Design Manager
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Design Manager
£50,000 - £60,000 + progression + benefits package
Central Bristol Office, 1 day a week from home
A rare and exciting opportunity for an Architect with a strong technical background to join a thriving refurbishment contractor, working across a variety of fast-paced developments with clear progression opportunities.
Are you an Architect or Architectural Technician with refurbishment experience? Do you have a strong understanding of RIBA Stages 3-5 and are looking to move into a contractor environment?
This well-established contractor specialises in design and build refurbishment and has built a strong reputation delivering high-quality student accommodation projects across the UK. With continued growth in the sector, they have secured multiple contracts with leading accommodation providers, resulting in a significant increase in turnover and a strong pipeline of upcoming work. As a result, they are now looking to appoint a Design Manager to play a key role in streamlining and enhancing design processes across the business.
In this role, you will take ownership of projects from RIBA Stage 2 through to Stage 5, ensuring a smooth and coordinated design journey through to delivery. You will manage key external stakeholders including Architects, Structural Engineers and Building Surveyors, while reviewing and coordinating drawings to ensure full compliance with building regulations. Acting as the link between design and construction, you will lead design team meetings alongside site teams, resolve technical queries, and carry out quality checks to ensure designs are practical, buildable, and delivered to a high standard.
The ideal candidate will come from an Architectural background and be either an aspiring or established Design Manager, with strong experience working on refurbishment projects. You will be confident managing multiple schemes and motivated by the opportunity to take ownership within a growing business.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual looking to move into a contractor-based role, working on fast-paced refurbishment projects and overseeing the full design function. The role offers variety, autonomy, and genuine long-term progression within a rapidly expanding business.
The Role:
* Lead and manage the design process across refurbishment projects
* Coordinate external stakeholders including Architects, Structural Engineers and Building Surveyors
* Review drawings and conduct quality checks for compliance and buildability
* Chair design team meetings and drive technical resolution
* Oversee projects from concept through to completion
The Person:
* Architectural or Architectural Technologist qualification (or equivalent)
* Proven refurbishment project experience
* Strong knowledge of RIBA Stages 3-5
* Confident stakeholder management skills
* Full UK Driving Licence
Reference: BBBH272841
To apply for this role or for to be considered for further roles, please click "Apply Now" or contact Zoe Cann at Rise Technical Recruitment.
Rise Technical Recruitment Ltd acts an employment agency for permanent roles and an employment business for temporary roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set and will be decided by our client, the employer. Rise are not responsible or liable for any hiring decisions made by the end client.
We are an equal opportunities company and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight your RIBA Stages 3-5 experience prominently as this is specifically mentioned as essential knowledge
🏗️ Emphasise refurbishment project experience with specific examples, as this contractor specialises in refurbishment work
👥 Showcase your stakeholder management skills, particularly coordinating with Architects, Structural Engineers and Building Surveyors
📋 Detail your experience with building regulations compliance and drawing reviews to demonstrate technical competency
🎯 Position yourself as someone ready to move into a contractor environment if coming from consultancy background
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Managed design coordination for 8 student accommodation refurbishment projects worth £12M, ensuring RIBA Stage 3-5 compliance and on-time delivery
- •Led stakeholder meetings with 15+ external Architects and Structural Engineers, reducing design queries by 35% through proactive technical resolution
- •Implemented quality assurance processes for drawing reviews, achieving 98% building regulations compliance across 6 concurrent refurbishment schemes
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Letter preview — tailored to Rise Technical Recruitment Limited
Dear Hiring Manager,
Rise Technical Recruitment's Design Manager position perfectly aligns with my architectural background and refurbishment expertise. My proven experience with RIBA Stages 3-5 and stakeholder coordination across construction projects makes me well-suited to streamline design processes for your student accommodation developments.
My background in architectural design and project management has equipped me with the technical skills to review drawings for building regulations compliance, coordinate external consultants, and resolve complex technical queries between design and construction teams.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Walk me through your experience with RIBA Stages 3-5 on a recent refurbishment project
- ›How do you ensure building regulations compliance when reviewing drawings?
- ›Describe a time when you had to resolve a technical query between design and construction teams
- ›What quality checks do you perform to ensure designs are buildable?
- ›How do you coordinate multiple external stakeholders on a design project?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities across multiple refurbishment schemes
- ›Describe a situation where you had to take ownership of a challenging design process
- ›Give an example of how you've streamlined design processes in a previous role
- ›Tell me about a time you had to chair a difficult design team meeting
- ›Describe how you've adapted to working in a fast-paced construction environment
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities across multiple refurbishment schemes
Describe a situation where you had to take ownership of a challenging design process