Design Manager

|Civil & Construction - Design Management|Auckland

Are you an experienced Civil, Structural or Mechanical Engineer looking to have a greater influence on how projects are delivered?

This is an opportunity to move beyond producing designs and become the person who brings them together—working alongside clients, consultants, subcontractors and construction teams to deliver technically challenging industrial projects from concept through to completion.

Joining an established design & build contractor with an outstanding reputation across New Zealand, you’ll work on large industrial facilities, warehousing, logistics and complex processing projects. Their collaborative approach, long-term client relationships and integrated delivery model have made them a recognised leader in the design & build sector.

Supporting projects from concept to construction, you’ll become the link between design and delivery—ensuring great ideas become practical, buildable solutions.

What You’ll Be Doing

  • Lead the design management process from concept through to construction handover.
  • Coordinate architects, engineers, specialist consultants and subcontractors to deliver fully integrated design solutions.
  • Drive buildability, value engineering and practical construction outcomes.
  • Manage design programmes, monitor key milestones and identify delivery risks.
  • Oversee the consenting process and ensure documentation is coordinated and construction-ready.
  • Work closely with Project Managers and site teams to resolve technical challenges throughout delivery.

What You’ll Bring

  • Civil, structural, Architectural or mechanical engineering qualifications
  • 5 plus years managing/coordinating design teams on large vertical build projects
  • Experience with a commercial contractor preferred. 
  • Understanding of New Zealand construction methods, contracts and consenting processes.
  • Design & Build experience highly regarded 
  • Experience using Procore, Bluebeam, Autodesk Construction Cloud/BIM360 or similar

Who You Are

You’re someone who enjoys solving problems just as much as designing solutions. You communicate well, build trusted relationships, and enjoy working with a wide variety of people. You’re commercially aware, naturally organised and thrive when coordinating multiple moving parts to achieve a successful outcome.

Most importantly, you enjoy being part of a team where everyone works together to solve problems and deliver quality projects.

Why Join?

  • Work on technically challenging projects valued from $20M-$100M.
  • Influence projects from concept through to construction.
  • Join a business with a strong pipeline of repeat work and long-standing client relationships.
  • Be trusted with responsibility and genuine career progression.
  • Competitive salary, 5 weeks’ annual leave, medical insurance and ongoing professional development.
  • Join a social, collaborative and successful design team in Auckland.

Having partnered with this business for many years, I can confidently say they’ve created one of the best team cultures I’ve seen. They invest heavily in their people, encourage new ideas, and genuinely enjoy celebrating success together.
If you’re looking for a role where you can combine engineering knowledge with leadership, collaboration and project delivery, I’d welcome a confidential discussion.

Simon Field
Senior Recruiter
Technical Recruitment Solutions (TRS)
09 281 5593
simon@trs.co.nz