Design Manager: Healthcare & DfE Projects
Location: London
The Role
We are recruiting an experienced Design Manager to work on Healthcare and Department for Education (DfE) projects across London. This role is ideally suited to a Design Manager with strong experience delivering technically complex refurbishment, cut & carve and new build projects within regulated public-sector settings.
You will be responsible for managing the full design process, ensuring compliance with strict statutory, clinical, and educational requirements while coordinating multiple stakeholders in constrained and operational environments.
Key Responsibilities
* Manage and coordinate the design process for Healthcare and DfE projects.
* Lead design development from RIBA Stage 3 through construction and handover
* Coordinate architects, structural and MEP engineers, specialist consultants, and subcontractors
* Manage design risk associated with existing buildings, live environments, and phased works
* Oversee statutory approvals including Building Regulations, fire strategy, planning conditions, and sector-specific compliance
* Support value engineering and buildability reviews in collaboration with commercial and construction teams
* Maintain design programmes, design registers, RFIs, and change control processes
* Chair design team meetings and technical workshops with clients and end users
Requirements
* Proven experience as a Design Manager delivering Healthcare and/or DfE education projects
* Strong understanding of refurbishment, cut & carve, and working within live buildings
* Experience working for a main contractor or construction management consultancy
* Solid knowledge of HTMs, HBNs, and DfE technical standards
* Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
* Strong understanding of UK Building Regulations and compliance-driven design
Desirable
* Experience working with Department for Education frameworks
* Experience on hospital, clinical, school, or higher education projects
* Central London project experience
* BIM Level 2 / digital coordination experience
What’s on Offer
* Competitive salary and benefits package
* Opportunity to deliver meaningful public-sector projects with real social impact
* Long-term project pipeline within Healthcare and Education sectors
* Supportive, professional team environment