Job Details

The Design Manager (DM) is responsible for the timely development of the project design and its alignment with the project execution plan. As the project execution plan includes client expectations, scope of work packaging, delivery methods, cost budget, sequence of work, quality expectations, and planned schedule, the Design Manager establishes and manages processes on their projects to build and maintain alignment between the design and these project objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the pursuit leader to lead and manage successful competitive Design-Build and heavy Design-Assist pursuits (jobs in which we are hired before 50% DD and are expected to participate by informing the design).
• Facilitate and advise design team selections and teaming agreement negotiations.
• Review and validate A/E scopes and support fair fee negotiations that benefit the company and A/E team.
• Promote the use of GPLA as SEOR, where they can give us a strategic advantage. Otherwise, tap into GPLA for delegated, means and methods engineering, and modeling/detailing to support SPW and Prefab by implementing preferred details, promoting standard work practices, and more predictable outcomes.
• Facilitate a culture that builds and sustains open, honest, and trusting relationships with the design team.
• Support or organize and facilitate High Performing Team (HPT) project workshops to create an aligned Vision, Mission, Charter, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure successful outcomes.
• Actively engage and coordinate with the team to ensure alignment on key responsibilities in support of the design process.
• Recognize and encourage value-enhancing design iteration while driving timely design resolution that supports the project budget, project plan, and client expectations.
• Proactively identify gaps between the agreed basis of design and developing scope creep with the capability to mitigate those scope gaps.
• Manage the Program and Concept Design Validation to budget before schematic design production, enabling and steering design to budget.
• Set up and manage the internal bulletin review process to provide feedback to design teams before we accept and distribute drawings/changes to subcontractors. This is for everything up to IFC but also after – bulletin acceptance criteria and setting up and coordinating the Bulletin review (QC) meetings internally with the team.
• Develop and manage an accountable design change decision-making and change management process that enables timely design production and proactively informs the client of cost and schedule consequences for late decisions.

Experience / Skills

• Proven successful experience in Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Design/Build, and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in the design and construction phases.
• Leadership and management skills required to create one cohesive team with varying abilities and priorities.
• Multi-disciplinary fluency in architectural design, engineering, pre-construction, and construction processes.
• Ability to influence contractual differences and risks managed by the project team. Fluent in prime contract delivery systems and language with the ability to negotiate optimal deal terms and mitigation strategies leading to successful outcomes.
• Adept at the creative problem-solving of design issues by identifying optimized solutions through simultaneous consideration of cost, quality, constructability, supply chain support for construction, and overall customer value.