Design Delivery Manager

StockportOn-site

AI Summary

Leads and manages a team of approximately five Design Project Managers, overseeing design delivery across BESS, substations, grid connections, data centres and solar farm infrastructure projects. Drives delivery governance, risk management and continuous improvement of design processes.

About this role

Location: London | Contract Type: Permanent | Working Pattern: Full-Time | Office & Site Based
Pay / Benefits: Remuneration for this role is benchmarked competitively within our sector.

The Opportunity

OCU Design are seeking an experienced Design Delivery Manager to lead a team of Design Project Managers across a varied portfolio of complex energy and infrastructure projects. The role will typically oversee design delivery across battery energy storage systems (BESS), substations, and grid connections for developments including data centres, solar farms, and other major infrastructure schemes.

You will provide leadership, direction, and support to a team of approximately five Design Project Managers, ensuring design delivery is planned, coordinated, and controlled across multiple projects. Working closely with the wider design leadership team, you will drive consistency, strengthen delivery governance, and support continuous improvement across the design function.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys leading people, improving delivery performance, and shaping the processes and standards needed to deliver complex infrastructure projects successfully.

Key Responsibilities

What You'll Do

Lead, manage, and support a team of approximately five Design Project Managers across multiple projects.
Oversee design delivery across BESS, substations, grid connections, data centres, solar farms, and other infrastructure developments.
Ensure design programmes, deliverables, interfaces, risks, and key milestones are effectively managed.
Provide coaching, direction, and escalation support to resolve delivery challenges and maintain project momentum.
Collaborate with clients, consultants, project teams, commercial teams, supply chain partners, and internal engineering functions.
Promote safe, buildable, compliant, and commercially robust design solutions.
Drive improvements in design management processes, governance controls, and delivery standards.
Monitor portfolio performance, manage risks and change, and report to senior leadership to support effective decision-making.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Essential Skills

A degree in Electrical, Civil, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
Strong experience in design management, design delivery, or multidisciplinary infrastructure projects.
Experience leading or line-managing design managers, project managers, engineers, or similar delivery professionals.
Proven ability to manage complex project portfolios with multiple stakeholders, interfaces, and competing priorities.
A good understanding of CDM 2015 roles, duties, and responsibilities.

Desirable Skills

Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status, or the ability to progress towards professional accreditation.
Experience with BESS, HV/MV substations, grid connections, data centres, solar, or related energy infrastructure.
Experience working across client, consultant, contractor, and supply chain interfaces.
Exposure to temporary works, construction delivery, and operational handover requirements.
Experience implementing design governance, process improvements, and consistent delivery standards across project teams.

Benefits

At OCU, we believe that meaningful work should come with meaningful support. That's the principle behind Careers with Purpose, our commitment to ensuring every person at OCU feels supported, developed, and valued, not just in their role today, but throughout their career with us.
Alongside the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects, we offer a benefits package that we are continuing to develop as we grow, and the kind of career acceleration that only comes from being inside a business moving at this pace.
As a rapidly growing organisation, there are genuine opportunities to progress, broaden your experience, and build a long-term career within OCU Group.
For a confidential conversation about this opportunity, please contact Nicola Brooke at.

Our vacancies are typically advertised for two weeks; however, we reserve the right to close applications early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable candidates. We therefore encourage early applications.

Skills

BESSCDM 2015Chartered EngineerCivil EngineeringDesign GovernanceDesign ManagementElectrical EngineeringGrid ConnectionsHV/MV SubstationsIncorporated EngineerMechanical EngineeringProgramme ManagementRisk ManagementTemporary Works