Workplace Design Manager

Job summary

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.

Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

• Striving for excellence - We always aim to deliver great results
• Empowering through respect - We insist on fair treatment for all, always
• Acting with integrity - We consistently do the right thing
• Succeeding together - We rely on each other to achieve success

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do.

To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.

We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

Job description

The Workplace Design Manager (WDM) is responsible for ensuring the Government Workplace Design Guide and supporting handbooks are applied consistently across specific projects. They also provide day to day advice and guidance to the project team on design matters.

Acting as the tactical Intelligent Client on specific projects, the WDM interprets the Government Workplace Design Guide, GPA’s Employer Requirements and any client specialist requirements, informing design briefs for developers and GPA’s consulting design partners to produce designs for each RIBA stage.

The WDM provides assurance that all designs support the GPA’s commitment to create workplaces that are safe, inclusive and accessible and as flexible as possible to support smarter and hybrid working practices. This includes overseeing and being responsible for approving the design throughout each RIBA stage of a project’s life cycle, and offering advice and providing assurance on all aspects of design against both our standards and our client requirements.

The WDM will manage and develop our guides, standards and policies to ensure our projects are at the forefront of sustainable and inclusive workplace design. This will involve coordination with colleagues within the Workplace Design Team and the wider GPA to develop coordinated guidance for the development of high-quality workspace for a modern civil service.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of Workplace Design, the Workplace Design Manager will be responsible for:

• Advising the Head of Workplace Design on the status of their allocated projects design, ensuring it remains aligned with wider programme priorities. Regular monitoring and reporting on the overall design progress;
• Overseeing compliance with standards and specifications set out in the GPA Design Guide, Employer Requirements and associated documents;
• Developing the GPA’s Employers Requirements (ER) for each project’s design;
• Engaging effectively with the identified client/s on design related matters and ensuring that they are kept appropriately updated throughout;
• Interpreting Design Guide and Client specialist requirements into appropriate briefing material for designers to use during CAT A & B RIBA stages, minimising the need for bespoke spaces;
• Ensuring client specialist requirements are intelligible, credible, received at the right time and have been approved by an appropriate person in the department before being progressed;
• Providing advice, assurance and acceptance where necessary on designs and specifications, representing the interests of the client in the project procurement process, e.g. framework selection, individual project tender exercises and contract management;
• Working with public sector subject matter experts in design-related areas across government, and private sector professionals including the property industry.
• Acting as a design point of contact for the project designers, contractors, consultant partners and their supply chains;
• Attending site as required whether for formal site inspections, design sign offs or progress meetings;
• Managing the governance around design change across projects, including required approvals at the appropriate levels;
• Collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders on the development and maintenance of our guides, standards and design policy - ensuring these align with GPA’s wider business objectives;
• Support in the communication of these guides, standards and design policies to the wider GPA community, project teams, external stakeholders and client groups.

Person specification

We are looking for an experienced design professional who can demonstrate practical experience of design management and delivery on large scale projects or programmes in multi-disciplinary project teams.

Essential criteria:

• Ability to manage effective relationships with senior management/ stakeholders;
• Effective team engagement and strong leadership;
• Commercial acumen delivering value and continuous improvement;
• Advising on design elements within construction projects.

Experience & Technical Skills

Essential criteria:

Essential Experience of:

• A key role working on large property construction and fitout projects, preferably in the delivery of public sector workplace;
• Experience within an architectural / engineering / property consultancy or client organisation at a senior level;
• Construction designs, materials, building systems and processes;
• Leading multi-disciplinary project teams and building strong relationships across team/business area/ departmental/ boundaries;
• Effective governance controls and project management methodologies in a complex business environment;
• Supplier/customer relationship management;
• Developing project-specific employer requirements for building projects.

Desirable criteria:

• Background of working in or with public sector property;
• Experience in the development and / or refurbishment of large-scale office buildings.

Qualifications and Accreditations

Essential criteria:

• An associate or bachelor's degree in architecture, interior design and/or another relevant subject, or equivalent experience in similar roles.

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