JOHN GRAHAM HOLDINGS LIMITED
Design Manager - Construction - Manchester
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About The Role
JOB TITLE: DESIGN MANAGER
DIVISION: Construction
LOCATION: Manchester
BENEFITS: Car allowance, subsidised private medical cover, life assurance, contributory pension, 35 days annual leave (including public holidays) + more
About the Role
We're looking for a talented and experienced Design Manager to join our team, delivering high-quality education projects across schools, colleges, and university estates. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping modern, safe, and inspiring learning environments working closely with clients, designers, and project teams to ensure designs are innovative, compliant, and fully aligned with education-sector requirements.
You'll lead the design process from concept through to construction and handover, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards.
What You'll Be Doing
Design Leadership
- Lead and coordinate multi-disciplinary design teams (architectural, structural, MEP, and specialist consultants)
- Manage design from early concept through to construction and completion
- Facilitate workshops, design reviews, and stakeholder engagement sessions
Education-Specific Delivery
- Ensure designs meet education standards and requirements (e.g., DfE Primary, Secondary, Send & Higher Education design standards and employers' requirements)
- Support delivery within live school, temporary accommodation, and higher education environments, including phasing and decant strategies
- Help create functional, flexible, and future-ready learning environments
While this role is focused on the education sector, we also deliver projects across residential and commercial environments, and you may have the opportunity to contribute to these areas.
Residential
- Experience designing for high-quality residential developments, including apartments or mixed-use schemes
- Understanding of space optimisation, building regulations, and customer experience
- Awareness of delivery considerations such as sequencing, buildability, and occupant safety
Commercial
- Exposure to commercial office, mixed-use, or urban development projects
- Understanding of flexible workspace design, services integration, and tenant requirements
- Experience balancing design quality with programme and commercial drivers
Programme & Delivery
- Develop and manage design programmes aligned to project timelines
- Ensure timely and coordinated release of design information
- Identify and manage design risks, constraints, and dependencies
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Technical & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with Building Regulations, planning requirements, and education guidelines
- Embed safe-by-design principles, including safeguarding and operational risk considerations
- Manage design assurance, approvals, and technical governance
Pre-Construction & Bids
- Support tenders and frameworks with design input and coordination
- Contribute to feasibility studies, optioneering, and design strategies
- Help develop compelling, deliverable, and cost-effective solutions
Commercial & Buildability
- Collaborate with Commercial and Estimating teams to align design with budgets
- Support value engineering and efficient design solutions
- Ensure designs are practical and aligned with construction methodology
Stakeholder & Client Engagement
- Act as a key point of contact for clients, estates teams, consultants, and end users
- Lead design coordination with stakeholders including schools, trusts, and local authorities
- Maintain strong, trusted relationships with clients
Delivery & Handover
- Support delivery teams with design queries and technical issues
- Ensure design intent is maintained throughout construction
- Assist with commissioning, as-built information, and project handover
What We're Looking For
Essential
- Experience as a Design Manager within construction or infrastructure
- Strong understanding of design coordination across multiple disciplines
- Knowledge of buildability, programme integration, and risk management
- Experience working in, or strong interest in, education projects or similar environments
Desirable
- Experience delivering education projects (schools, FE, HE) or public-sector frameworks
- Degree or qualification in construction, engineering, architecture, or similar
- Chartered status (or working towards)
What You'll Bring
- Strong organisational and coordination skills
- Confident communicator with a collaborative approach
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines
- A proactive, solutions-focused mindset
- Commitment to safety, quality, and delivering positive outcomes for education environments
Why Join Us?
- Work on meaningful projects that directly impact communities and education outcomes
- Be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking team
- Opportunities for career progression and professional development
- Competitive salary and benefits package
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Our Commitment
At GRAHAM, we are proud to say that we are a committed Equal Opportunities Employer and we aim to be the first choice for people from all backgrounds. We seek to promote respect for the individual and equality of opportunities. We believe that everyone should be treated solely on the basis of personal merit and contribution throughout their GRAHAM career journey and not on the value of artificial barriers, prejudices, or preferences.
If you require any adjustments or accommodations during the application or interview process, please let us know. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
We are dedicated to making our policies and guidance accessible to all applicants and employees. If you need this document in an alternative format, such as large print, audio, or braille, please contact us at:
- Email:
- Phone: 07384 916355
As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme, please contact Louise Hunter, Resourcing Manager, at:
- Email:
- Phone: 07384 916355
We are only able to consider applications from individuals who are eligible to live and work in the UK, as per Home Office regulations. Please check your eligibility with the regulations before applying. Individuals with a current time-restricted right to work in the UK should contact the Human Resources team in the first instance.
A basic disclosure may be requested if security clearance is required by 3rd party clients, and a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position. Our Access NI/Vetting and Barring Scheme Policy and Policy on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available upon request.
GRAHAM reserves the right to carry out checks to ensure the validity of an applicant's experience and/or qualifications, and we expect all applicants to comply with any such requests for information. Failure to do so or evidence of any falsification of information will lead to either removal from the recruitment process or if already in employment potential termination of contract through the company disciplinary procedure.
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