GRAHAM Group
Design Manager
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About The Role
At GRAHAM, we are more than a leading construction and facilities management partner – we are a trusted delivery partner supporting critical healthcare environments that provide essential services to patients, staff and visitors every day.
As part of our long-term partnerships with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT), we are seeking an experienced Design Manager to play a key role in delivering coordinated, compliant and future-focused design solutions across diverse healthcare estates.
This role will support a multi-year programme of capital investment, refurbishment projects across acute, community, mental health and specialist healthcare facilities. The Design Manager will lead and coordinate multidisciplinary design teams, ensuring all design information is fully integrated, compliant, buildable and aligned with healthcare regulations, operational requirements and long-term estate strategies.
Working closely with project delivery teams, estates stakeholders, clinical users, consultants, contractors and FM teams, the Design Manager will ensure that design solutions support safe healthcare operations, minimise disruption to patient services and enable seamless transition from design through construction and into operational use.
Supported by continued growth and investment in both people and infrastructure, GRAHAM is seeking an experienced and technically capable Design Manager who can drive quality, innovation, compliance and collaboration across a complex and high-profile healthcare portfolio.
Benefits: Up to 36 days paid annual leave, Excellent Company Pension, Free Life Assurance, Training and Development, Discounted Private Health Care Scheme, Discounted Gym Membership and BUPA Health Assessments.
Location: Manchester
Hours Per Week: Monday - Friday, 40 Hours
Job Type: Permanent / Full Time
The Design Manager Will
- Lead and coordinate the full design process from feasibility, pre-construction and concept design through to delivery, commissioning and project completion across refurbishment, infrastructure improvement and capital investment projects.
- Manage multidisciplinary consultants, designers, specialist subcontractors and supply chain partners to ensure the development of coordinated, compliant and buildable design solutions.
- Review all design information, including drawings, specifications, technical reports, BIM models and submissions, ensuring compliance with project requirements, healthcare standards and statutory obligations.
- Develop, maintain and monitor detailed design programmes, ensuring design deliverables align with procurement activities, construction sequencing, operational requirements and key project milestones.
- Prepare and manage Information Release Schedules to support project delivery, procurement and stakeholder requirements.
- Chair and coordinate design team meetings, technical workshops and stakeholder reviews, ensuring actions are tracked and progressed to completion.
- Provide technical leadership throughout the project lifecycle, challenging design proposals where necessary to ensure technical accuracy, value for money, compliance and operational suitability.
- Identify and implement value engineering opportunities whilst maintaining compliance with project objectives, healthcare standards and client requirements.
- Manage design change control processes, including RFIs, technical queries, design amendments, client approvals and change management procedures.
- Identify, record and manage design risks, maintaining a robust design risk register and ensuring timely mitigation strategies are implemented.
- Ensure compliance with Building Regulations, CDM Regulations, British Standards, Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs), Health Building Notes (HBNs), Fire Safety requirements and all relevant healthcare guidance.
- Support planning submissions, Building Control approvals, fire strategy approvals and other statutory compliance processes as required.
- Ensure designs incorporate maintainability, accessibility, infection prevention requirements, sustainability objectives, operational resilience and patient safety considerations.
- Support the delivery of sustainability, decarbonisation and energy reduction initiatives across the healthcare estate.
- Ensure design solutions support the operational requirements of both Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT), minimising disruption to clinical and non-clinical services.
- Support commissioning, validation and handover processes by ensuring the provision of accurate asset information, O&M manuals, certification, training requirements and as-built documentation.
- Manage the interface between consultant design teams, contractors, specialist suppliers, Facilities Management teams and healthcare stakeholders.
- Develop design responsibility matrices and scopes of service for consultants and specialist design providers.
- Review consultant and subcontractor design deliverables to ensure compliance with project requirements, healthcare standards and contractual obligations.
- Support procurement activities through the preparation and review of tender documentation, technical submissions and subcontractor design proposals.
- Provide technical input into bids, tender submissions, business cases, project reports and client presentations.
- Collaborate closely with commercial, project delivery and operational teams to ensure design decisions consider programme, cost, risk and budgetary requirements.
- Ensure all design information is managed in accordance with GRAHAM's Quality Management System, document control procedures and project governance requirements.
- Act as a key point of contact for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) stakeholders, including Estates Teams, Capital Projects Teams, clinical users and senior client representatives.
- Promote innovation, continuous improvement and best practice in project delivery and healthcare estate design.
- Positively represent GRAHAM at all times and maintain strong working relationships with clients, consultants, contractors, stakeholders and external partners.
- Undertake any other duties relevant to the role, contract or business requirements
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This job description is intended to give the post holder an appreciation of the role envisaged for the job title and the range of duties to be undertaken. It does not attempt to detail every activity. Specific tasks and objectives will be agreed with the post holder at regular intervals.
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About You
Essential Criteria
- Formal qualification in Construction, Architecture, Engineering, or related discipline (BSc, HND, HNC or equivalent).
- Proven experience delivering projects from early design through construction and completion.
- Experience working as a Design Manager for a main contractor or as a senior professional within architectural/engineering consultancy.
- Strong technical understanding of multidisciplinary design, construction methods, building regulations, and compliance standards.
- Proficient in AutoCAD, Revit, and/or BIM design review platforms.
- Strong IT skills, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and experience using common data environments (CDEs).
- Strong commercial awareness with understanding of the relationship between design, cost, risk, and programme.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver coordinated design outputs on complex, multi-disciplinary projects.
Desirable Criteria
- Membership of a relevant professional body (MCIOB, MICE, CIAT, RIBA) or working towards accreditation.
- Experience using Navisworks, SketchUp, or digital design coordination tools.
- Experience working within education, public-sector estates, or FM-integrated delivery environments.
- Knowledge of NEC and JCT contract design obligations.
Please note that Applicants will not be expected to meet any (or all) of the desirable criteria to be considered for interview. Desirable criteria will only be used as part of the shortlisting process in the event there are a large number of Applicants. We are committed to developing a diverse and inclusive workforce and particularly welcome applications from females and individuals from a minority ethnic background who are currently under represented in our industry.
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. Access NI Privacy Notice can be viewed at : AccessNI Privacy Notice | Department of Justice (justice-ni.gov.uk)
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