Senior Design Manager

Overview

In this role you lead multidisciplinary design teams on AMP8 water and wastewater programmes, turning ambitious plans into clear, buildable outcomes. You’ll partner with clients, contractors and framework partners to guide design from optioneering through detailed design and construction support. You’ll challenge delivery approaches, shape smarter solutions and mentor early-career design leaders. This position offers impact across major UK water frameworks and opportunities to influence projects, teams and clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary design teams on major AMP8 water and wastewater programmes
• Guide design from optioneering and outline design through detailed design and construction support
• Manage design risk, interfaces, assumptions, decisions, reviews and assurance activity
• Collaborate closely with clients, contractors, framework partners and supply chain specialists
• Challenge traditional delivery approaches and pursue smarter, simpler, more sustainable solutions
• Support work winning, framework growth, client engagement and early project shaping
• Mentor Design Managers, coordinators and discipline leads to strengthen the team as the work bank grows
• Treat design management as a leadership discipline with influence over projects, teams and clients
• Contribute to major UK water frameworks while leveraging wider technical, environmental, digital and delivery capabilities

Key requirements

• Led multidisciplinary design teams in water, infrastructure, utilities, rail, construction or major capital programmes
• Demonstrates judgement, leadership and delivery ownership
• Understand interfaces between disciplines, clients, contractors and delivery partners
• Ability to balance technical quality, commercial awareness, programme pressure and buildability
• Comfortable with design governance, risk management, change control, design reviews and assurance
• Clear communication with senior clients, technical specialists and project teams
• Commitment to developing people and building resilient teams
• Experience with leadership and toolkit for cross-functional collaboration

• leadership
• communication
• mentoring
• design management
• interface management
• design governance

…