Design Manager - Aviation / Building Services

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire directly and we will be in touch with our PSL Agencies if this role is eligible for release. We do not accept speculative CVs from agencies. If speculative CVs are sent, no fee will be applicable – please direct all queries to the relevant Resourcing Partner.

Job Description

Role Title: Design Manager - Aviation

Business Unit: Asset Intelligence

Location: Stansted

Role Overview

Reporting to the Technical Director, the Design Manager will lead and coordinate electrical and building services design activities across the Asset Intelligence Aviation business. The role is responsible for ensuring the delivery of safe, compliant, innovative and high-quality engineering solutions that support aviation infrastructure and intelligent building systems.

Working closely with clients, project teams, design partners and supply chain stakeholders, you will provide technical leadership throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring designs are buildable, value-driven and aligned with operational, regulatory and client requirements.

What You Will be Doing

• Lead, manage and develop the design team, creating a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and technical excellence.
• Oversee the planning, allocation and management of design resources to support successful project delivery.
• Ensure all design activities comply with relevant legislation, industry standards, CDM requirements and internal governance processes.
• Provide technical leadership and specialist support to project teams, clients and stakeholders.
• Lead technical reviews, site visits and engagement with design consultants, subcontractors and suppliers.
• Develop and review technical scopes, specifications and design solutions to meet client and operational requirements.
• Support tendering and project delivery teams with technical input and design expertise.
• Review and approve design deliverables, ensuring quality, compliance and alignment with project objectives.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement through the adoption of best practice and digital engineering solutions.
• Manage design changes through formal change control processes and support the identification of commercial impacts where required.
• Ensure the effective handover of design information to construction, commissioning and operational teams.
• Support the recruitment, development and mentoring of team members, helping individuals achieve their professional and career goals.

About You

• A strong alignment with the company’s purpose, vision, values, and culture, with the ability to actively promote these within the AI Aviation Business and across project teams.
• An effective communicator who can engage confidently with airport operators, technical stakeholders, consultants, and delivery teams, while demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusion, collaboration, and diversity.
• A high level of integrity and professionalism, with the ability to exercise sound judgement and discretion when dealing with sensitive commercial, technical and operational information.
• Highly organised, structured, and detail-oriented, with a commitment to delivering high-quality engineering solutions within complex aviation and building services environments.
• A proactive and resilient individual with the ability to influence stakeholders and build strong working relationships across multidisciplinary teams, including clients, contractors, consultants, and airport authorities.
• A strong commitment to customer service and client satisfaction, ensuring that design solutions meet operational, safety and regulatory requirements within live aviation environments.
• Experience working in fast-paced, multi-site infrastructure environments, ideally within airports, transport hubs, or complex building services projects, where coordination between design, operations, and construction teams is critical

What We Can Offer in Return

With an impressive order book of over £4.1 billion we are one of the industry’s leading principal contractors, affording you the opportunity to work on some of the UK’s most exciting projects offering you stability as well as the chance to stretch your capabilities and realise long held career goals. You will be joining diverse teams working at a high professional level with exceptional levels of commitment. With an ambitious strategy, we’re poised for further growth and success, so if you’re committed, talented and enthusiastic, Galliford Try is the right place for you.

We are committed to maintaining the physical and mental wellbeing of all our people, through our ‘Be Well’ programme which offers discounts on certain products, advice and support for a range of issues.

We invest in high-quality training for employees of all levels, from our leadership development framework to our apprenticeship programmes. Through our Career Paths initiative, individuals receive tailored training and support to fulfil their potential.

Our industry is all about creating talented teams that excel in their areas of expertise. As an employer, we know you are most motivated to give your best when you feel valued and engaged.

Our Agile Working programme empowers you with flexibility in when, where and how you work. Where appropriate, site and office-based employees can take advantage of a wide variety of working practices, offering different amounts of structure, regularity and flexibility to suit your needs as well as those of your wider team.

Our Benefits

We put our people first and our benefits package reflects that by offering a comprehensive range of attractive options to help support your career on top of a competitive salary.

• Generous holiday entitlement, increasing with years of service, plus the opportunity to purchase further holidays
• A wide range of corporate discounts
• Cycle to Work schemes
• Comprehensive pension plan
• Regular Save as You Earn share purchase scheme
• Private medical scheme options are available for all salaried employees and our employee assistance programme also provides free 24/7 support to those who need it
• Paid for yearly membership to one recognised professional association relevant to your role

About us

Galliford Try is one of the UK’s leading construction groups with a vision to continuously be a people-orientated, progressive business, driven by our values to deliver lasting change for our stakeholders and the communities we work in.

Our purpose is to improve people’s lives through building the facilities and infrastructure that communities need, providing opportunities for our people to learn, grow and progress, working with our supply chain to promote the very best working practice and caring for the environment in which we work.

We do this by holding true to our values, delivering excellence for our clients and the community, being passionate about our role in providing vital services, putting integrity at the heart of our business by doing the right thing, and collaborating with our clients, supply chain and stakeholders to deliver lasting change and long-term value.

For more information on this role or to enquire about other positions available within our Specialist Services business please contact

Additional Information

Galliford Try welcomes applications from candidates who would like to work full-time, reduced hours or flexibly and this will be discussed in more detail as part of the recruitment process.

We encourage, and would be grateful if, you could confirm any requirements we can reasonably fulfil to make this application a positive experience for you.

Don’t meet every requirement of the role? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Galliford Try, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement of the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

As a Disability Confident employer, we have committed to offer an interview to any candidate with a long-term health condition or disability that meet the essential criteria for the advertised position. Please contact the Resourcing Partner listed within the job advert if you believe this applies to you. We will also take the opportunity to discuss any adjustments required for your interview.

A full job description for this role is available upon request.

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