Principal Designer
Location: Chichester / Hybrid
Salary: £45,000 - £55,000 (DOE)
Sector: Construction, Health & Safety
A leading multi-disciplinary consultancy is seeking a dynamic and experienced Principal Designer to join their growing team. This is an excellent opportunity to take ownership of multiple projects, ensuring full compliance with CDM regulations and health & safety standards, while supporting design delivery from inception to completion.
This role is ideal for a motivated individual with strong technical and leadership skills who can manage teams, liaise with clients, and play a central role in driving health & safety strategy across diverse architectural projects.
Key Responsibilities:
Act as Principal Designer across a range of projects, ensuring regulatory compliance and design risk mitigation.
Lead and manage project delivery across all RIBA stages, aligning with client expectations, programme and budget.
Oversee health & safety documentation including pre-construction information and risk assessments.
Provide expert guidance on CDM and Building Safety Act 2022 requirements.
Work collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders to manage design risk and compliance.
Mentor junior staff and lead knowledge sharing across the team.
Support design reviews, deliver training, and maintain ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards.
Foster client relationships and contribute to business development efforts.
Candidate Requirements:
Demonstrable experience working as a Principal Designer within the built environment.
Strong working knowledge of UK building regulations, CDM 2015 and the Building Safety Act 2022.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, AutoCAD and Revit.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage confidently with clients, stakeholders, and design teams.
Proven leadership and mentoring capabilities.
Familiarity with pre-construction health & safety management and competence declarations.
Experience managing projects through the full lifecycle.
Qualifications & Professional Memberships:
RIBA or APS Principal Designer (required)
NEBOSH (or working towards)
IOSH or APS membership (or working towards)
ARB/RIBA chartership (desirable)