Take a small project from design through to order.
• Month 3: Drive Projects & Standards
  • Run full project lifecycles from survey to handover. Identify one design or process improvement.