Design Manager - Site

Location: Middlesbrough
Reporting To: Project Director
Employment Type: Full-Time, Site-Based
Rotation:
Mon-Fri - OT if required

CTS Group is a leading international design and build contractor specialising in the delivery of mission-critical data centre facilities across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). We combine engineering excellence, digital innovation, and construction expertise to deliver high-performance, sustainable, and scalable infrastructure for hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise clients.

With a diverse workforce representing more than 40 nationalities, we foster a collaborative and high-performance culture where technical excellence, safety, and innovation underpin everything we do. Alongside our construction capabilities, CTS develops advanced digital solutions and standardised modular infrastructure, enabling faster, smarter, and more efficient data centre delivery.

As we continue to expand across the UK and Europe, we are seeking an experienced Design Manager (Site) to join our growing project delivery team.

The Design Manager (Site) serves as the primary design authority on site, ensuring that all works are delivered in accordance with the approved design, project specifications, client requirements, and regulatory standards.

Embedded within the project delivery team, you will act as the critical link between site operations, subcontractors, specialist vendors, client representatives, and CTS's Design & Engineering function. You will lead the management of RFIs, technical queries, design changes, and construction-phase coordination, ensuring that design intent is maintained throughout the build, commissioning, and handover stages.

This is a highly visible role suited to an individual who thrives in fast-paced, technically complex environments and possesses a strong understanding of data centre design, construction, and delivery.

• Act as the lead design representative on site and primary point of contact for all construction-phase design matters.

• Coordinate closely with project teams, subcontractors, consultants, vendors and client representatives to ensure seamless design implementation.

• Support the Project Director in resolving technical challenges and maintaining programme objectives.

• Provide regular updates on design status, technical risks, outstanding actions and change requests.

• Manage the RFI and Technical Query (TQ) process, ensuring timely review, response and closure.

• Review and coordinate contractor submittals, shop drawings, material approvals and vendor documentation.

• Ensure construction teams are working to current approved design information at all times.

• Lead design reviews of site issues and provide practical, buildable solutions while maintaining design integrity.

• Assess proposed site changes and manage the design change process, considering programme, cost, quality, resilience and compliance impacts.

• Conduct regular site inspections, audits and walk-downs to verify installations align with approved designs.

• Identify, track and resolve design-related non-conformances and quality issues.

• Support multidisciplinary coordination across electrical, mechanical, public health, controls, fire protection and specialist systems.

• Work closely with QA/QC teams to ensure installations meet project specifications and client expectations.

• Collaborate with BIM and digital engineering teams to resolve clashes and coordinate field changes.

• Ensure all design modifications are accurately captured within the BIM model and Common Data Environment (CDE).

• Support digital construction processes and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.

• Provide technical support throughout testing, commissioning and Integrated Systems Testing (IST) activities.

• Assist in resolving commissioning issues and design-related observations.

• Support the production and review of as-built documentation, red-line mark-ups and final handover packages.

• Ensure design information is complete and accurately transferred to operations and facilities management teams.

• Promote and uphold Safety in Design principles throughout project delivery.

• Support compliance with UK Building Regulations, Building Safety Act requirements, CDM Regulations and project-specific standards.

• Assist with…