Design Manager (US)

Role Overview: The Design Manager is responsible for managing the project design process, weekly activities, and client coordination for assigned projects. Each Design Manager will lead the coordination of their assigned projects, ensuring adherence to schedules, design standards, and quality processes. They will develop comprehensive project knowledge, oversee planning, internal and external coordination, reviews, while directly engaging with clients to ensure project alignment and success.

Location: Remote – United States (EST)

Key Responsibilities:

Design Project Leadership

• Oversee and ensure successful project delivery, from kick-off and design assist/development through shop drawings, material take-offs, and fabrication drawings.
• Lead the design development phase to generate design options for approval, and eventually finalize the project system drawings, prior to starting the shop drawings.
• Develop in-depth knowledge of the project and act as the project subject matter expert in all project meetings.
• Customer of UAE design team, overseeing the results of team through the UAE Director of Design.
• Ensure design integration of manufacturing and installation requirements, adhering to project and industry standards.
• Maintain precision, detail, and simplicity in complex geometries.
• Standardize designs to maintain consistency, efficiency, and quality.
• Participate in Value Engineering reviews to ensure optimal engineering costs.
• Foster a collaborative and supportive team environment, encouraging open communication and knowledge sharing among remote team members.

Project Management

• Manage and own design project schedules, monitoring milestones and reviewing 6-weeks lookahead schedule with the Building Blocks Design & Engineering Team, driving schedule adherence, and providing weekly updates to external and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with internal customers (procurement, production, installation) to ensure design deliverables align with overall project requirements and constraints.
• Identify and mitigate design or scheduling risks early in the project, escalating issues when necessary to keep the project on course.
• Oversee weekly progress on deliverables, ensuring team adherence to project timelines.
• Coordinate closely with the client, providing regular updates and managing expectations.
• Facilitate design reviews and coordinate client feedback to ensure alignment.

Client Interaction

• Act as primary point of technical contact for clients, attending weekly project meetings, ensuring clear, consistent, and timely communication.
• Coordinate and lead client design meetings or reviews, presenting updates and technical solutions in a clear and professional manner.
• Manage client expectations and communications regarding design progress, schedule, and any issues, ensuring the client is kept informed and satisfied with the process.

Quality Assurance

• Oversee the quality control of all drawings and models produced by the team, reviewing work for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to project specifications.
• Implement and follow internal review processes (check prints, peer reviews, etc.) to catch and correct errors before submissions.
• Maintain version control and proper documentation practices for all project drawings, ensuring that current versions are easily identifiable and accessible.
• Continuously assess and enhance adherence to the facade industry standards and best practices.
• Collaborate with the Quality department to receive feedback and implement design changes as part of continuous improvement loop.

Process Improvement

• Ensure that the team follows established workflows and best practices for design and documentation.
• Provide feedback on process efficiencies or potential improvements observed during project execution.
• Uphold and reinforce the use of standard parts, templates, libraries, checklists, and design guidelines to drive consistency across all project deliverables.

Team Development

• Mentor and develop team members, fostering professional growth and technical skill enhancement.
• Provide constructive feedback and coaching to ensure continuous improvement and performance.

Key Competencies:

Facade Knowledge: Experienced in facade, develops creative, effective, and efficient design solutions.

Leadership : Demonstrates strong leadership skills to guide, motivate, and manage a remote design team effectively.

Communication: Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, for clear team coordination and professional client interaction across remote channels.

Project Management: Excellent organizational skills, ensuring project schedules, tasks, and objectives are met.

Client Focus: A strong focus on understanding and meeting client needs, ensuring client satisfaction through attentive service and reliable delivery.

Quality Orientation: Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high standards of quality in drawings and design outputs.

Role Requirements:

Educational Requirements: Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Computer Skills: AutoCAD capability and a solid understanding of facade system design, including how components interact, integrate, and affect constructability, are essential. Experience with additional 3D/modeling tools (Revit, Rhino, CATIA, Tekla) is considered an asset. Familiarity with BIM/VDC environments.

Work Experience: Minimum 10 years of relevant experience (facade design experience strongly preferred), with a background in managing project design teams through design assist/development, shop drawings and fabrication drawing phases.

Technical Experience: Strong understanding of façade design. Understanding of GFRC and UHPC manufacturing and installation processes is an asset.