Design Director Building Services

Job Description

All About UsThe design director is a key stakeholder in the delivery of all projects undertaken at the APHA site in Weybridge and the regional laboratories. The design director is responsible for the leadership and management of the Currie & Brown design managementteam (which is split into two architectural and engineering sub teams) and for providing technical guidance on design and statutory requirements, and all matters relating to the building services design. They are expected to be subject matter experts in biocontainmentand provide management, technical guidance, thought leadership and knowledge transfer to the team, client, stakeholders and end users.This includes:

• Undertaking line management responsibility for the Currie & Brown design management architectural and engineering team leaders
• Managing and reporting on team utilisation and workload, including current workload and project pipeline
• Working collaboratively providing management, technical advice and guidance to the in-house Defra and Currie & Brown architectural and engineering design managers
• Providing advice and guidance on the selection of design consultants
• Reviewing design performance against KPIs and providing constructive feedback
• Undertaking and supporting design reviews
• Handling sign-off of design stage gateways
• Advising on procurement routes where design activities are required; for example whether it is suitable for a project to be procured as design and build or build only in terms of design complexity and risk
• Reporting on and/or managing improvements in the design supply chain
• Assisting the design managers, project leads and project managers in relation to design matters
• Liaising and agreeing with other stakeholders concerning suitable design maturity
• Developing processes and procedures to optimise project delivery

All About The RoleBackground and requirementsAPHA is an executive agency of Defra, previously comprising the separate entities of Animal Health and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. APHA comprises a number of regional laboratories as well as the main suite at Addlestone (referred to as APHA Weybridge).The site at Weybridge started as the central veterinary in 1917 and provided a central facility to support the regions in the eradication and control of diseases affecting commercial livestock. The site now comprises over 80 buildings nearing 60,000m2 ingross floor area in a mix of high-containment research and development and testing laboratories as well as animal holding facilities.A significant number of the buildings are more than 40 years old and hence investment in upgrading and replacing the facilities is in progress. The investment planned is a mixture of refurbishment of existing stock and the creation of new facilities as partof a masterplan development.The work undertaken at APHA Weybridge has a heavy building services leaning. This is due to the site including high-containment facilities that rely on ventilation, power, steam, etc to maintain a safe operational environment.Building services design experience is essential, and the candidate must have a strong appreciation and understanding of building services within the science and research sector (or similar regulated sectors).Experience of managing a team of design managers is essential. The role requires gravitas and the presence to communicate with senior client stakeholders, and a deep understanding of the design management process. This understanding must go beyond recognitionof the RIBA work stages; it is essential that the candidate has strong working knowledge of the design process so that they can adapt and direct the team to optimise the processes to suit the particular environments and demands at the Weybridge site.The candidate should be able to adapt and have the experience to manage and implement improvement processes and procedures to best suit the project(s) requirements. Innovation in the approach to design as well as the implementation of design is required.The successful candidate will work alongside the in-house Currie & Brown design managers.All About YouMinimum requirements

• Degree qualified in building services engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and/or a chemical engineering-related qualification
• Ten years minimum postgraduate experience in the construction industry
• Chartered engineer status with one of the following institutions:
  • CIBSE
  • IMechE
  • IET
  • IChemE
• Design management experience, in the role of design director within an organisation or operating at director level as part of a project and/or managing the multidisciplinary design team for a project or number of projects
• Knowledge and experience of providing subject matter expertise and technical guidance on Specified Animal Pathogen Order (SAPO) and/or Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) compliance up to CL3 and CL4 in a science and research environment essential
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and reporting skills
• Experience of successfully managing a design management team of ten plus members of staff
• Work collaboratively as part of the senior leadership team at Defra and as part of the wider pharmaceutical and life sciences team to grow the teams profitable revenue through business development, working winning and invitations to tender, etc

Currie & Brown is one of the worlds leading physical assets management and construction c