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Senior Design Manager (Future Project Director)
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Senior Design Manager - Future Project Director
Lead nationally significant projects within one of the World’s leading multidisciplinary design consultancies.
London | Hybrid Working | Competitive Salary + Comprehensive Benefits
Some projects need more than coordination.
They need someone capable of bringing confidence, clarity and control when projects become commercially and technically challenging.
They need leadership.
The kind of leadership that remains calm under pressure, isn't afraid to challenge when necessary, and can confidently navigate complex commercial, contractual and stakeholder environments whilst bringing people together around the right outcome.
If you're someone who naturally steps forward when projects become difficult rather than stepping back, this could be exactly the opportunity you've been looking for.
We have been retained exclusively by one of the UK's leading multidisciplinary design firms, renowned for delivering nationally significant projects from inception through to completion across the healthcare, science, education, workplace and public sector markets.
As part of their continued growth and long-term succession planning, they're looking to appoint an experienced Senior Design Manager with the ambition, capability and leadership qualities to develop into Project Director.
This isn't simply another Design Management role.
It's an opportunity to become one of the key people trusted to lead project delivery, influence critical decisions and provide confident leadership through technically and commercially demanding projects.
For the right individual, this role offers a genuine pathway towards Project Director, with increasing responsibility, autonomy and influence as your career progresses.
The Opportunity…
This role is less about coordinating information and more about influencing outcomes.
Success won't be measured by the meetings you chair, but by your ability to build confidence, make sound commercial decisions and keep complex projects moving forwards when challenges inevitably arise.
You will:
- Become a trusted member of a project leadership team, helping steer complex multidisciplinary projects through delivery whilst balancing design, programme, commercial, contractual and stakeholder priorities.
- Work alongside senior clients, consultants and delivery partners, providing clarity in challenging situations and maintaining confidence across the wider project team.
The successful individual will be someone who:
- Brings confidence to complex project environments.
- Earns the respect of senior stakeholders.
- Knows how to maintain momentum when competing commercial, contractual and programme pressures begin to emerge.
Your responsibilities are likely to include…
- Leading Design Management across major multidisciplinary construction projects.
- Providing leadership through technically and commercially challenging stages of project delivery.
- Influencing key project decisions with confidence, authority and sound commercial judgement.
- Building credibility with senior clients, consultants and delivery partners.
- Providing confident leadership across complex consultant and delivery partner relationships, ensuring projects remain commercially balanced and moving forwards.
- Balancing design quality with programme, risk, cost and commercial considerations.
- Identifying emerging project risks and driving practical, collaborative solutions.
- Navigating complex stakeholder environments where competing priorities require careful management.
- Resolving issues early before they develop into critical delivery risks.
- Creating an environment where accountability, collaboration and momentum remain central to successful project delivery.
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This Role Isn't for Everyone...
The successful individual won't simply coordinate meetings or manage design information.
They will become one of the people others naturally turn to when projects become challenging.
You will be comfortable operating within demanding project environments where commercial, contractual, programme and stakeholder pressures need to be carefully balanced.
You will:
- Know when to listen, when to challenge and when to stand your ground.
- Be confident operating alongside experienced clients, consultants and delivery partners, earning credibility through sound judgement rather than job title alone.
- Enjoy bringing clarity to complexity.
- Recognise issues before others do, ask the difficult questions and help multidisciplinary teams find practical solutions that keep projects moving forwards.
If you naturally gravitate towards solving difficult problems rather than avoiding them, you will probably feel very much at home here.
About You...
Your current job title isn't the most important thing to us.
You might currently be working as a:
- Senior Design Manager
- Associate Design Manager
- Senior Project Manager
- Project Delivery Manager
- Technical Delivery Manager
- Design Lead
- Project Delivery Lead
- Design & Delivery Manager
...or within a similar leadership role delivering complex construction projects.
What matters more is how you operate.
You are likely to recognise yourself in many of the following:
- People naturally look towards you when projects become challenging.
- You combine technical credibility with sound commercial judgement.
- You're confident influencing senior stakeholders and facilitating difficult conversations.
- You're comfortable holding senior stakeholders to account whilst maintaining collaborative relationships.
- You understand that successful project delivery requires balancing design, programme, commercial, contractual and stakeholder priorities.
- You're comfortable making decisions when information isn't always perfect.
- You know how to challenge constructively whilst maintaining strong professional relationships.
- You remain calm, objective and decisive under pressure.
- You enjoy mentoring others and helping multidisciplinary teams perform at their best.
- You're ambitious and looking for a business that will invest in your continued development as a leader.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Experience delivering healthcare, life sciences, public sector or other technically complex projects would be advantageous, although we're equally interested in hearing from individuals who have successfully delivered similarly demanding multidisciplinary programmes.
Whether your background sits within a multidisciplinary consultancy, contractor or client-side environment, we're interested in speaking with individuals who have built a reputation for leading projects through complexity and delivering successful outcomes.
Why Join?
You will be joining one of the World’s most respected multidisciplinary design firms, working on nationally significant projects that genuinely shape the built environment.
More importantly, you will be joining a business that sees Design Management as a leadership discipline rather than simply a coordination function.
You will work alongside experienced leaders who value commercial thinking, collaborative leadership and sound judgement, giving you the opportunity to broaden your influence whilst continuing to develop your own leadership capability.
This role has been created with the future in mind.
For someone with the ambition, capability and drive to continue progressing, there is a genuine opportunity to develop into Project Director as your responsibilities and influence continue to grow.
If you're ready to step into a position where you will help shape complex projects, influence major decisions and become one of the key leaders within an internationally recognised firm, this represents an exceptional long-term career opportunity.
What's on Offer…
- Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
- Hybrid working.
- Exposure to nationally significant, technically complex projects.
- Clear pathway towards Project Director.
- Long-term career progression within a highly respected multidisciplinary consultancy.
- Opportunity to influence project strategy and major delivery decisions.
- Collaborative, high-performing Design Management team.
- Ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities.
If you're looking for an opportunity where your leadership, commercial judgement and ability to lead through complexity will be valued just as highly as your technical expertise, we would love to hear from you.
Apply today with your CV for a confidential discussion about this opportunity.
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