Design Manager - DfE Framework Projects - Essex/Ipswich


Company:	Fawkes & Reece
Salary:	£65,000 to £75,000 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Colchester, CO1 1AJ
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	26 Aug 2026
Closing date:	9 Sept 2026

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Summary

Design Manager - DfE Education Projects

Location: Essex / Ipswich

Salary: Up to £75,000 DoE

Sector: Education / DfE

Role: Design Manager

Fawkes & Reece are proud to be working exclusively with a

long-established regional main contractor with over 100 years of experience delivering high-quality construction projects across the East of England.

The business has a particularly strong track record within the

education sector, delivering new-build schools, extensions, refurbishments, SEND facilities and further education projects across the region.

Following continued growth within their education division and a strong pipeline of work, they are looking to appoint an experienced

Design Manager to join their team, working across

DfE-funded education projects in Essex and the wider Ipswich/Suffolk area.

The contractor has recently secured a place on the

Department for Education's £15.4bn Construction Framework 2025, including the East of England lot, providing a strong pipeline of future education projects.

The Role

As Design Manager, you will take responsibility for managing the design process from pre-construction through to delivery, working closely with the project team, consultants, subcontractors and client.

Typical responsibilities will include:

Managing the design process across DfE education projects

Coordinating consultants, architects, engineers and specialist subcontractors

Reviewing and managing design information and technical submissions

Leading design coordination meetings

Managing design programmes and ensuring key deliverables are achieved

Supporting value engineering and buildability reviews

Identifying and resolving design issues throughout the project lifecycle

Working closely with the commercial and construction teams

Ensuring projects are delivered in accordance with the required quality, programme and technical standards

The Projects

The role will focus predominantly on

education projects, including new-build schools, extensions and refurbishment works.

The contractor has an established track record delivering projects within live educational environments, including primary and secondary schools, specialist SEND facilities and further education buildings.

About You

The ideal candidate will be an experienced

Design Manager or

Architect with a background working for a main contractor and a strong understanding of the design and technical delivery process.

Experience across the

education sector is highly desirable, particularly candidates who have worked on:

DfE / Department for Education projects

Schools and academies

SEND / SEN facilities

Education frameworks

Public-sector projects

Candidates with strong main contracting experience in other sectors may also be considered where they can demonstrate strong technical and design management capability.

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