Workplace Design Assurance Manager in Humber

On behalf of DWP, we are looking for a Workplace Design Assurance Manager for a contract ending in March 2027. This is an Inside IR35 contract based Hybrid, requiring 3 days a week in either Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Blackpool, Glasgow and 2 days from home.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy. As the UK's biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. Working with DWP, you will be helping us to drive our priorities to:

• Help people to move into work and support those already in work to progress, with the aim of increasing overall workforce participation.
• Help people to plan and save for later life, while providing a safety net for those who need it now.
• Provide effective, efficient, and innovative services to the millions of claimants who rely on us every day, including the most vulnerable in society.
• Improve experience of our services while maximising value for money for the taxpayer.

As a Workplace Design Assurance Manager your main responsibilities will be to:

• Provide design assurance across all workplace projects and programmes, approving compliance with DWP Design Guidance and associated technical standards.
• Where departures from guidance are proposed, clearly assess, articulate, document, and support associated risks, impacts, and mitigations in line with agreed compliance and assurance processes.
• Champion smart working principles, demonstrating a strong understanding of how new ways of working influence spatial planning, adjacencies, densities, workplace typologies, and performance.
• Confidently use expertise to highlight opportunities for design improvement in meetings, workshops, and review sessions involving stakeholders with varying levels of technical and design knowledge.
• Have and be able to apply excellent technical knowledge of current Building Regulations, statutory and regulatory requirements, British Standards, and wider construction legislation applicable to the building types within the DWP estate.

Essential:

• Architectural or Interior Design background with experience across all RIBA work stages.
• Demonstrable experience on office, retail, banking, healthcare, or educational projects.
• Excellent knowledge of Building Regulations, statutory processes, British Standards, and UK construction legislation.
• Proven experience managing and resolving technical, legal, or regulatory design issues throughout the RIBA stages.
• Strong experience reviewing and challenging spatial layouts, test fits, and RIBA stage information with confidence and authority.
• Ability to present, sometimes in larger forums, in a clear and concise style varying the presentation according to the target audience.
• High proficiency in Microsoft and Adobe software packages, including InDesign, Adobe Acrobat, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel, with the ability to analyse data and markup documents clearly and accurately.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident: As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, DWP guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

Armed Forces Covenant: DWP guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge that this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs.