Our client are a well known Housing Association who due to growth are seeking a Senior Design Manager. In return, you will receive a competitive salary of £70,000+ per annum dependent on experience. As a Senior Design Manager, you will be leading the design responsibility for a portfolio of schemes across the companies North Counties operating region – from concept to completion as a proactive co-driver to the Project Lead. Balancing, implementing and evolving programme-related work to optimise successful ways of delivering great projects – collectively prioritising safe, sustainable, inclusive, desirable and viable new homes for the companies customers.

What we’re looking for:

• Demonstrable experience championing qualitative residential design at a scale that reflects developments across the Home Counties.
• You are a registered or chartered construction professional with an architecture, engineering or other design discipline background and qualification.
• You are an advocate for the value of good design decisions in the deployment of scarce time and money resources.
• You have an ability to lead and motivate the heads and hearts of a discerning team of highly qualified and motivated professionals.
• You have an appreciation of detail and its influence on overall design quality but will have an ability to describe this in terms of time, cost, risk and opportunity to less technical stakeholders.
• You are an inquisitive and strategic thinker – challenging yourself and your team to find innovative and accurate solutions to complex situations.

What you can expect to be doing:

• Uphold the companies ethos of quality, longevity and customer-centric developments whilst achieving excellent design quality and managing risks in the design, planning, tendering, procurement, contract formation and change control of schemes and projects.

• Take ownership and provide direction for the Project Lead and broader team in appointing and managing external professional consultants and suppliers (monitoring performance and scopes of service) ensuring successful project delivery as well as informing our evolving generic standards and procedures, with focus on consultant frameworks, scopes of service, appointment processes, and briefing templates.
• Provide design direction to the emerging project/design briefs, ensuring the adherence to design standards, procedures and project cost plans are met in addition to capitalising on great, unique project opportunities. Utilise and obtain empirical feedback and data to form and communicate consistent the companies stances on successful / unsuccessful design processes and outcomes.
• Proactively link the design development of our schemes with the relevant internal and external stakeholders so that there is a balanced but not onerous approach to consultation and alignment of ambition and intent, managing expectations and providing explanatory context in this regard. Oversee feedback from these key stakeholders relating to scheme success and translate any lessons learned into the generic change control process.
• Lead areas of study and analysis to qualify new the companies preferences and stances as well as benchmarking existing ones, supporting the evolution and innovation of generic standards and procedures to align with industry best practice and the companies business objectives, including the collaboration with other relevant internal business stakeholders.
• Have a leading role in managing and coordinating all of the companies internal (project related) design review forums and governance gateways, by ensuring both projects and forums are suitably managed through the process, supporting the creation and presentation of projects’ progress. Ensure stakeholder management and due diligence across the portfolio.

Benefits:

• Flexible and hybrid working
• Up to 30 days’ annual holiday plus bank holidays
• Competitive salaries that are benchmarked regularly against current market rates
• Two additional paid volunteering days each year
• Flexible benefits scheme, including family friendly benefits and access to a discount portal