6-Month Fixed-Term Contract | Potential to Go Permanent
Grõ Careers Exclusive Access
A rare transition route for architects with major-project leadership experience.
For architects who’ve spent years delivering complex, high-profile projects - and discovered your real strength lies in orchestrating the process, aligning teams, managing programmes, shaping scope, and driving clarity - this is the opportunity that finally recognises that skillset.
A leading global architectural practice is expanding its in-house Project & Design Management Group, and Grõ Careers has been appointed exclusively to identify architects with proven leadership on nationally or internationally recognised projects.
This opportunity is initially offered as a 6-month fixed-term contract, with the potential to move into a permanent position thereafter.
This is a pathway designed for architects like you:
Equal parts strategist, organiser, communicator, design guardian and delivery lead.
The Opportunity
You’ll join a respected, international studio whose work spans cultural landmarks, large-scale masterplans, complex public-sector projects, education, mixed-use, civic work and major regeneration. The Project & Design Management Group sits at the centre of these projects - ensuring world-class design is delivered through precision, structure, and proactive coordination.
As a Design Manager, you will:
* Lead the design process across multiple disciplines, setting programmes, defining deliverables, shaping stage strategy and establishing workflows
* Bring clarity early - scope, design responsibility, risk, appointments, programme, information exchange, and interfaces
* Chair and coordinate project kick-offs, design team meetings, client/stakeholder workshops, and technical reviews
* Align scope, design intent and contractual obligations - identifying gaps, managing change, negotiating fees, and ensuring delivery stays on track
* Monitor and manage risk across complex projects, maintaining risk registers, ensuring compliance and championing standards
* Work closely with commercial and cost teams, advising on cost plans, tender queries and procurement processes
* Represent the studio with confidence, fostering trust with demanding clients, public authorities and consultants
This is not a diluted role.
It is a strategic position at the intersection of design quality, technical accuracy and programme control - where you influence how major projects happen, not what they look like.
Why This Role Exists
Across the industry, leading design practices are discovering what Grõ has long known:
Architects with true leadership and project-delivery depth make exceptional Design Managers.
This Group has been created to elevate that capability - embedding project management intelligence within a design-led environment, rather than outsourcing it.
Your expertise will shape flagship projects, unlock clarity for world-class design teams, and provide structure that allows creativity to flourish.
The fixed-term structure reflects an immediate project need, but there is genuine potential for this appointment to develop into a longer-term permanent opportunity for the right individual.
Who This May Appeal To
You’re an architect who has taken on far more than production.
You’ve led complex, multi-stakeholder projects, managed teams, coordinated consultants, delivered at scale, and been the one who “keeps the whole thing together.”
You might recognise yourself in experience similar to:
* Leading major projects/masterplans (£100m-£200m+) through design, coordination and delivery, potentially multi-building schemes and large consultant teams
* Establishing project set-up, programmes, DRMs, deliverables maps and workflow systems
* Managing change control, negotiating fees, advising on procurement and reviewing cost plans
* Responding to RFIs, tender queries, coordinating cross-discipline technical information at scale
* Leading planning strategies, complex or even listed building consents, stakeholder sessions and client workshops
* Chairing meetings, driving clarity, resolving ambiguity and fostering collaboration
* Developing internal standards, project templates, protocols, or toolkits
You are comfortable being the person who:
* Sees the whole board, not just the next task
* Brings order to complexity
* Represents projects with confidence
* Spots risks early
* Ensures design intent survives delivery
* Thrives where organisation, communication and leadership are valued
* Wants a career beyond traditional architectural progression
Ideal Background
We are particularly interested in architects who:
* Have 3-10 years’ experience (guide), ideally in a respected national or international design studio
* Have led large or complex projects (or substantial packages), ideally £30m-£200m+
* Understand RIBA stages 0-5, with strong coordination depth
* Have demonstrable leadership experience (3-10+ stakeholder teams)
* Are fluent in project documentation - programmes, risk registers, change logs, DRMs, tender information
* Have previously acted as Project Architect, Project Lead, or taken on partial DM/PM responsibilities
* Bring strong communication, diplomacy, and stakeholder confidence
* Want to step into a fully fledged Design/Project Management role, not just “more architecture”
* Are motivated by structure, clarity, systems, and high-performance team delivery
Why This Move Matters
This transition offers:
* A clear, respected pathway into full Design/Project Management
* Exposure to globally significant projects and international teams
* The chance to influence methodology and delivery on some of the industry’s most complex schemes
* A strong fixed-term entry point into a highly regarded in-house Project & Design Management Group
* The potential to convert into a permanent position following the initial contract
* Progression into senior DM/PM, global project leadership, or client-side roles
Architects rarely get access to this pathway - and when they do, it’s usually via Grõ.
Practical Details
Location: London
Employer: Global architectural studio (details shared with successful applicants post-screening)
Role Type: Full-time, 6-month fixed-term contract within the in-house Project Management Group
Future Potential: Scope for the role to become permanent after the initial contract
Salary: £47k-£60k (per annum) + Benefits
How to Apply
If you're an architect with leadership experience looking to transition into Design Management, this is an exceptionally rare opportunity.
Send your CV to Grõ Careers.
Shortlisted applicants will receive tailored guidance on how to frame their experience for a DM pathway, including CV and portfolio refinement.