M&E Design Manager

Dartford
£80,000 - £100,000
An opportunity to join a rapidly growing M&E contractor at a pivotal stage of their expansion. The business has scaled significantly, moving from a £15m turnover last year to £45m secured for delivery this year, following an intensive pre-construction period that began earlier this year. They are now fully mobilised in construction and investing heavily in their technical and design capability.
This is a key leadership role within the design function, responsible for managing both the process and the people, ensuring designs are coordinated, buildable and aligned with project delivery.
The Team & Growth Plans
The current design setup includes:

• Senior Mechanical Engineer
• Senior Electrical Engineer
• Junior Mechanical Engineer
• Junior Electrical Engineer
• BIM and Revit Coordinators

Once the right Design Manager is in place, there are clear plans to further strengthen the team with the addition of another Mechanical and Electrical engineer.
The Role

• Take full ownership of the M&E design process across multiple projects
• Manage and coordinate the design team, from junior through to senior level
• Ensure designs progress smoothly from pre-construction into delivery
• Act as the central point of control between design, commercial and delivery teams
• Drive consistency, quality and efficiency in design outputs
• Improve and refine internal design processes as the business continues to scale
• Support BIM and CAD coordination to ensure clash-free, buildable solutions

Background & Experience

• Strong understanding of the full M&E design process within a contractor environment
• Open to candidates from an engineering, design management or CAD/BIM background, provided they understand how designs translate into delivery
• Experience managing teams and coordinating multiple disciplines
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growing business

Working Pattern

• Based in Dartford
• Ideally 5 days per week in the office initially to integrate with the team and understand the business
• Hybrid working can be introduced once embedded and relationships are established

Why This Role

• Join a business in a genuine growth phase with long-term stability
• High level of influence over how the design function develops
• Opportunity to build and shape a team around you
• Senior leadership are invested, accessible and committed to doing things properly

This role would suit someone who wants ownership, responsibility and progression, rather than just managing drawings someone who understands the process end to end and can lead a growing design team with confidence.