Lead Design Manager – Major Mixed-Use Development

Overview

In this senior client-side role, you lead technical design for a landmark mixed-use redevelopment in Central London, guiding multi-building projects from concept to completion. You work with internal teams, architects, engineers and contractors to ensure fully coordinated, compliant and deliverable designs. You shape strategies for retrofit solutions, sustainability and buildability while maintaining cost certainty. This is an opportunity to influence a high-profile scheme within an established international developer and deliver meaningful urban transformation.

Pay / Benefits

• up to 120,000 salary
• bonus
• benefits package

Responsibilities

• Lead technical design development across a major mixed-use retrofit-led redevelopment
• Manage multidisciplinary design teams (architects, structural, MEP)
• Oversee RIBA Stages 1-3, identify and mitigate technical risks
• Manage design briefs, consultant appointments, scopes of works and programmes
• Lead technical strategies for structural reuse, facades, building services and retrofit solutions
• Coordinate surveys, intrusive investigations and technical assessments
• Drive buildability reviews, construction methodologies and logistics planning
• Ensure Building Regulations, CDM and Building Safety Act compliance including Gateway requirements
• Identify value engineering opportunities, manage design changes and cost certainty
• Prepare procurement documentation (Employers’ Requirements, design responsibility matrices)
• Oversee contractor design activities during construction
• Lead design meetings and report progress to senior stakeholders
• Support sustainability objectives including net zero carbon and environmental certifications

Key requirements

• 10+ years’ design management experience in construction or property development
• Client-side design management experience with a developer or main contractor
• Experience delivering projects from concept through construction and completion
• Strong technical understanding of refurbishment, retrofit and mixed-use developments
• Experience coordinating structural, architectural and MEP packages
• Knowledge of Building Regulations, CDM and Building Safety Act
• Experience managing consultant teams, design briefs and technical programmes

• strong leadership and stakeholder management
• commercial awareness
• ability to coordinate diverse teams
• RIBA Stages 1-3
• design coordination across architectural/structural/MEP
• buildability and construction methodology planning

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