Job Details

Join to apply for the Senior Design Manager role at GPLA Structural Engineers and Builders.

As a member of the project leadership team, the Senior Design Manager (SDM) is responsible for the timely development of the project design and its alignment with the project execution plan. The SDM establishes and manages processes on their projects to build and maintain alignment between the design and project objectives, ensuring integration of design, construction, and client expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the pursuit leader to lead and manage successful competitive Design‑Build and heavy Design‑Assist pursuits, where we are hired before 50% design development and are expected to participate by informing the design.
• Facilitate and advise design team selections and teaming agreement negotiations.
• Review and validate A/E scopes and support fair fee negotiations that benefit the contractor and the A/E team.
• Promote the use of the firm as SEOR, leveraging strategic advantage, and tap into delegated, means and methods engineering, modeling/detailing to support SPW and Prefab by implementing preferred details and standard work practices.
• Facilitate integration of Self‑Perform Work (SPW), Digital Building Components (DBC), Prefabrication, Technical Design Services, EIG, SurePods and Vueops into the design and fabrication model where value is added to the project.
• Understand ways the design creates opportunity for prefabrication, self‑performed work, and modularization to deliver more project value while enabling their successful integration into the design and fabrication process.
• Facilitate a culture that builds and sustains open, honest, trusting relationships with the design team.
• Support or organize and facilitate High Performing Team (HPT) project workshops to create an aligned vision, mission, charter and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure successful outcomes.
• Organize and support cluster group, or similar, formation strategy during the design phase and project workshops; align and sustain the team in delivering a Design Execution Plan that streamlines design and preconstruction processes.
• Utilize a comprehensive understanding of design scope contract risk to develop a mitigation plan for effectively managing design‑related project risk.
• Evaluate the project for needed design scope and develop a comprehensive strategy for integrating all stakeholder design responsibilities, including design assist, delegated design, and deferred design, into a seamless and complete design scope.
• Understand and use the Owner's business case and steer the design to meet client expectations.
• Actively engage and coordinate with the contractor team to ensure alignment on key responsibilities in support of the design process.
• Recognize and encourage value‑enhancing design iteration while driving timely design resolution that supports the project budget, plan and client expectations.
• Proactively identify gaps between the agreed basis of design and developing scope creep with the capability to mitigate those gaps.
• Manage the Program and Concept Design Validation to budget prior to schematic design production, enabling and steering design‑to‑budget.
• Work with Authorities Having Jurisdiction to establish the appropriate design package permit submittal review process ahead of the start of permitting.
• Lead and facilitate Milestone Alignment Planning (MAP) workshops to align design production with the needs of construction, identify design packages (including non‑traditional fast‑track not supported by traditional SD/DD/CD design package definitions), prescribe design package acceptance criteria and drive timely complete design package delivery to enable a seamless supply‑chain aligned with planned construction.
• Schedule and lead Design Quality & Constructability Reviews, aligning the design team with how we present information and close items through proven integration into the design and continued tracking of unclosed items for incorporation into the project risk mitigation plan.
• Set up and manage the internal bulletin review process to provide feedback to design teams before we accept and distribute drawings/changes to subcontractors, covering everything up to IFC and beyond.
• Develop and manage an accountable design change decision‑making and change management process that enables timely design production and proactively informs the client of cost and schedule consequences for late decisions.
• Implement the firm's Design Acceptance Criteria process – collaboratively and proactively managing quality into the design with the architect, and into the quality control plan; creating acceptance criteria for Basis of Design, non‑traditional design packages, traditional SD, DD, CD packages, RFI's and supplemental post‑IFC bulletins.

Qualifications

• Proven successful experience in Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Design/Build and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in the design and construction phases.
• Architectural or technical background in managing the design coordination process.
• In‑depth knowledge of all aspects of a construction project including design coordination, permitting, and model coordination, shop drawing process.
• In‑depth knowledge of Building Information Modeling software including AutoCAD, Autodesk Building Design Suite, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Navisworks, Trimble Tekla Structures and other similar platforms.
• Good communication and people skills and management skills.
• Ability to influence contractual differences and risks managed by the project team. Fluent in prime contract delivery systems and language with the ability to negotiate optimal deal terms and mitigation strategies leading to successful outcomes.
• Adept at creative problem‑solving of design issues by identifying optimized solutions through simultaneous consideration of cost, quality, constructability, supply‑chain support for construction and overall customer value.
• Ability to travel to the job sites or to design team offices when required.
• Providing constructability and cost feedback to the design team on various design options.
• Providing estimating and quantity take‑offs to various designs.
• A Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction Management or equivalent engineering discipline.
• At least 6–10 years of experience in a Construction Management, General contracting or Architectural firm in project engineering or project management roles.
• Minimum 6 years of experience working on construction projects either in the field or in field office.
• Proficiency with BIM software including AutoCAD, Autodesk Building Design Suite, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Navisworks, Trimble Tekla Structures and other similar platforms.
• Proficiency with Lean Construction scheduling techniques such as Last Planner system, Pull planning and Critical Path method scheduling.

Anticipated Starting Pay Range: $170,000.00-$291,000.00

Nothing is more important than your health and wellness. The firm offers a variety of medical, dental, vision and wellness benefits to keep you healthy. Read more about eligibility and available benefits programs.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology