Senior Design Manager

Stepnell; Rugby; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A construction firm is seeking a Senior Design Manager in Rugby to lead design processes across various projects. Responsibilities include ensuring compliance, managing design teams, and driving improvements. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in contractor design, especially in the education sector, along with strong leadership and technical skills. The firm offers competitive benefits, including an enhanced pension scheme and comprehensive health coverage, fostering a collaborative environment.

Benefits

Enhanced pension scheme

Annual leave that increases with service

Health coverage

Car allowance or company car

Qualifications

• Experience in the education sector is preferred.
• Ability to provide leadership through the design process.
• Deep knowledge of construction methodologies and materials.

Responsibilities

• Deliver complete and accurate design information for construction.
• Ensure design compliance with contractual agreements and regulations.
• Collaborate with the pre-construction team during bidding.
• Proactively manage design selections and appointments.

Skills

Contractor design experience

Technical expertise

Project management skills

Leadership in design process

Knowledge of construction methodologies

Managing multidisciplinary design teams

Job description

At Stepnell, we understand that design management is critically important to a construction project because it bridges the gap between design and execution, ensuring that the project meet their objectives in terms of quality, cost, and time. We are looking to grow our Stepnell team and recruit a Senior Design Manager to lead design on all Oxfordshire and some of our South Midlands projects. As Design Manager you will lead and manage external design consultants, design subcontractors and construction team inputs on projects from our Wantage and occasionally our Rugby office.

Responsibilities

• Deliver complete, accurate, commercially viable design information for construction and procurement process
• Ensure design compliance to project contractual agreements, budgets and regulations
• Develop and maintain BIM principle
• Collaborate with the pre-construction team through the bidding process
• Proactively drive project and design improvements
• Review all tender documentation to reduce risk and ensure all tender design complies with building regulations
• Support and advise on delivery and attend project meetings as required by the Contracts Manager
• Proactively manage the selection and appointment of design and specialist consultants, utility services and third party surveyors
• Leads and implements appropriate BIM execution plans.

Ideal Candidate

• Previous contractor design experience ideally specialising in the education sector
• You’ll have a blend of technical expertise, project management skills, and the ability to provide leadership through the design process
• Deep knowledge of construction methodologies, materials, and techniques, as well as the ability to translate design into buildable solutions
• Experience managing multidisciplinary design teams, including architects, engineers, and consultants, ensuring their work aligns with project goals.

Why Stepnell

At Stepnell, we’re passionate about empowering our people to thrive. We believe in building fulfilling and rewarding careers by investing in talent, nurturing growth, and inspiring innovation. With the prestigious Investors in People Gold accreditation, we’re proud to place our people at the heart of everything we do. Every team member is valued, and curiosity and collaboration are central to our team culture. We’re committed to enabling our people to make a real impact and drive meaningful change throughout our business.

To show our appreciation, we offer generous and competitive benefits including, an enhanced pension scheme with a Stepnell contribution of 7% to help secure your financial future, annual leave that increases with service and the flexibility to purchase more, a market leading employee referral scheme, and for eligible roles comprehensive health coverage, adjustable start and finish times and a car allowance or company car.

Join us in a collaborative and inclusive environment where your well‑being is our priority, and your contributions are truly valued.

About Stepnell

As a family‑owned business with over 155 years of history, Stepnell is built on stability, trust, and long‑term thinking. We make decisions with the future in mind for our people, our clients, and our communities.

Our capabilities span construction, property development, energy solutions, joinery, and concrete repair, allowing us to offer integrated services that meet a wide range of client needs. Operating through seven regional offices in Rugby, Nottingham, Liverpool, Wantage, Bristol, Southampton, and Poolevand across three core business units, we maintain a strong local presence while delivering consistently high standards. Today, repeat clients account for 75% of our turnover a testament to our reliability and the quality of our relationships.