Construction Design Manager (Capital Infrastructure)

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

We’re looking for a design leader who brings both technical precision and genuine people skills to some of the most complex capital programmes in the sector — someone who thrives at the intersection of rigorous engineering and collaborative, multi-stakeholder delivery.

This is a senior design management role with genuine breadth and influence.

You’ll play a central role in shaping and coordinating end-to-end design across a future-focused national operations facility programme, helping to ensure resilience, efficiency, and long-term capability within a design-and-build delivery model.

You’ll bridge the space between internal design teams, external design houses, specialist consultants, and the wider direct supply chain — holding the thread of design integrity across all of them. The programmes you’ll work on sit in the £50m–£500m range, spanning technically complex built environments.

This is not a back-office role. You’ll be visible, accountable, and influential — managing design quality, schedule, and multi discipline integration simultaneously, and reporting your progress clearly to senior leadership

This role can be based from Wokingham or Warwick and we continue to offer hybrid working from office and home. We are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements.

Key Accountabilities

• Leading design strategy end-to-end across all project phases
• Coordinating multidisciplinary teams — architects, engineers, consultants
• Managing the interface between NESO, design houses, and supply chain
• Owning design schedules, quality, risk, and budget control
• Leveraging BIM, Digital Twins, and design tools for integrated delivery
• Presenting clearly to senior leadership and programme directors
• Indirectly managing team members across partner organisation
• Lead, mentor, and develop the design team, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment
• Maintain clear and effective communication with internal teams and external partners
• Manage stakeholder expectations through consistent, transparent updates on design progress

About you

We’re forging the path, and we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need visionary minds like yours to join us on this transformative journey. In this case, we’re looking for someone who:

• Proven Design Manager with experience delivering capital projects (£50m–£500m) within complex-built environments
• Experience in infrastructure-led programmes e.g. data centre design or similarly technical, with a strong understanding of associated demands
• Strong understanding of the RIBA Plan of Work, including the application of relevant overlays (e.g. design, commercial, BIM) across project stages
• Experience operating within design-and-build models, with a solid grasp of supply chain dynamics and stakeholder coordination across frameworks, design houses, and specialist suppliers
• Technically credible, able to engage confidently in detailed engineering discussions and build trust with specialist design partners
• Collaborative and decisive, with the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure and competing deadlines while managing stakeholder expectations effectively through clear and timely updates on design progress
• Proficient in design and digital tools, including AutoCAD, Revit, BIM, digital twins, and project management platforms

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field.
• Membership of a body, such as RIBA, ICE, RAE or equivalent is a plus
• Professional certification in project management or design disciplines is preferred.

Research shows that some people may hesitate to apply unless they meet every requirement. At NESO, we believe potential comes in many forms and we’re committed to a fair, inclusive recruitment process where everyone can show their talents. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds to build a workforce that feels valued and respected and represents the communities we serve.

If this role sparks your interest but you’re not sure you tick every box, we still want to hear from you.

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