Associate Design Manager / Project Lead in City of Westminster

About the Role

Our client is an expanding international M&E consultancy with a proven track record in low energy design, focused on providing excellent design solutions to clients. We now seek a fully experienced Associate Design Manager to be based in our London or Bicester office, with the ability to inspire others. You will provide and maintain high quality client-facing relationships and internal management, team leadership and project delivery whilst acting with integrity and high professional standards.

Responsibilities

• Carry out cost and profit diagnosis on projects including feasibility studies and preparation of fee bids.
• Review status advised by project personnel and external parties and modify schedules or plans as required, preparing project reports for Management, Client or others.
• Make day‑to‑day decisions on project progress and directly liaise with and advise the client.
• Ensure risk and performance monitoring analysis takes place through effective systems of internal control and delegation.
• Capture a project brief and distil into design toll gates for delivery (typically masterplan, 50% 80% and 100% design).
• Manage project requirements to present progress and manage the acquisition of design information whilst managing multiple workstreams concurrently.
• Lead and coordinate teams to deliver coherent and well‑rehearsed face‑to‑face page‑turn presentations.
• Manage virtual design teams working across multiple time zones.
• Collaborate with and coach the design team through the design stage, positioning the design team as experts and recommending solutions that localise the client’s design principles to the subject sites.
• Maintain clear and accurate records and reports.
• Lead, mentor and develop the team to achieve project and business goals.
• Contribute to the growth of the business via business development.
• Set the standard in terms of how hard, how long and how professionally the team will operate.
• Drive the team, dealing with difficult issues as they arise in a fair and reasonable manner.
• Identify and address performance issues before the client raises them.
• Quickly understand the client’s process and develop supporting tools.
• Work autonomously, as part of a wider team and leading a team.
• Actively participate in new growth initiatives internal and external, and contribute to the development of internal systems and procedures.
• Manage project P&L spot and report issues as they arise.
• Support growth initiatives.
• Support the delivery of projects in accordance with the expectations of the client’s Project Delivery Process from a Project Management, Financial Management, QA/QC and Technical Review perspective.

Qualifications

• BEng in an appropriate engineering discipline (desirable).
• MCIBSE/MIEE/IMechE Professional Membership (desirable).
• Chartered Engineer status (desirable).
• Proven experience in taking a project requirement, typically for a new hyperscale availability zone comprising one to three sites, from the real estate due diligence phase to 100% design phase in a 20‑25 week timescale (desirable).
• Experience in project management and MEP engineering track record with some experience of data centres or other heavily engineered buildings such as pharma, process, hospital.
• Knowledge of UTI and Sub UTI T3 principles e.g. distributed redundancy.
• 10+ years’ experience at Senior Engineer level or above (desirable).
• Enthusiastic, driven and dynamic self‑starter with career progression aspirations.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the design process.
• Peripheral experience in architecture, structures, civils, security and permitting.
• Sound understanding of template design with localisation requirements.
• Ability to forge strong client and supplier relationships and maintain the same.
• Ability to keep clear and accurate records and reports.
• Ability to mentor and develop a team to achieve project and business goals.
• Ability to contribute to the growth of the business via business development.
• Ability to work well, either alone or as part of a team under own initiative.
• Ability to step outside A/E consultancy delivery norms and embrace an intensively collaborative design environment working for and reporting daily to an expert client.
• Ability to proactively step outside the role of conventional design regiment and stages and to understand fast‑track design driven by the hyperscale client model.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Project.
• Ability to use IT-based calculation and spreadsheet software.
• Flexible and willing to travel regularly to service international projects and customers.
• Commercial and financial awareness and management of projects and fees.
• Ability to work autonomously, as part of a wider team and leading a team.
• Sound knowledge and working application of key Health and Safety issues and legislation.
• Able to chair and facilitate meetings at all levels.
• Possess exceptional clear communication skills and command of English spoken/written.
• Have an appreciation of different cultures, races and embrace the same.
• Understand and maintain the long‑term goals of the business.
• Understand the company QA process, maintain and contribute to the same.
• Maintain an appropriate knowledge of industry initiatives.

Additional Information

Salary commensurate with experience. We offer a comprehensive benefits package and are an equal opportunities employer.