Lead Design Manager - Major Mixed-Use Development

Job Title - Lead Design Manager - Major Mixed-Use Development

Location: Central London
Salary: Up to £120,000 + Bonus + Benefits Package
Contract: Permanent, Full-Time
Sector: Commercial | Residential | Mixed-Use | Major Retrofit

The Opportunity

Cobalt Recruitment is working with a leading international property developer to appoint an experienced Lead Design Manager to play a key role in delivering a landmark mixed-use redevelopment in Central London.

This is an excellent opportunity to join an established developer with an impressive track record of delivering high-quality commercial and mixed-use developments across Europe.

The successful candidate will lead the technical design development of a major 2.5-acre, multi-building redevelopment, currently at early concept design stage.

The project involves the transformation and reuse of existing buildings, alongside commercial, residential and mixed-use spaces, with a strong focus on sustainability, design efficiency and technical excellence.

This is a senior client-side position offering significant responsibility and the opportunity to influence the technical direction of a major London development.

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Living and Commercial, you will lead technical design development across multiple buildings, ensuring designs are fully coordinated, technically compliant, commercially viable and deliverable.

Working with internal development teams, architects, engineers, consultants and contractors, you will oversee design from early concept through procurement, construction and completion.

The position requires someone with strong technical expertise, leadership skills, commercial awareness and a comprehensive understanding of the development process.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical design development across a major mixed-use, retrofit-led redevelopment.
• Manage multidisciplinary design teams, including architects, structural engineers and MEP consultants.
• Oversee RIBA Stages 1-3, identifying and mitigating technical risks.
• Manage design briefs, consultant appointments, scopes of works and programmes.
• Lead technical strategies covering structural reuse, façades, building services and retrofit solutions.
• Coordinate surveys, intrusive investigations and technical assessments.
• Drive buildability reviews, construction methodologies and logistics planning.
• Ensure compliance with Building Regulations, CDM and the Building Safety Act, including Gateway requirements.
• Identify value engineering opportunities, manage design changes and maintain cost certainty.
• Improve design efficiency, including gross-to-net ratios and structural and MEP solutions.
• Manage consultant fees, design budgets, programmes and technical reporting.
• Prepare procurement documentation, including Employer's Requirements and design responsibility matrices.
• Oversee contractor design activities throughout construction.
• Lead design meetings and report progress to senior stakeholders.
• Support sustainability objectives, including net zero carbon and environmental certifications.

About You

We are seeking an experienced Lead Design Manager, Senior Design Manager or Technical Design Manager with a strong background in complex construction and development projects.

The ideal candidate will have experience managing multidisciplinary design teams and the ability to apply practical construction knowledge to early-stage design.

Essential Experience:

• Ideally 10+ years' design management experience within construction or property development.
• Client-side design management experience gained with a developer or main contractor.
• Experience managing projects from concept through construction and completion.
• Strong technical understanding of refurbishment, retrofit and mixed-use developments.
• Experience managing consultant teams, design briefs and technical programmes.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Building Regulations, CDM and the Building Safety Act.
• Experience coordinating structural, architectural and MEP packages.
• Strong commercial awareness, leadership and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Experience:

• Major Central London development experience.
• Complex retrofit projects involving retained structures and building services integration.
• Residential, hospitality, commercial or mixed-use projects.
• Design and build procurement and contractor design management.
• Knowledge of BREEAM, NABERS, WELL or WiredScore.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Lead technical design on a landmark Central London redevelopment.
• Influence key design decisions from the earliest stages.
• Work on a complex retrofit-led scheme with strong sustainability ambitions.
• Join an established international developer with an impressive portfolio.
• Enjoy a senior client-side role with exposure to key decision-makers.
• Competitive salary up to £120,000 + bonus and benefits package.

Interested?

For a confidential discussion, please contact Luke Kinsey at Cobalt Recruitment.

Applications are welcomed from experienced Design Managers with developer or main contractor backgrounds.

All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.