Senior Design Manager

United Living is a leading infrastructure, construction, and property services company in the UK. We help our customers and the communities they serve benefit from resilient infrastructure, affordable homes, and improved living spaces that are fit for the future. Our mission is to be the partner and employer of choice for designing, building, maintaining, and connecting communities and critical infrastructure, to create a more sustainable and inclusive society.

United Living Group is comprised of four complementary businesses, all dedicated to realising our vision of creating a connected, sustainable future. This role will be joining our Property Services pillar known as United Living Property Services (ULPS)

Property Services – We revitalise homes and communities through the regeneration of living spaces, breathing new life into neighbourhoods. From delivering large programmes of work for social housing providers, to ensuring the highest building safety standards, we provide a range of services for public sector clients.

Due to growth in the Northern Region United Living Property Services are looking to recruit a Senior Design Manager to be responsible for all design and technical aspects of projects ensuring delivery on budget and to programme. This will entail effective management of external consultants together with the ability to communicate effectively with the wider United Living team and business partners..

Ensure the design is fully coordinated and complies with United Living’s requirements and current regulations, to achieve the necessary approvals and enable a start on site in line with agreed programmes.

• Lead technical and design processes, design teams and subcontractors throughout design, procurement and construction, monitoring progress to ensure delivery on time and in budget.
• Technical design management of schemes, in accordance with agreed programme, ensuring company targets are met and that the maximum revenue is generated by the quality, cost effectiveness and buildability of the design.
• Review and input into allocated bids, undertaking Technical appraisals of design information, assessing design requirements, compliance, consultant fee requirements and production of a design programme.
• Assess the quality of received information, identify value engineering opportunities, risks, collate consultants costs and prepare contractors proposals.
• Review ER technical specifications.
• Produce, develop, control and manage the project specific design programme and provide regular progress reporting.
• Produce detailed project specific design scoping and undertake procurement of consultant and subcontractor designers.
• Assess consultant and subcontractor designers completed competency assessment questionnaires and supporting evidence provided.
• Monitor and manage consultant fees and invoicing.
• Fulfilment of CDM Principal Designer role.
• Fulfilment of Building Regulations Principal Design role and named as Designated Individual.
• Undertake thorough reviews and interrogation of consultants and subcontractor designs, to ensure compliance with applicable legislation, compliance with system literature, compliance with planning consent, buildability, completeness, presentation, best value, accuracy, level of information, and ultimately eliminating risk.
• Review and assess alternative build methods and practices
• Manage and coordinate external consultants in their day-to-day duties related to design, coordination and technical aspects of production information and to ensure delivery within the constraints of time, quality, budget and technical requirements, driving a high standard.
• Ensure that designs comply with company standards.
• Promoting design that respects budgetary constraints.
• Organise and manage weekly, fortnightly or monthly technical coordination workshops, package reviews and design team meetings.
• Ensure that all aspects of the building design are fully coordinated including but not restricted to, fire safety, structures, M&E, façades, internal specification, service strategies, maintenance strategies etc.
• Ensure fully complete, correct and coordinated packages issued to Commercial and Construction teams.
• Establish required scoping for survey and investigative works.
• Maintain and deliver in accordance with company values.
• Manage subcontractor and supplier design approvals ensuring timely turnaround.
• Monitor subcontractor design approvals and maintain a tracker in line with programme.
• Manage the flow of information to Commercial, Operations and Client.
• Update and coordinate monthly design schedules.
• Chair and undertake design package presentations in conjunction with consultant and subcontractor designers.
• Review and coordinate design and technical related issues with the Commercial and Operations teams.
• Monitor changes from Client, design consultants, subcontractors and proposed changes by construction team.
• Manage change control process for variations in relation to drawing revisions, construction programmes and costs.
• Collate all required information and liaise with Planning Authorities and Building Control to make submissions in accordance with programme and obtain all necessary approvals as required.
• Oversee document control with regards to registration and distribution of design and technical information.
• Monitor and manage the processing of information through workflows on the document management system.
• Ensure current drawings are filed in order and design information exchange is as per the company protocol.
• Undertake site visits as required.
• Attend site meetings and monthly/weekly project meetings.
• Monitor work executed on site to ensure that is as benchmarked and as designed/specified.
• Manage, investigate and respond promptly with full close out to RFIs from site team and subcontractors.
• Review and advise on corrective measures for identified design issues.
• Monitor and obtain all critical certificates to ensure documentation is in place for completion and handovers.
• Oversee and participate in the collation of handover information, golden thread, H&S files, O&M manuals and resident packs.
• At all times comply with company policies, procedures and instructions · Comply with responsibilities as laid down in the group’s health, safety and environmental policy.
• Ensure that United Living’s drive for world class Health and Safety is delivered in all aspects of your work.
  
  

Essential

• Thorough with a pro-active management style.
• Capability to lead and coordinate with managers across a wider team.
• Ability to prioritise and delegate as appropriate, effectively negotiate, motivate and communicate in order to influence others to ensure that the required objectives are met.
• An analytical approach to work with an eye for detail.
• Leadership skills including assertiveness, being decisive, flexible, good time management, organised, effective at leading / participating in meetings, works well under pressure and to strict deadlines.
• Ability to review drawings and identify buildability and technical issues.
• Effective people management of direct reports, including goal setting, performance management, giving feedback, direction, support and coaching.
• Problem solving and decision making.
• Effective communication with all levels of management and project teams, both internal and external to the Company.
• Proven track record of successfully managing all aspects of the design and technical process in relation to residential buildings.
• Up to date relevant construction industry knowledge including legislation and procedures.
• Valid driving licence.
• Knowledge of methodology and sequencing process in delivering a construction project including design and pre-construction activities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High rise development experience.
• Understanding of the building safety legislative framework, including the Building Safety Act, Building Regulations (duty holder roles & competency requirements) and the HRB Procedure Regulations.
• Strong technical knowledge and skillset to assess, challenge and monitor design work compliance.
• Experience in designer scoping.

Desirable

• Passionate about construction and customer satisfaction, with a focus on high standards and excellence.
• Proven track record of design requirements for procurement and construction purposes.
• In depth knowledge of contractual requirements, section agreements and utility application process.
• Tenacious and driven.
• Strong practical knowledge of construction work types, methods and design solutions.
• Experience of producing and managing design programmes.
• Knowledge of PAS9980 fire risk assessments, EWS1s and FRAEW.
• Temporary works knowledge and experience.
• Experience with CAD (AutoCAD or Revit).
• Knowledge & understanding of BIM.
• Member of relevant professional body (e.g. CIOB, CIAT, or RICS).
• Minimum Level 4 (HNC/NVQ4 etc.) Architectural qualification (or equivalent design, technical and/or construction based qualification).
  
  

What’s in it for you:

• Competitive salary with great benefits that recognize your expertise
• The chance to be part of high-impact projects that shape communities and infrastructure
• A dynamic role with clear career progression in a company that's growing fast

You’ll be working with a supportive team that values collaboration and problem-solving.