The Role

The Design Manager will proactively and collaboratively lead integrated teams, made up of both internal and external design and construction professionals, through Illuminate’s optimized, end-to-end design-build management process from design inception to building completion. The ideal candidate will commit themselves to substantially enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, completeness, and speed of the design, documentation, and construction process, and will enthusiastically leverage innovative procedures, tools, and technologies to exceed our client’s expectations.

Core Design Management

• Responsible for the successful realization of client’s project vision, including performance, programming, cost, and schedule objectives.
• Lead the interface between the Illuminate team, Suffolk operations, external design and industry professionals, trade partners, regulatory agencies, and other project stakeholders to achieve project goals, all the while embracing culture of authentic collaboration and technical competence.
• Maintain and support client relationships during all project phases, ensuring a client-first mentality that encourages both active engagement in and ownership of all design decisions.
• Lead project team meetings, workshops, and other collaborative communications throughout a project’s life cycle.
• Hold self, and teams, accountable for meeting deadlines and trouble-shoot challenges by leveraging the full capacity of interdisciplinary project teams.

Design Process Management

• Lead the development and management of optimized design processes for each project, supporting the efficient, linear delivery of fully coordinated and buildable drawings prior to the start of construction.
• Build upon Suffolk’s world-class construction planning and execution capabilities by strategically aligning documentation development with construction sequencing, supporting streamlined workflows.
• In association with Suffolk preconstruction experts, lead the execution of rigorous, ‘real-time’, project constructability reviews during design process, ensuring that all documentation is complete, coordinated, and buildable prior to the start of construction.
• At key project design milestones, liaise with preconstruction teams to evaluate and validate that cost and schedule align with project objectives.

Illuminate Operations

• Track and report progress towards project milestone completion, staffing allocations, and project financial health.
• In collaboration with Illuminate leadership and the project team, analyze, refine, and test design-construction workflow assumptions in real-time to optimize Illuminate’s process moving forward.
• Leverage and grow Suffolk’s proprietary constructability knowledge database, which serves as a critical input to a proactive QA/QC process throughout design.
• Support Illuminate’s design technology staff in the introduction of automated design and documentation processes and workflows.

• Certification as licensed architect or professional engineer is strongly preferred.
• Professional degree in Architecture or Engineering is required. Advanced degree preferred.
• 8-10 years’ experience in the professional design services industry, with a background in design project management.
• Proven success working on multiple projects and commercial building types, across all project phases.
• Experience managing teams through the duration of the project’s design process, including completion of Construction Documentation (Drawing & Specification).
• Substantial hands-on experience through the full Construction Administration cycle on multiple projects.
• Proficiency with Building Information Modeling platforms, including the Autodesk Suite and other industry standard 3D modeling and analysis software.
• Substantial knowledge of building and zoning codes, entitlement procedures, environmental regulations, and regulatory agency requirements, including those of the Division of the State Architect
• Extensive knowledge of industry standards and resources.
• Shared enthusiasm for executing the Illuminate vision, with a demonstrated willingness to rethink traditional methodologies and to passionately seek out advancements in project delivery outcomes.
• Desire to be part of something bigger than oneself and appreciate the opportunity that Suffolk and Illuminate bring to radically transform the design and construction industry.
• Genuinely collaborative and open to the expert opinions of leading construction and technology industry experts, all the while able to confidently bring technical design knowledge to the discussion.
• Deep awareness and sensitivity to the workings of the design and construction processes, and the ability to interpret and develop creative, technically competent, and constructible solutions to design challenges.
• Demonstrates value-driven design philosophy that incorporates sound business judgement, community benefit and aesthetic excellence.
• Strong management capabilities and proactive leadership qualities that allow for systematic and consistent implementation of standard processes, procedures, and systems across Illuminate and Suffolk’s broader design-build delivery business.
• Self-motivated and able to work as part of a team or independently, depending on the situation.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Inquisitive with a passion for excellence and continual improvement.
• Able to travel, as needed.
• Ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Must possess Suffolk’s Core Values: Passion, Integrity, Hard Work, Professionalism, and Caring

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time; talk or hear; perform fine motor, hand and finger skills in the use of a keyboard, telephone, or writing. The employee is frequently required to stands; walk; and reach with arms and/or hands. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The employee will spend their time in an office environment with a quiet to moderate noise level. Job site walking.