Job Title: Design Manager - MOJ
Location: Heage with regular travel to Derbyshire & Woking
Salary: Competitive
Job Type: Full‑time, permanent, 40 hours per week over 5 days
About Bowmer + Kirkland:
Since being established in 1923 Bowmer + Kirkland has grown to become one of the most successful privately‑owned, family‑run construction groups in the UK. Our Investors in People accreditation demonstrates our commitment to our staff and we are Scheme Partners of the Considerate Constructors Scheme – a distinction earned by only a select number of high‑performing contractors.
We are looking to strengthen our team with an experienced Design Manager, ideally with MOJ project experience, to lead the coordination and delivery of design for projects at HMP Foston Hall and HMP Coldingley.
Role Overview
As Design Manager, you will manage the design intent through detailed interrogation, coordination, and leadership across the full project lifecycle, ensuring compliance with the Building Safety Act, CDM Regulations, statutory approvals, and B+K's internal governance.
You will collaborate with clients, consultants, specialist subcontractors, and internal teams to ensure design excellence, programme certainty, buildability, and embed health and safety and digital innovation throughout. You will be key to ensuring information flows smoothly among B+K, subcontractors, consultants, and the client, contributing to the delivery of high‑quality, well‑coordinated projects.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead the management of the design process across one or more projects
* Coordinate the full design team, including consultants and design‑and‑build subcontractors
* Manage the design programme, RFIs, change control, and document control processes
* Ensure designs comply with Building Regulations, planning conditions, CDM, and other statutory requirements
* Drive Safety in Design (SiD) and embed buildability and health & safety risk mitigation
* Oversee BIM coordination, clash detection reviews, and digital model audits
* Support tendering, value engineering, and pre‑construction activities
* Maintain a high level of technical and commercial awareness in all design decision‑making
* Engage in client meetings and lead proactive design‑based communication
* Participate in lessons learned and best practice forums to enhance our delivery model
* Mentor junior design team members and support CPD development
About the role
The successful candidate will demonstrate exceptional leadership, a robust understanding of delivery in a main contracting environment, and the ability to work collaboratively with key project stakeholders. A relentless focus on safe delivery, programme certainty, stakeholder engagement, and quality assurance is essential.
Key Skills & Experience
* Proven experience in a design management role within a main contracting environment
* Experience on MoJ schemes is preferred; experience in commercial or education sectors is also accepted, with high‑value projects also required
* Strong technical design background with a degree (or equivalent) in a construction‑related discipline
* Solid understanding of current regulations (Building Safety Act, CDM, Building Regulations, etc.)
* Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing specialist subcontractors
* Skilled in BIM processes and platforms such as Viewpoint 4P
* Proactive, organised, and a confident communicator
* Capability to manage a range of project types, tight deadlines, and complex design scopes
Benefits
* 25 days holiday per year plus 8 bank holidays and Christmas Eve
* Entry into the Group Personal Pension Scheme
* Private Health Insurance (subject to a qualifying period)
* Eye care voucher scheme
* Training & Development Opportunities
Bowmer + Kirkland are an equal‑opportunity employer. We are a disability‑confident employer and actively encourage applicants covered under the Equality Act to apply. Please contact HR in advance of an interview to discuss any adjustments that are required to support you in the process.
Candidates with the following experience and relevant job titles – Design Coordinator, Design and Build Manager, Technical Manager, Design Engineer, Principal Designer, Design Lead, Technical Coordinator, Engineering Program Manager, Ministry of Justice Project Designer – may also be considered for this role.
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