Design manager

Posting date:	13 March 2026
Salary:	£75,000 to £80,000 per year
Additional salary information:	car allowance
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	12 April 2026
Location:	London, London, NW1 2RT
Company:	Randstad CPE
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	PR-1496764_1773415038

Summary

We ​at randstad are seeking a proactive and technically Design Manager to join our team. This is a critical role focused on the delivery of complex Design and Build infrastructure projects. Unlike a client-side advisory role, this position requires a candidate who understands the mechanics of a self-delivery Tier 1 contractor or major Sub-Contractor.

The successful candidate will lead the design process from inception through to construction, ensuring that design deliverables are technically compliant, commercially viable, and integrated seamlessly with our self-delivery teams.​

Key Responsibilities

• Contract Management: Lead the administration of NEC3/4 Professional Services Contracts (PSC), managing relationships and deliverables across Clients, Lead Consultants, and specialized Sub-Consultants.

• Design Integration: Coordinate design development to ensure "buildability," specifically focusing on how designs interface with our internal self-delivery capabilities.

• Programme & Change Control: Rigorously assess design programmes and track progress. Identify, manage, and mitigate the impact of design changes on cost and schedule.

• Quality & Compliance: Ensure all design outputs meet rigorous safety, sustainability, and technical standards, maintaining a robust audit trail for all design decisions.

• Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the primary technical point of contact for the client, ensuring transparency and alignment between project requirements and design execution.

Requirements Essential Experience

• Contractor Background: Proven track record working directly for a Tier 1 Contractor or a major Self-Delivery Sub-Contractor. We are specifically looking for candidates with "hands-on" delivery experience rather than purely client-side management.

• D&B Expertise: Extensive experience managing Design and Build (D&B) contracts within the civil engineering or infrastructure sectors.

• Contractual Literacy: Expert-level knowledge of NEC3/4 PSC frameworks, including the management of early warnings, compensation events, and scope definition.

• Project Controls: Demonstrated ability to assess complex design programmes and evaluate the commercial/operational impact of design changes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Major Projects: Previous experience working on HS2 design schemes or similar large-scale, high-complexity infrastructure projects is highly beneficial.

• Technical Education: Degree in Civil Engineering, or a related construction discipline.

• Professional Status: Chartership (MICE, MCIOB, or equivalent) is preferred.

Randstad CPE values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are more than happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

For the purposes of the Conduct Regulations 2003, when advertising permanent vacancies we are acting as an Employment Agency, and when advertising temporary/contract vacancies we are acting as an Employment Business.