Design Manager

About the role

The Design Manager is responsible for the technical demands of facilitating project design and permitting process. The Design Manager helps successfully deliver Webcor projects by managing the design process, ensuring the design team has the information needed to meet all deliverables, and coordinating with various departments.

Responsibilities

• Partners with the Owner to develop and maintain design documentation.
• Manages the overall design process and schedule.
• Serves as the primary communication channel between the design team and Webcor.
• Ensures the design team has the information needed to meet all deliverables.
• Makes sure design submittals, permitting, and approvals are monitored and developed.
• Manages the RFI process between the owner and design team.
• Reviews design submittals for compliance with Technical Provisions.
• Ledges design meetings and workshops and maintains accurate records.
• Coordinates with Operations, Scheduling, Estimating, and Document Control to align design, procurement, and information-sharing workflows.
• Establishes BIM protocols with VDC and ensures design team compliance.
• Leads and documents constructability reviews and manages related comments.
• Coordinates site access needs between the design team and Operations.
• Reviews subtrade bid scopes for completeness and provides feedback to Estimating.
• Participates in subtrade buyout and third-party interface meetings.
• Manages the Critical Issues schedule.
• Leads the technical and design process from Design Development through Construction and Occupancy.
• Provides design leadership with the Project Executive/Director and Preconstruction team.
• Ensures clear communication between Designers, Construction teams, and the client.
• Coordinates with Authorities Having Jurisdiction.
• Advocates for Owner design requirements and aligns designer/builder efforts.
• Provides technical guidance for bids and tenders.
• Documents design decisions and verifies follow-through.
• Implements and monitors compliance with the Webcor Design Management Plan.
• Manages design coordinators and maintains design processes.
• Defines, schedules, and monitors the quality of design deliverables.
• Establishes design document expectations, packaging strategy, milestones, and quality metrics.
• Informs stakeholders of design status, quality, and risks.
• Reviews design progress to prevent cost or scope creep.
• Solves design document conflicts.
• Hosts Engineered Value sessions to optimize cost and materials.
• Ensures project specifications meet regulatory and Owner requirements.
• Develops RFPs and prepares scopes of work for design firms and design-assist partners.
• Coordinates budgets, communicates changes, and aligns design with target values.
• Coordinates permits and utility services with the Owner.
• Reviews development agreements to ensure Webcor compliance.
• Coordinates subcontractor budgets and scopes for design-build and design-assist partners.
• Maintains design between estimate updates and identifies corrective actions to maintain budget.
• Integrates design deliverables with construction schedules.
• Develops internal cost analyses and design metrics.
• Updates Webcor Best Practices and leads Design Management training.

Requirements

• Proven experience in technical design development and managing design consultants and effective design documentation (Architectural, Structural, MEP/ HVAC etc.) and other relevant trades.
• Ability to think in a highly structured manner along all design disciplines while also having the required creativity to develop specialized solutions and anticipate potential challenges and opportunities.
• Enjoy working in an interdisciplinary team environment while keeping an independent professional view on the design.
• Specific technical expertise in building enclosures or MEP systems preferred.
• Strong computer skills including proficiency in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and software programs (Microsoft products, Revit, Navisworks, QTO, etc.).
• Good understanding of the technical aspects of all building systems.
• Understands design, construction and operations and legal perspective of design.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to build effective and strong relationships with Risk Management/Legal, Executive Management and owners/architects/engineers.
• Ability to effectively lead, manage and mentor staff.
• Clearly defines goals, understands audiences, manages productive meetings, manages and builds team morale.
• Advanced communication skills. Ability to address an audience of various sizes and effectively communicate his/her message and ideas.
• Advanced decision quality and use of sound judgement.
• Advanced customer focus and the ability to work cohesively with many constituents.

Skills

• Proven experience working in the design phase of a project and ability to direct design team to positive outcomes.

Education and Work Experience

• Licensed Architect/Engineer with at least 10 years of industry experience as a technical architect/engineer.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Architecture preferred, or equivalent experience.
• Professional Engineer or Registered Architect preferred.
• Affiliations with Professional Organizations preferred (AIA, CSI, ASHRAE, etc.).