Programme Design Manager (6 Month FTC)

As Programme Design Manager in the Operations Programme, you'll lead the delivery of strategic projects that shape the future of London Gatwick. Working within a dynamic team in a live airport environment, you'll manage the full project lifecycle- from early design to installation- ensuring solutions are sustainable, cost-effective, and aligned with operational needs.

London Gatwick is a community of innovators and problem solvers, united by a passion for delivering exceptional passenger experiences and world-class infrastructure. Your ideas will make a lasting impact on millions of passengers each year.

This is an exciting and diverse programme, encompassing everything from terminal and passenger experience upgrades to critical infrastructure improvements. You'll help shape strategic projects that span the entire customer journey – from check-in and security to boarding and beyond. These projects are designed to meet growing passenger demand, embrace emerging technologies, and modernise ageing infrastructure. They range from small-scale enhancements that boost operational resilience to transformative developments that redefine our terminal experience.

In this role, you'll lead the design management of a wide range of strategically significant projects, typically with budgets averaging £3 million and ranging up to £20 million in value

You'll ensure that all designs meet project requirements while delivering real value for money. Your involvement will span the entire project lifecycle, from early-stage design through to ensuring that installations align with approved specifications.

Working closely with a broad range of stakeholders across multiple business areas, you'll define and agree on design solutions that meet programme and project objectives. You'll bring fresh, innovative thinking to the table while maintaining a strong focus on cost-effectiveness and operational excellence.

The role

Reporting to the Lead Design Manager and working as part of the Programme Managers' leadership team, you will lead the assigned Design Management team and take ownership of the end-to-end design management process within the programme delivery team. You will oversee design activities across all projects in the programme, provide technical assurance, promote best practices and innovative techniques, and ensure consistency across all design outputs.

You will collaborate with external design consultants to deliver effective solutions on time and within budget, and work closely with the Programme Construction Manager to ensure installations are delivered in line with approved designs.

Other duties include:

• Agreeing on achievable project scopes that satisfy the sustainability agenda, project sponsors, and key stakeholder needs, alongside reworking scopes and technical requirements when important to do so.
• An ability to challenge requirements, identify operational constraints and define the scope of work to satisfy the business needs.
• Experience in interpreting complex requirements by asking the right questions.
• Agreeing on sustainable design solutions that meet project scopes, are realistically deliverable, meet GAL engineering standards, and are cost effective.
• Creating and communicating transparent and clear design briefs to external consultants, and managing consultants to ensure effective implementation of designs that meet quality requirements.
• Managing and reviewing the outputs of external design consultants, to ensure effective implementation of designs that meet quality requirements and are aligned with delivery milestones and governance tollgates.
• Work with the Asset Information Team and other stakeholders to determine the asset information requirements for design and construction contracts

What are we looking for?

The live environment at Gatwick requires all our teams to have a flexible and adaptable approach, problem solving skills and an innovative outlook. Involved in projects from inception to completion, you'll work alongside multiple internal and external stakeholders. In addition, this role requires:

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent in an engineering or construction related field.
• Previous multi-disciplinary experience in an engineering design or design management role, ideally in a live operational environment
• Demonstrable experience of setting and achieving clear programme milestones on high value programmes of work, with an ability to manage and get the most out of budgets and timeframes
• Experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams and external consultants

Benefits

Our employees tell us that working here is something special, and no day is like another, where our teams do something every day that other airports only dream of. Along with a competitive salary, our employees enjoy a range of personal, health and financial benefits, including:

• 5% Welcome Bonus
• High street shops and restaurant discounts
• Healthcare scheme
• Life and disability insurance
• Professional training to develop
• Discounted travel
• Volunteer days

What it's like to work at Gatwick?

At Gatwick, our people are our biggest asset. We want our people to thrive and have the best experience while working with us. We know we are all at our best when we feel comfortable and included.

We are an organisation that places diversity, equity and inclusion at its heart. Our aim; to create a place where everyone belongs and has a voice, and we recognise that we all play an important role in our success.

To find out more about what it's like to work at Gatwick, visit our careers site Construction Careers | London Gatwick Airport

Should you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the application process please contact us directly.

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