Senior Design Manager

Senior Design Manager

Location:

Birmingham
Salary: £65,000 - £70,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent

We're recruiting for an experienced Senior Design Manager to lead the design function for a business delivering world‑class themed attractions, immersive environments and experiential projects. This is a senior leadership opportunity where you'll oversee multidisciplinary design teams, drive technical excellence and ensure innovative concepts are successfully delivered from initial brief through to manufacture and construction.

This role is ideal for someone with extensive experience managing large, complex design programmes within themed entertainment, major attractions or large‑scale mixed‑use developments.

• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary design team across multiple projects.
• Provide technical leadership throughout the complete design lifecycle.
• Develop project plans, design programmes and resource schedules.
• Manage project budgets and ensure commercial objectives are achieved.
• Oversee concept development through to detailed design and technical delivery.
• Coordinate architects, engineers, manufacturers and external consultants.
• Ensure design outputs meet client requirements, quality standards and programme deadlines.
• Mentor and develop designers, promoting creativity and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships with clients and act as a trusted design advisor.
• Present design concepts, proposals and technical solutions to stakeholders.
• Identify project risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Oversee technical drawings, specifications and production documentation.
• Drive collaboration between design, engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Establish and maintain design standards, processes and best practice.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements throughout the design process.
• Manage design progression through all project stages into construction and delivery.
• Monitor quality, programme performance and design team outputs.
• Support business growth through innovation and exceptional project delivery.

• Degree qualified in Design, Industrial Design, Architecture or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary design teams on complex projects.
• Strong background within themed entertainment, immersive environments, attractions or large‑scale mixed‑use developments.
• Proven experience managing design programmes from concept through to construction.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing budgets and resources.
• Experience coordinating architects, engineers, consultants and contractors.
• Confident presenting technical concepts to clients and senior stakeholders.
• PMP, PRINCE2 or Chartered Engineer status would be advantageous.