Senior Design Manager Role Summary

Residential | £75,000 – £85,000+ DOE | Covent Garden

We're proud to be partnering with an established residential developer with a strong portfolio of projects across the UK. We’re looking for a Senior Design Manager to join their London-based team and take a leading role in managing the design of projects ranging from large-scale new-build residential developments through to smaller refurbishment and interior design projects.

This is a senior, client-side position for an architecturally trained professional who has previously worked as an Architect and moved into design management. You’ll join a small, experienced design team, working across a diverse portfolio and helping shape the quality, design standards and delivery of the company's projects.

It’s a role for someone who genuinely gets into the detail of projects, can challenge consultants when needed and brings strong architectural judgement to the table.

The Role

You’ll take ownership of the design process across a range of residential projects, working closely with external consultants, design partners and internal stakeholders.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing external architects, consultants and design teams from appointment through to delivery
• Sourcing, assessing and onboarding high-quality design partners and consultants
• Managing consultant performance, programmes and design deliverables
• Reviewing design information and providing informed, qualified feedback throughout the process
• Acting as a senior design voice within the business, challenging proposals where necessary and ensuring the right outcomes are achieved
• Presenting design proposals and recommendations to senior leadership and internal stakeholders
• Quickly developing clear visual material to communicate design ideas and recommendations
• Working across projects ranging from major new-build residential developments through to smaller-scale refurbishment and interior design projects
• Supporting the development and implementation of design standards, processes and best practice
• Building strong relationships with design partners and helping develop the wider design team

About You

We’re looking for a senior architecturally trained Design Manager who understands design from both a creative and delivery perspective.

You’ll ideally have:

• Around 8–10+ years' professional experience
• An architectural education and strong architectural practice background
• Previous experience working as a Project Architect
• Proven experience moving into a client-side Design Manager / Design Management position
• Strong experience managing external architects, consultants and design teams
• A solid understanding of the residential sector and design development
• The confidence to make informed design decisions and challenge consultants when required
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to present clearly to boards and senior stakeholders
• A strong character and the confidence to hold difficult conversations while maintaining positive relationships
• A genuinely holistic approach to design, rather than a purely construction or technical background

This role is not aimed at someone coming purely from a construction-led Design Management background. The client is specifically looking for someone with strong architectural knowledge and design judgement who can bring a considered perspective to projects.

Software

You won’t be expected to draft or produce project information day-to-day, but a good working knowledge of architectural software and visual communication tools would be beneficial.

Experience with:

• Adobe Creative Suite / InDesign
• Bluebeam
• Revit or Archicad
• Other architectural visualisation and presentation tools

The ability to quickly illustrate an idea, pull together a presentation and communicate a design direction is more important than advanced technical software skills.

The Company

You’ll join an established residential developer with a dedicated in-house design team overseeing projects from large-scale construction through to smaller design and interior works.

The team has a strong focus on maintaining design quality, standards and ethos, while this new appointment will provide greater senior-level capacity across the day-to-day management of projects.

There is also genuine scope for this person to grow into a larger leadership role within the design team, making this an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to build a long-term career client-side.

What’s on offer

• £75,000 – £85,000+ salary, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate
• Senior client-side position within an established residential developer
• Based in Covent Garden
• Primarily office-based with some flexibility around WFH by agreement
• Flexible working hours
• Significant influence over design quality and project outcomes
• Opportunity to work across major residential developments and smaller-scale design projects
• Long-term progression into a senior leadership position
• A role with genuine autonomy and visibility across the wider business

Interested?

If you’re an architecturally trained Senior Design Manager who has moved from project architecture into client-side design management and wants a role where your design judgement genuinely carries weight, we’d love to hear from you.