We are looking for a Design Manager to lead and nurture our client's design team while ensuring excellence across project delivery. You will be the bridge between creative ambition and commercial delivery - driving design quality, feasibility, and innovation across a diverse portfolio of architectural and interior projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Design Leadership & Direction
- Develop and articulate the design vision for projects, from concept through to documentation and construction.
- Lead design reviews, provide thoughtful critique, and mentor senior designers and junior staff.
- Ensure design integrity while aligning with client expectations, brand goals, and regulatory requirements.
- Project Management & Delivery
- Oversee multiple projects in parallel, ensuring design milestones are met on time and within budget.
- Coordinate with internal teams (architecture, interiors, landscape) and external consultants.
- Manage risk, review design decisions for constructability, and work with the project team to resolve issues.
- Client Engagement
- Serve as a key point of contact for clients during the design phase, interpreting their brief and advocating for design solutions.
- Present design concepts, lead workshops, and facilitate feedback sessions.
- Negotiate design fees and variations, ensuring profitability without compromising on design quality.
- Quality Assurance & Design Governance
- Develop and maintain design QA/QC protocols, ensuring that drawings and documentation meet high standards.
- Establish internal design processes and ensure consistency in design output across projects.
- Implement and maintain design standards, templates, and libraries to improve efficiency.
- Team Management & Development
- Hire, mentor, and retain talented designers; develop career pathways for design staff.
- Foster a collaborative, creative studio culture, promoting continuous learning and innovation.
- Provide regular performance feedback, encourage professional growth, and champion design excellence.
- Sustainability & Innovation
- Embed sustainable design thinking and ESD (Environmentally Sustainable Design) principles throughout the design process.
- Research and propose innovative materials, technologies, and methodologies to enhance design outcomes.
- Champion design-led solutions that balance aesthetic ambition with environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
- Governance & Compliance
- Ensure design deliverables comply with statutory requirements, building codes, and other relevant regulations.
- Liaise with authorities, planners, and other stakeholders as needed during the design process.
- Contribute to risk management by ensuring design decisions are documented and justified.
- Operational & Financial Oversight
- Monitor project financials (design fees, consultant costs, profitability) and manage design budgets effectively.
- Lead value-engineering discussions when necessary to align design ambition with cost constraints.
- Track and report on design KPIs (e.g., milestone delivery, chargeable hours, design quality metrics).
- Qualifications: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design
- Experience:
- Circa 10 years in an architectural/design firm, with a portion in a senior or lead design role.
- Proven experience managing design teams and delivering design-led projects.
- Experience across multiple project phases: concept, SD/DD, documentation, and construction.
- Technical Skills:
- Strong design portfolio demonstrating creative leadership.
- Proficiency in design software (e.g., Revit, SketchUp, CAD) and documentation platforms.
- Understanding of sustainability principles, ESD, and innovative material systems.
- Leadership & Communication:
- Excellent people management skills: able to mentor, inspire, and develop a team.
- Strong presentation skills with the ability to communicate design ideas clearly.
- Commercial acumen: able to negotiate, manage budgets, and align design with financial targets.
- Problem Solving:
- Ability to think critically about constructability, cost, and design trade-offs.
- Experience in resolving design conflicts and leading value engineering.
- A collaborative, design-driven studio environment that values creativity, innovation, and quality.
- Exposure to a diverse portfolio of architectural and interior projects (residential, commercial, hospitality, etc.).
- Opportunities for professional growth and leadership — you're not just managing projects, you're leading design.
- Strong support for sustainable design initiatives and design research.
- Competitive salary package up to $150,000 + super aligned with role responsibilities and studio ambitions.
This is a pivotal role in our client's studio. The Design Manager will shape how we deliver design excellence, nurture our design talent, and maintain profitability. You’ll play a key role in balancing creativity and pragmatism: enabling innovative design while ensuring projects are commercially viable and deliverable.
