Design Manager

Will be dependent on successful candidate and will be either Head Office, 60 Boucher Place, Belfast, BT12 6HT
or ROI office at 51a Dawson Street, Dublin, D2 AN25, with travel to the Company’s construction sites throughout the UK and ROI.

Reporting to the Design Project Director, the post holder will be responsible for managing the overall design of the projects allocated to them, this will include appointing, managing and monitoring progress of consultants, designers and specialist sub-contractors. Ensuring that the design is progressed in such a manner as to achieve all of the contracted deliverables, whilst maximising commercial opportunities and ensuring that all design information is released in lines with the requirements of the project construction programme and procurement schedule.

Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities:

Developing a comprehensive understanding of the contents of the Employers Requirements and Performance specifications, looking for opportunities to develop the detailed design, maximising margins and reduce latent risks to Gilbert Ash.

• Negotiating and executing the appointments, scope and fees of consultants and designers.
• Preparing design programmes and Information Release Schedules, getting designers and specialist sub-contractor buy-in to these timescales and then managing the process and monitoring progress during the course of the project.
• Reviewing key materials and interfaces, ensuring they are fit for purpose and provide long-term durable solutions without exposing Gilbert-ash to unnecessary latent maintenance or H&S risks.
• Reviewing all design information, ensuring it is clear, complete, meets statutory requirements, complies with the ERs and is fully coordinated with all other disciplines.
• Organising, scheduling and chairing technical meetings with members of the Design team and supply chain, during the pre and construction phases of the project.
• Generating technical queries and monitor response performance.
• Managing the close out of statutory requirements on projects, in relation to Planning and the BCAR process.
• Attending client meetings, reporting on design release/ design development progress, ensuring support and guidance is offered to the client in relation to requests and their obligations in the building design.
• Participating in tender submissions and producing answers to questions to support the construction logic in line with coordination, design management, BREEAM, etc.
• Attending and presenting at client interviews.
• Reviewing tender drawings and assisting the Estimating team in understanding any gaps or risks within the tender design.
• Managing the RFI process, raising the RFI, following up with the relevant party, reporting on progress and closing out.
• Managing the DAR (Document Approval Request) process, raising the RFI, following up with the relevant party, reporting on progress and closing out.
• Managing the sample approval process, in a timeous manner, following up with the relevant party, reporting on progress and closing out. This applies both to Planningrequirements and sample requirements within the ERs.
• Setting up and managing Drawing Control protocol for issuing drawings and onward distribution to sub-contractors and the wider project team.
• Overseeing the BREEAM tracker, ensuring all designers fulfil the requirements and provide the evidence for credits allocated to them. Assisting the Contracts Manager and QS in providing the evident required for contractor allocated credits.
• Providing technical / commercial support to the project surveyor, relating to design development, VE, potential variations and settlement of final accounts.
• Contributing to the compilation of the project handover documentation, O&M manuals, H&S files, Building…