Design Manager

Position Overview We are seeking an experienced, creative, and highly organised Design Manager to lead and coordinate design activities across projects, products, campaigns, or business initiatives. The role is responsible for maintaining design quality, functionality, consistency, technical accuracy, and timely delivery while managing designers, consultants, suppliers, and cross-functional stakeholders. The Design Manager will work closely with senior management, marketing, engineering, product, architecture, construction, operations, procurement, and external partners to translate business and technical requirements into effective, practical, and commercially viable design solutions. Key Responsibilities • Develop and implement design strategies, standards, workflows, guidelines, and processes aligned with business objectives and project requirements. • Lead design activities from initial concept development through design review, approval, production, implementation, and final delivery. • Manage internal designers, creative teams, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and external design partners. • Review design concepts, drawings, layouts, specifications, prototypes, mock-ups, presentations, and other design deliverables. • Translate business objectives, customer requirements, technical specifications, project briefs, and stakeholder expectations into clear design direction. • Prepare design briefs and establish project priorities, milestones, review stages, approval requirements, and delivery schedules. • Conduct design reviews and provide clear, constructive feedback to maintain quality and alignment with project objectives. • Ensure consistency across design outputs, including visual identity, technical requirements, materials, functionality, usability, and user experience where applicable. • Coordinate with Marketing, Product, Engineering, Architecture, Construction, Procurement, Operations, Sales, and other relevant departments. • Manage design scope, deliverables, schedules, resources, dependencies, risks, and approval timelines. • Identify design constraints, technical challenges, production limitations, cost considerations, and potential delivery risks. • Evaluate materials, technologies, finishes, manufacturing methods, specifications, and proposed solutions based on quality, functionality, cost, and feasibility. • Coordinate with suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, consultants, and production teams to ensure approved designs can be delivered accurately. • Review technical drawings, documentation, prototypes, samples, production specifications, and design revisions where applicable. • Maintain effective version control, design records, approvals, revisions, and change-management documentation. • Ensure all design deliverables comply with project specifications, quality standards, brand guidelines, safety requirements, and applicable regulations. • Monitor design budgets, external consultant costs, supplier quotations, production expenses, and resource requirements. • Support procurement activities by reviewing design specifications, technical requirements, samples, materials, and supplier submissions. • Conduct research into design trends, customer preferences, competitor activities, emerging technologies, materials, and industry developments. • Identify opportunities for innovation, improved functionality, sustainability, cost efficiency, and enhanced customer experience. • Organise design meetings, workshops, presentations, stakeholder reviews, site visits, and approval sessions. • Present design concepts, recommendations, progress updates, risks, and proposed solutions to senior management, clients, and project stakeholders. • Gather stakeholder feedback and coordinate revisions while maintaining project objectives, budgets, schedules, and quality standards. • Support recruitment, onboarding, training, mentoring, and performance development of design team members. • Maintain confidentiality of design concepts, intellectual property, technical information, client information, project documentation, and company materials. • Prepare design reports, progress updates, presentations, documentation, and management summaries. • Identify opportunities to improve design workflows, collaboration, documentation, quality control, and overall project delivery. Requirements • Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Design, Architecture, Engineering, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Product Design, or a related discipline. • Proven experience in design management, creative leadership, project design, architecture, product development, engineering design, or a related field. • Strong portfolio demonstrating design leadership, project involvement, problem-solving, and successful design delivery. • Strong understanding of design principles, development processes, technical documentation, quality control, and design review procedures. • Experience managing designers, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and multidisciplinary project teams. • Proficiency in relevant software such as Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks, SketchUp, Figma, or other discipline-specific design tools. • Strong project management skills with the ability to manage scope, schedules, resources, budgets, approvals, and deadlines. • Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills. • Strong creative thinking combined with commercial awareness and practical understanding of technical and business requirements. • Excellent attention to detail with the ability to review complex design, technical, and project information. • Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities with a practical approach to design challenges. • Experience working with suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, agencies, consultants, or external design partners. • Understanding of relevant industry standards, safety requirements, quality standards, sustainability principles, and regulatory requirements. • Strong leadership and team-development skills with the ability to provide direction, coaching, feedback, and mentoring. • Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment. • Professional certifications, industry memberships, or relevant qualifications related to the design discipline are an advantage. • Show more Show less

Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Design, Architecture, Engineering, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Product Design, or a related discipline. Proven experience in design management, creative leadership, project design, architecture, product development, engineering design, or a related field. Strong portfolio demonstrating design leadership, project involvement, problem-solving, and successful design delivery. Strong understanding of design principles, development processes, technical documentation, quality control, and design review procedures. Experience managing designers, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and multidisciplinary project teams. Proficiency in relevant software such as Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks, SketchUp, Figma, or other discipline-specific design tools. Strong project management skills with the ability to manage scope, schedules, resources, budgets, approvals, and deadlines. Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills. Strong creative thinking combined with commercial awareness and practical understanding of technical and business requirements. Excellent attention to detail with the ability to review complex design, technical, and project information. Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities with a practical approach to design challenges. Experience working with suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, agencies, consultants, or external design partners. Understanding of relevant industry standards, safety requirements, quality standards, sustainability principles, and regulatory requirements. Strong leadership and team-development skills with the ability to provide direction, coaching, feedback, and mentoring. Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Professional certifications, industry memberships, or relevant qualifications related to the design discipline are an advantage.

Develop and implement design strategies, standards, workflows, guidelines, and processes aligned with business objectives and project requirements. Lead design activities from initial concept development through design review, approval, production, implementation, and final delivery. Manage internal designers, creative teams, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and external design partners. Review design concepts, drawings, layouts, specifications, prototypes, mock-ups, presentations, and other design deliverables. Translate business objectives, customer requirements, technical specifications, project briefs, and stakeholder expectations into clear design direction. Prepare design briefs and establish project priorities, milestones, review stages, approval requirements, and delivery schedules. Conduct design reviews and provide clear, constructive feedback to maintain quality and alignment with project objectives. Ensure consistency across design outputs, including visual identity, technical requirements, materials, functionality, usability, and user experience where applicable. Coordinate with Marketing, Product, Engineering, Architecture, Construction, Procurement, Operations, Sales, and other relevant departments. Manage design scope, deliverables, schedules, resources, dependencies, risks, and approval timelines. Identify design constraints, technical challenges, production limitations, cost considerations, and potential delivery risks. Evaluate materials, technologies, finishes, manufacturing methods, specifications, and proposed solutions based on quality, functionality, cost, and feasibility. Coordinate with suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, consultants, and production teams to ensure approved designs can be delivered accurately. Review technical drawings, documentation, prototypes, samples, production specifications, and design revisions where applicable. Maintain effective version control, design records, approvals, revisions, and change-management documentation. Ensure all design deliverables comply with project specifications, quality standards, brand guidelines, safety requirements, and applicable regulations. Monitor design budgets, external consultant costs, supplier quotations, production expenses, and resource requirements. Support procurement activities by reviewing design specifications, technical requirements, samples, materials, and supplier submissions. Conduct research into design trends, customer preferences, competitor activities, emerging technologies, materials, and industry developments. Identify opportunities for innovation, improved functionality, sustainability, cost efficiency, and enhanced customer experience. Organise design meetings, workshops, presentations, stakeholder reviews, site visits, and approval sessions. Present design concepts, recommendations, progress updates, risks, and proposed solutions to senior management, clients, and project stakeholders. Gather stakeholder feedback and coordinate revisions while maintaining project objectives, budgets, schedules, and quality standards. Support recruitment, onboarding, training, mentoring, and performance development of design team members. Maintain confidentiality of design concepts, intellectual property, technical information, client information, project documentation, and company materials. Prepare design reports, progress updates, presentations, documentation, and management summaries. Identify opportunities to improve design workflows, collaboration, documentation, quality control, and overall project delivery.