Job Title: Principal Designer

Location: Chester

Salary: In the region of £45-55,000 DOE

About the company:

This well-established RIBA-chartered architectural practice based in near Chester, Tarporley and Northwich has been delivering high-quality design, technical services, and project delivery for over four decades. It works across residential, rural estate, commercial, educational and specialist sectors, offering a comprehensive range of services from conceptual design through planning and detailed technical delivery to construction oversight. The practice combines strong design capability with robust technical delivery and provides in-house Principal Designer services as part of its end-to-end offering.

Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Opportunity to lead Principal Designer services in a respected design practice
• Collaborative team environment with experienced architects, technologists, and designers
• Exposure to diverse project types- from residential and rural estates to commercial and educational sectors
• Support for professional development and industry membership progression
• Workplace pension and standard holiday entitlement

Key Responsibilities / Daily Duties

• Act as Principal Designer under CDM Regulations 2015, ensuring statutory compliance and coordination of health & safety through all pre-construction stages
• Work closely with design teams, clients, consultants, and contractors to integrate risk management into project workflows
• Review design information to identify, assess and mitigate design risks, ensuring safe outcomes
• Prepare and maintain pre-construction information, risk assessments, method statements and other CDM-related documentation
• Visit sites regularly to advise on design-related safety matters and ensure compliance with agreed standards
• Provide guidance to project teams on CDM and Building Regulations implications
• Support continuous improvement of design processes and contribute to quality assurance systems

Ideal Candidate

• Proven experience delivering Principal Designer duties in architectural or construction design environments
• Accredited Principal Designer (e.g., APS membership) with solid experience interpreting and applying CDM Regulations
• Excellent knowledge of UK Building Regulations, health & safety legislation and CDM compliance
• Strong communication skills with the ability to liaise with clients, contractors, and multidisciplinary design teams
• Proactive, well-organised and capable of managing multiple concurrent projects
• Confident working independently and as part of small, collaborative teams
• Experience in a practice environment or consultancies handling a broad variety of projects is highly desirable

To apply, please contact KAZ on OR alternatively, send your updated CV and Portfolio across to