Digital Buildings Design Systems Manager

Digital Buildings Design Systems Manager About Laing O’Rourke

Laing O’Rourke is an international engineering and construction company delivering some of the world’s most technically complex buildings and infrastructure. Through its Technology & Innovation (T&I) function, the business develops the products, platforms, processes and digital capabilities that enable safer, more predictable and more productive project delivery.

The Technology & Innovation team combines expertise in engineering, manufacturing, digital technology, data and construction operations to create new delivery models that improve project outcomes and accelerate the industrialisation of construction.

A key strategic initiative within T&I is the development of Digital Buildings: a repeatable delivery system for complex building programmes that combines standardised building products, configurable digital assets and data-driven delivery processes.

Laing O’Rourke is increasingly delivering programmes of fundamentally similar building types across multiple projects, regions and customers. While these buildings often share common requirements, they are frequently redesigned from first principles by different design teams, resulting in duplicated effort, inconsistent outcomes and missed opportunities for learning and improvement.

Digital Buildings seeks to address this challenge through the creation of a reusable ecosystem of engineered building products, configurable space types and digital design assets that can be deployed consistently across projects.

The Digital Buildings Design Systems Manager will play a leading role in defining, developing and governing this ecosystem.

The role sits at the intersection of design management, product development, digital engineering and construction delivery. It requires an individual capable of translating building requirements into repeatable product strategies, establishing digital standards and coordinating multidisciplinary teams to create scalable design solutions.

To develop, manage and continuously improve a portfolio of configurable building products, room types, space types and associated digital assets that support repeatable delivery across Laing O’Rourke projects.

The role will establish the frameworks, standards and governance required to enable multiple architects, consultants and project teams to deliver buildings using common digital products and configuration systems while maintaining quality, compliance and customer outcomes.

The position will act as the bridge between design, manufacturing, engineering, construction, digital technology and data teams to create a scalable Digital Buildings platform.

• Define and manage a portfolio of repeatable building products, room types and space types.
• Lead the development of configurable design solutions that can be reused across multiple projects and sectors.
• Establish product requirements, performance criteria and design rules.
• Capture lessons learned from projects and embed them within future product iterations.
• Develop product roadmaps and prioritise improvement initiatives.

• Define configuration strategies for repeatable building systems.
• Develop standards governing parametric and configurable design content.
• Establish relationships between design intent, manufacturing requirements and construction methodologies.
• Ensure digital assets support efficient configuration while maintaining compliance and quality requirements.
• Develop governance processes for version control, approval and product release management.
• Lead the creation and maintenance of reusable BIM content, product libraries and design system components.
• Work closely with Digital Engineering teams to establish next-generation standards for digital design assets.
• Ensure digital content contains the data required to support design, manufacture, construction and operational performance.
• Define information structures and data requirements across the product lifecycle.

• Coordinate internal and external design teams contributing to Digital Buildings products.
• Manage design…