Project Design Manager

Description
Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Project Design Manager to lead, coordinate and deliver multidisciplinary architecture and engineering design delivery across new and existing projects. The role leads interdisciplinary coordination, guides the design decision process with the Engineering Leads, and serves as a primary client and Company liaison. The Project Design Manager is responsible for coordinated, timely delivery within the agreed scope and budget; Engineering Leads and Practice Leads retain responsibility for technical design decisions, code compliance, and discipline quality.

This role requires a balanced combination of technical expertise, team leadership, and client-facing communication, ensuring seamless delivery of multidisciplinary design solutions. The ideal candidate brings a proactive approach to collaboration, innovation, and performance in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities
Design Leadership & Execution:

Lead design delivery coordination across small, medium, and large infrastructure or building projects. Align internal and external teams with project goals, schedules, budgets, and deliverables. Lead interdisciplinary coordination meetings and resolve or elevate interfaces among disciplines with engineering leads. Establish the schedule for discipline QA/QC reviews, lead coordination sessions before each submission, and confirm that review comments have been addressed. Identify apparent gaps or inconsistencies as an additional set of eyes without replacing technical review. Engineering Leads and Practice Leads remain responsible for technical design, code compliance, and discipline reviews.

Project Planning & Technical Coordination:

Coordinate early planning input from the appropriate technical leads, including feasibility, layouts, and space programming as applicable. Lead the structure and editorial review of proposals and guide development of project scopes, schedules, budgets, and performance measures with Engineering Leads. Guide and review project initiation documents prepared and maintained by the Project Coordinator. Establish phase expectations, signing and sealing requirements, internal coordination meetings, and QA/QC review milestones. Monitor staffing, schedule progress, and financial performance using records maintained by Project Coordinators, and address variances with the engineering leads. Coordinate value engineering and constructability input with Engineering Leads and the Construction Manager.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement:

Serve as a primary design delivery contact for clients and stakeholders, representing the Company and communicating project progress, decisions, risks, and changes. Lead coordination meetings, presentations, and design charrettes, bringing Engineering Leads into discussions requiring discipline expertise. Maintain productive relationships with agencies, governmental partners, and industry contacts.

Team & People Management:

Mentor junior staff, interns, and emerging design professionals. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.

Strategic & Business Development Support:

Collaborate with senior leadership on strategic initiatives, market expansion, and proposal development. Identify and pursue design innovation opportunities and industry best practices. Contribute to thought leadership through participation in professional associations and conferences.

Required Skills

Administrative Strength:

Organized and detail-oriented, with proven ability to establish project expectations; guide schedule and budget development; review staff-prepared initiation documents and status reports; and act on gaps in resources, deliverables, or financial performance.

Requests and approves project resources in coordination with Engineering Leads, who organize production staff and technical assignments. Develops project staff and ensures the team follows Company procedures. Keeps the client and Company informed of project status. Reviews financial reports and the project financial database maintained by project support staff, identifies variances, and coordinates corrective action.

Management:

Lead multidisciplinary teams, including internal staff and subconsultants, through design delivery. Set expectations for coordinated work from concept through construction administration, supervise team delivery when assigned, and represent the Company at project meetings. Coordinate field surveys and site observations with the appropriate technical staff. Identify serious delivery issues, communicate changes, and direct or elevate corrective measures. During construction, coordinate design-related RFIs, submittals, and field responses with the Construction Manager, who leads construction management and contractor coordination. Consult with the Supervisor and senior management on the status of active and future projects.

Tools:

Proficiency with project information management and coordination tools, and the ability to work effectively with design teams using discipline-specific tools and emerging technologies.

Change and Risk Management:

Identify and document project risks, scope gaps, and potential out-of-scope requests; assess their effects with Engineering Leads and coordinate changes and additional services through Company approval procedures.

Other

Travel:

Up to 25% travel on Domestic efforts.

Mentoring:

Ability to mentor interns, recent graduates internally. Offer mentoring/protégé ability to external diverse organizations.

Leadership:

Demonstrate people, team, thought and design leadership as necessary.

Collaborative:

Works well in a team environment - providing support to mentors, mutual respect with peers and team members and emerging leadership skills with teams.

Requirements
Qualifications
Education:

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering or a related discipline.

Master's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Business or related discipline.

Experience:

7–10 years of progressive experience in planning, architecture, engineering, or construction-related project delivery, including multidisciplinary coordination and client communication.

Licenses and/or Certifications:

RA, PE or pursuing a license.

Other

Valid state driver's license (any in US).

Ability to work in US.

Ability to meet worksite security requirements including MA State Police and USCBP/TSA background checks.

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