Design Manager (RIBA/ARB Architect) - Early-Career Route into Design Management
3 days ago
City of London
You’ve earned your Part III... Now what? Another year of late nights, unclear progression, and endless production? Or a step into a role where you orchestrate the design process and shape how great work gets delivered. The Opportunity Join a specialist team inside one of London’s most forward-thinking studios. You’ll plan, coordinate, and steer delivery across landmark projects - keeping programmes, people, and processes aligned to the design vision. This is a pivotal early-career move where strategy, problem-solving, and communication take centre stage - without leaving the industry you trained for. What You’ll Do • Build and maintain design programmes, milestones, and deliverable maps., • Set up workflows, information exchange, and coordination protocols., • Chair/co-chair meetings, capture decisions, manage action trackers and status updates., • Produce client-facing documentation (agendas, trackers, reports, risk and change logs)., • Keep delivery aligned to design intent - flag risks early, unlock issues, drive clarity., • Report progress to leadership and present confidently to clients and stakeholders. Why This Is Different • Early access to flagship projects; cultural, aviation, hospitality, masterplanning, and much more., • A shift away from pure production toward coordination and team delivery., • Daily interaction with industry-leading designers, clients, and consultants - a real seat at the table., • A fast-tracked, future-proof pathway into leadership, client-side roles, or international moves., • One of the most respected names on your CV, a balanced workload (evenings/weekends respected), and pay that reflects contribution, not just output. You’ll Thrive Here If You Have • 1-6 years post-Part III in a UK design-led practice., • Exposure to large/complex, multi-stakeholder projects (UK or international)., • A strong grasp of RIBA stages, gateways, and deliverables., • Evidence of owning or contributing to schedules, programmes, or coordination processes., • Clear, concise communication - calm under pressure, great with clients., • A natural organiser who spots risks early and brings structure to ambiguity., • Nice to have: familiarity with tools like MS Project/Excel/Smartsheet/Aconex/Asite/Newforma. Ready to shape how great design gets delivered? Send your CV to Reece at Grõ Careers. If you’re asking better questions about your career - and want more than the traditional path offers - this is your route to stay in the industry and step into its future. About Grõ Careers - Selective, one-to-one support for architects moving beyond the traditional path We specialise in helping architects transition into alternative pathways - design management, project management, client-side and consultancy. We partner selectively with values-aligned people and employers; much of our work is by recommendation. That focus lets us deliver tailored advice you won’t find elsewhere. Both founders, Carl + Reece, work directly on every engagement, bringing 20+ years’ combined experience at the intersection of architecture and recruitment. Our approach is hands-on, detail-driven and ethics-first - fewer projects, deeper relationships, stronger results. What you can expect • Role-mapping and route design aligned to your strengths, • Narrative coaching for CV/portfolio and tailored interview prep, • Insight-led market guidance on timing, salary and positioning, • Discreet introductions, often to opportunities not widely advertised If you’re a values-aligned architect ready for a strategic move, we’d love to speak.