Senior Design Manager

J.E. Dunn Construction Group Inc P•Kansas City, MO

22h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Design Manager is responsible for managing and leading a multidisciplinary team of designers, engineers, architects, and drafters in the development and delivery of design solutions that support offsite manufacturing operations and project delivery objectives. This position provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure design deliverables meet quality, schedule, cost, and constructability requirements while aligning with client expectations and approved project budgets. The Senior Design Manager is accountable for the design for manufacturing teams’ performance, financial stewardship, staff development, and continuous improvement, including the implementation of design‑for‑manufacturing principles, standard work, and advanced design technologies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or related field (Required)
8+ years of experience as Project Manager or managing people (preferred)
Cross-functional knowledge of the key engineering disciplines (Architectural, Structural, MEP, etc.) and relevant trades
Experience taking conceptual design through construction, working with internal and external partners
Ability to perform work accurately and completely, and in a timely manner
Communication skills, verbal and written – Intermediate
Ability to conduct effective presentations
Proficiency in MS Office – Intermediate
Thorough knowledge of project processes and how each supports the successful completion of a project
Ability to build relationships and collaborate within a team, internally and externally
Ability to apply Lean process and philosophy – Intermediate
Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit and/or Google SketchUp
Experience with U.S. building design codes and material specific standards
Conversant with linked design disciplines, e.g. Geotechnical/Civil, Architecture, Building Façade, Structural, MEP, Data/Communications, Vertical Transportation, Acoustics, and Fire and Life Safety, etc.
Ability to think in a highly structured manner along all design disciplines while also having creativity to develop specialized solutions by anticipating potential challenges
Ability to manage budgets, maximize profitability and generate future work through building relationships
Technical market expert with knowledge of industry trends, innovations, etc.
Ability to build relationships with team members that transcend a project

Responsibilities

Interprets proposals and develops internal work plans, collaborating with preconstruction, operations, and other key stakeholders.
Understands potential client’s business needs and helps create or coordinate conceptual plans, elevations, 3D models, for support of presentations and win strategies.
Reviews and understands contact documents for project compliance with Codes and Criteria to meet the technical requirements and design deliverables.
Supports early phase basic due diligence activities with clients and key stakeholders to ensure requirements are incorporated into design documents.
Manages external design team partners/consultants, assuring they meet the technical, quality as well as schedule requirements for design deliverables.
Manages the design review process with the design for manufacturing team to ensure schedules are met and identifies project risks and opportunities throughout the design phase.
Leverages design experiences and knowledge to work with project teams identifying solutions to project specific challenges while monitoring expectations for design schedules, quality control, and content for design document delivery.
Capable of developing sketches and plans to assist preconstruction with pricing of conceptual ideas. Coordinates with VDC team to develop and implement project(s) as needed.
Coordinates the design document packaging strategies with the project team.
Manages project documentation such as proposal, drawings, specifications, reports, calculations, and shop drawings using both 3D and 2D file management system.
Reviews design and provides quality control review comments to ensure the program specifications are met.
Understands project budget and steers project accordingly ensuring the design stays in line with contractual details.
Generates cost saving strategies and value-added solutions throughout the design phase.
Monitors and evaluates design partner’s and consultant’s cost through the design development, both cost of project and cost of the design services measured against percent completion of design.
Assists with change management by helping evaluate requests for additional services by outside design consultants against program requirements and scope in base contract.
Provides technical design guidance throughout entire design and construction process.
Provides design engineering support for the entire life cycle of the project (proposal, site survey, engineering, equipment selection, permitting, training, and construction).
Leads the process to understand potential client’s business needs and helps develop conceptual plans, elevations, and 3D models in support of presentations and win strategies.
Directs the selection of design partners during the design planning process.
Work with the estimating and business development team to set design budgets, schedules and fees, and influences ongoing decisions throughout the project lifecycle that impacts cost, schedule, and budget.
Serves as escalation point for the design for manufacturing team.
Functions as key liaison between the design for manufacturing team and project design team to ensure the team executes the project strategy, maintains design schedule and design deliverables.
Monitor progress toward objectives and implement corrective actions as necessary.
Manages change management with internal team and external design partners.
Provide leadership in the adoption and use of advanced design methods, including parametric modeling, automation, model‑based design, and AI‑enabled tools.
Evaluate and recommend design technologies that improve productivity, coordination, and quality.
Ensure new tools and workflows are implemented in a controlled, standardized, and scalable manner.
Provide oversight of design development to ensure alignment with client requirements, contract documents, and project budgets.
Ensure designs support Form’s offsite manufacturing, fabrication, logistics, and installation capabilities.
Direct the development and application of standard work, best practices, and repeatable design processes.
Identify opportunities for process improvement to increase efficiency, reduce rework, and improve predictability.
Ensure design decisions appropriately balance quality, schedule, cost, and constructability.
Identify opportunities for process improvement to increase efficiency, reduce rework, and improve predictability.
Coordinate with Manufacturing, Operations, Procurement, Project Management, and other internal teams to support project execution.
Develops, manages and oversees key financial components (e.g., financial plans, budgets, forecasts) for design for manufacturing projects to minimize risk and variance, and to maximize contributions to company revenue and margin.
Reviews and assesses financial data, reports and records. Ensures employee compliance with related procedures to ensure effective and efficient operations.
Creates and communicates financial targets and goals in order to accomplish the broader financial objectives of the design for manufacturing team.
Proactively monitors and interprets ongoing financial performance and responds appropriately. Assesses and mitigates financial risks.
Develops business plans and makes operational decisions in light of broader financial goals and constraints.