Design Manager - Highways | Preston | £75,000 + £7,000 Car Allowance | 4 Days WFH

What's in it for you
You will be stepping into a Design Manager role where flexibility, autonomy, and impact come as standard. You will benefit from a salary of £75,000 (dependent on experience), a £7,000 car allowance, and a 4-day work-from-home arrangement, giving you the balance to perform at your best both professionally and personally.

About the company
My client is a forward-thinking organisation within the highways sector, driven by a clear vision to raise standards in highway maintenance while championing safety, innovation, and social value. You will be joining a business that values passion, responsiveness, innovation, trust, and respect-creating an inclusive environment where you can thrive and develop.

The role and responsibilities
As a Design Manager, you will be leading and coordinating design activities across the Engineering Solutions team, taking ownership from concept through to construction and handover.
You will be doing:
·Managing design activities across all project stages, ensuring compliance with programme, quality, safety, and commercial requirements
·Coordinating internal teams, external consultants, and specialist subcontractors
·Acting as the key technical interface between design, construction, and commercial teams
·Identifying and mitigating design risks to avoid issues during construction
·Managing design budgets, schedules, and resources
·Supporting Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) where appropriate
·Providing technical support during construction, resolving design queries efficiently
·Overseeing production of as-built information and handover documentation

Technical and compliance responsibilities
In this Design Manager role, you will also be ensuring technical excellence and compliance by:
·Ensuring designs meet CDM regulations, DMRB, MCHW standards, and client requirements
·Reviewing drawings, specifications, and technical documentation
·Managing design change control and ensuring all variations are captured and approved
·Driving value engineering, buildability, and sustainable design solutions
·Ensuring risk reduction principles are embedded and evidenced throughout design

Skills and experience required
To be successful as a Design Manager, you will bring:
·Proven experience in highways design, ideally within maintenance and renewals on the Strategic Road Network
·Strong understanding of construction methodologies, design processes, and regulatory frameworks
·Experience or understanding of the Principal Designer role
·Ability to interpret and review technical drawings and specifications
·Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills

Qualifications
You will ideally have:
·A degree (or equivalent experience) in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field
·Chartership (ICE or CIHT) - desirable but not essential
·CSCS card (Professional/Manager level) - preferred

Salary and benefits
·£75,000 salary (dependent on experience)
·£7,000 car allowance
·4 days working from home
·Flexible, hybrid working environment
·Strong focus on wellbeing, inclusion, and work-life balance
·Opportunities for career progression and professional development

Location and working pattern
This Design Manager role is based in Preston, offering a hybrid working model with 4 days working from home and flexibility to collaborate across national projects.

FOOTNOTE:
If you feel that you are right for this role technically, but the salary, location or seniority does not suit you specifically then please still feel free to send us your CV. We constantly recruit for roles very similar to this one at all levels UK Wide. We are always keen to chat with you discreetly about your employment situation.
Even if you are happy in your current role for now, we always welcome calls from Highways professionals keen to make their introductions for future months or years. Carrington West's Highways, Transport & Infrastructure division is the fastest growing in the country, our specialist team has a combined over 100+ years' experience in this market. Please call Jordan Townley at Carrington West on (phone number removed) or email (url removed) for more information.
By applying for this position, you are agreeing for Carrington West to hold and process your personal data in accordance with our Data Protection Policy. Your data will be shared with third-party clients specifically relevant to any roles you have applied for. If at any stage, you wish to withdraw your consent please contact us