Design Manager - Architectural & Facades - Science & Research
šĀ Fitzrovia, London (with future transition to Weybridge from 2027)
Shape one of the UK's most important scientific campuses
We're looking for an experienced Design Manager (Architectural & Facades) to play a pivotal role on the National Biosecurity Centre ā a nationally significant, highly complex project at the forefront of science, security and public health.
Initially based from our Fitzrovia, London office, you'll lead the architectural and facades design packages through the PCSA phase, setting the foundations for technical excellence, buildability and delivery certainty. From 2027, the role will transition to being predominantly siteābased in Weybridge, supporting detailed delivery and construction.
The role
As a Design Manager specialising in Architecture & Facades, you'll be a trusted technical lead, ensuring design intent is translated into coordinated, compliant and buildable solutions across a highly regulated environment.
You will:
- Lead the architectural and faƧade design scope from early-stage design development through to construction readiness
- Manage and coordinate consultant architects, faƧade engineers and specialist designers
- Drive compliance with client requirements, statutory standards, fire safety, sustainability and security requirements
- Own the design programme for your packages, managing dependencies and reporting progress and risk
- Lead and contribute to collaborative design reviews, technical assurance and change control
- Ensure design solutions are optimised for buildability, quality, safety, maintenance and whole-life performance
- Act as a key interface between design, commercial, construction and supply chain teams
This is a role with genuine influence ā balancing architectural quality with the realities of delivery on a complex, highāprofile programme.
What you'll bring
We're looking for someone who blends strong architectural judgement with robust design management discipline.
You'll likely have:
- A degree in Architecture, Architectural Technology, FaƧade Engineering or a related discipline
-
5+ years' experience managing design on major construction projects
- Proven experience leading architectural and/or faƧade packages through multiple design stages
- A strong understanding of procurement routes, design responsibility and risk management
- Confidence coordinating multiple stakeholders and managing technical interfaces
- Experience working on complex, regulated or highāsecurity environments (healthcare, laboratories, infrastructure, defence or similar) ā highly desirable
- Chartered or working towards chartership with a relevant professional body (e.g. RIBA, CIAT, ICE)
Why join this programme?
- Be part of a nationally critical project with long-term societal impact
- Work at the PCSA stage, where your influence on outcomes is greatest
- Hybrid working from Fitzrovia, moving to a major flagship site in Weybridge
- Collaborate with industry-leading designers, specialists and constructors
- Work within a business that values technical excellence, innovation and sustainability
Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
We're committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are dedicated to ensuring fairness, respect and equal opportunity throughout our recruitment processes and beyond.
About Us
Laing O'Rourke are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.
Certainty, reliability, quality ā this is what our clients want. And at Laing O'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O'Rourke's story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.
As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term conditions and disabilities through the āOffer an interview scheme'. This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know if you would like to opt in to this scheme and let us know if you require any adjustments for the interview process.
We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you need the application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please emailĀ resourcingteam@laingorourke.com
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