We have an exceptional opportunity to recruit a highly motivated and ambitious Design Manager to join our team based in Gateshead. The successful candidate should ideally be able to provide leadership and management of design process and allocated resources.

Willmott Dixon is driven by our customers' aims and aspirations, delivering outstanding work, providing a great service and excellent value for money. To this day we remain family-owned and take pride in our core values. We are passionate about people and have a real focus and drive around continuous development; this has been proven by our 5th placed ranking in the 'Times Top 100' best companies to work, Times Top 50 employers for women 2021 as well as our platinum award for 'Investing In People'. Having the right talent, coupled with the right culture and values, ensures that we have a sustained future, a trusted brand and offer a career of a lifetime!

The main role of a Design Manager at Willmott Dixon is to manage the design process, promote integration of disciplines and select, manage and appoint consultants to ensure that they perform in line with their deed and agreed scope of services.

You will therefore be able to overview, monitor and report on design programmes, and also provide technical support to the bid process. In addition you will be developing designs that utilise innovative techniques on multiple/complex projects.

As part of this role, you will provide leadership and management of design process and allocated resources.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

• Manage the design process and promote integration of disciplines.
• Select, manage and appoint consultants to ensure that they perform in line with their deed and agreed scope of services.
• Overview, monitor and report on design programmes.
• Provide technical support to the bid process.
• Ensure designs meet all necessary statutory and regulatory approvals and are recorded on appropriate tracking logs.
• To conduct their role in a way this is consistent with the company's sustainability objectives.
• Develop designs that utilise innovative techniques.
• Provide leadership, training and guidance to design coordinators.
• To deliver the design required to meet the start on sites dates in line with the management account.
• Assist in the recruitment and induction of new design staff.
• Constantly reinforce and deliver our customer first ethic.

Essential and Desirable Criteria

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience of contracting.
• Experience of various forms of construction technology.
• Understanding of CAD and Microsoft Office.
• Experience of multiple or large scale project delivery.
• Experience of reading and interpreting drawings and technical specifications.
• Experience of managing specialist designers and managing others in your team.
• Minimum relevant level 4 qualification (ONC / NVQ4 etc).
• Appropriate CSCS card.
• Valid driving licence.

Desirable Criteria

• Navigation experience of design package software.
• Working towards MCIOB/RICS.
• Construction related degree.

Personal Qualities

• Having a can-do attitude and respond positively and with resilience to setbacks
• Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to current and future work
• Keeping it real - be genuine and straightforward in your dealings with people
• Take ownership, be accountable and make things happen
• Find solutions and practical ways to overcome barriers
• Think on your feet and use initiative
• Well-presented and effective at communication
• Listening, learning and sharing to drive improvement
• Strive to astonish our customer
• Leading by example and taking responsibility
• Working collaboratively to achieve results
• Recognising and respecting others
• Working as one team

In return

We reward our people generously with a competitive salary and a market-leading benefits package that gives you flexible benefits to fit your lifestyle and priorities. This includes but is not limited to, an enhanced pension scheme, discounted or full private medical, life assurance, incentive bonus and a car scheme which will make us a market leader in sustainable company travel. Applicable roles will benefit from a motoring expenditure allowance (MEA) and everyone can access a new generation of low carbon and electric cars via the Willmott Dixon run car leasing scheme.

About Us

Willmott Dixon is a privately-owned contracting and interior fit-out group with a local regional presence throughout the UK. Founded in 1852, we are family run and dedicated to leaving a positive legacy in our communities and environment. Our passion is to create spectacular outcomes for our customers in the knowledge that our projects have a hugely beneficial impact on the UK's economic growth and prosperity.

We are also passionate about our people and have a real focus and drive to support their continuous development. We strongly believe that this passion is what differentiates us and has allowed us to enjoy considerable success in recent years, underlined by placing 5th in the 2020 Sunday Times list of Best 100 Companies to Work For - better than any other construction company. Times Top 50 employers for women 2021 as well as our platinum award for 'Investing In People'

Add to that our numerous other awards, including three Queen's Awards for Enterprise in five years; our industry-leading approach to sustainability - we have been carbon neutral since 2012; and a strong financial position, with 100% UK turnover and no bank borrowings…we believe we truly can offer a career of a lifetime.