Senior Design Manager

Location:

Ringwood or Maidstone (predominantly office-based, with occasional travel to projects/sites)

Division:
Southern & South East

Sector:
Civil Engineering & Infrastructure

Role Type:
Design Management Shape the coastlines, rivers and infrastructure that protect communities and leave a lasting legacy.

Knights Brown is an independent civil engineering contractor delivering complex projects across energy, water utilities, infrastructure, coasts & ports, and buildings.

We are looking for a Senior Design Manager to lead the development, management and assurance of engineering solutions across some of the UK's most challenging civil engineering, marine, coastal and infrastructure projects.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping projects from tender stage through to delivery, ensuring solutions are safe, buildable, sustainable and represent best value for both our clients and project teams. Working closely with pre-construction and operational teams, you will ensure designs are safe, buildable, sustainable and deliver best value for both our customers and project teams. You will provide technical leadership throughout the project lifecycle, from tender development through to project delivery, ensuring engineering excellence and successful project outcomes.

• Lead and manage the design process from project development through to construction delivery
• Provide technical leadership on design and build projects, contractor-designed elements and complex temporary works
• Support bid and work-winning teams with design strategy, consultant appointments, technical submissions and construction methodologies
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design teams to deliver integrated, buildable and cost-effective solutions
• Ensure designs comply with relevant industry standards, client requirements and statutory obligations
• Lead engineering assurance activities and manage design risk throughout project delivery
• Drive value engineering and innovation opportunities to improve affordability, performance and sustainability
• Champion compliance with CDM Regulations and proactively manage design-related health and safety risks
• Oversee the performance of external consultants and construction partners to ensure high-quality design outputs
• Support operational teams in resolving technical challenges during project delivery
• Promote right-first-time design quality and continuous improvement across projects
• Contribute to Knights Brown's sustainability objectives and support achievement of Goal
  13 commitments.
• Mentor graduates and junior staff members

• A strong background and genuine passion for marine, coastal, river and civil engineering projects
• Experience gained within a contractor environment, or a consultancy background with a desire to become more involved in project delivery and construction
• Practical site experience and a strong understanding of buildable, safe and efficient engineering solutions
• Proven experience managing design on major infrastructure or civil engineering projects
• Strong understanding of design and build procurement and contractor-led design management
• Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary teams, design consultants and key stakeholders
• Strong knowledge of construction methodologies, engineering assurance and risk management
• Experience identifying and implementing value engineering opportunities
• Sound understanding of CDM Regulations and design risk management principles
• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Commercial awareness with the ability to balance technical excellence with project objectives
• A proactive, solution-focused approach and the confidence to lead teams through complex engineering challenges

• Chartered Engineer status…