Sr Design Manager

Requisition Title

Sr Design Manager Requisition ID

2026-13501 Job Locations

US-VA-Arlington Category

Preconstruction Company : Name

Gilbane Building Company Location : Location

US-VA-Arlington Requisition Post Information* : External Company Name

Gilbane Development Company Requisition Post Information* : External Company URL

http://www.gilbaneco.com/ Location : Postal Code

22203 Location : Address

4201 Wilson Boulevard Position Type (Portal Searching)

Full-Time

Serves as primary liaison between design, construction, and owner teams during all project phases from pursuit through project execution

Acts as the primary Design Management lead for one major or complex project, or limited concurrent projects depending on size, delivery model, design pace, procurement complexity, and owner/stakeholder demand

Develops strategy for design services breakdown and integration of specialty consultants of design/build trades, in collaboration with Preconstruction and project leadership

Defines technical scope and ensure comprehensive bridging documents, as well as validation of Basis of Design

Leads alignment of owner requirements, design scope, consultant responsibilities, budget, procurement strategy, and construction readiness; proactively identifies and resolves gaps, conflicts, and risks before they impact execution

Facilitates design kick-off including all relevant Gilbane and client stakeholders, as well as all milestone reviews

Works with the Owner to fully understand requirements, including commissioning, turn-over, digital records and operations and maintenance standards and protocols

Develops and maintains design deliverable schedules aligned with procurement and build phases

Facilitates design charrettes, daily design coordination amongst the multi-disciplinary team, team chartering, and owner approval processes

Coordinates permitting process and maintain related schedules; holds design team accountable to meet permitting deadlines

Leads design risk management, including cost-benefit analysis and change impacts

Facilitates “Safety Risk and Opportunity Analysis During Design” workshops at each milestone stage, including key Gilbane, design team, and owner stakeholders, capturing discussion points in Risk Register for the duration of design

Escalates unresolved scope, budget, schedule, procurement, safety, QA/QC, legal, or risk concerns to project leadership

Leads the Owner Review and Approval Process for all milestone design deliverables, including comment resolution and implementation

Works with preconstruction/estimating as the cost model is developed, revised, and reconciled, to understand any project scope that is not aligned with the owner budget; works with AE partners to correct design for budget alignment

Collaborates with Preconstruction, Estimating, and Purchasing teams estimating on all procurement efforts. Purchasing to develop procurement strategy, readiness and execution plan, in collaboration with Preconstruction, Operations and Design Management. Design Management to align strategy with AE partner deliverables and schedule, as well as hold partners accountable for procurement readiness.

Supports constructability reviews, providing feedback on design alignment with owner requirements; holds design team accountable for incorporation of constructability review feedback

Oversees design progression to ensure alignment with budget, schedule, and constructability; lead target value design

Ensures Health & Safety integration, introduces Hierarchy of Controls, and incorporates logistics planning into the design

Promotes design-build mindset and collaboration between disciplines

Oversees and validates design team invoicing and design QA/QC for regulatory and standards compliance

Improves documentation of design basis and assumptions

Emphasizes the importance of delivering the proposed design and managing scope changes

Facilitates construction phase design services kick-off to confirm construction and close-out expectations from our design partners

Communicates design scope and intent, as well as any managed risks, to construction team for seamless execution in the build phase

Works with Operations to establish all project controls in accordance with Division 1 specifications to ensure alignment

Resolves scope conflicts between the design team, trade partners and project teams and develop recovery plans as needed

As changes arise, works with our design partners and Operations team to manage design updates and any related impacts

Expected to contribute to organizational learning by sharing lessons learned and best practices for alternative delivery

Mentors and coaches the Design Project Specialist providing technical guidance, leadership development, and performance feedback

Responsible for the career development and coaching of team members

Fosters a positive and inclusive work environment to motivate and engage team members

Interprets and translates the organizational strategy, ensuring team understanding of their role in accomplishing strategic goals

EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field

8-12 years of relevant experience with an active role on a multidisciplinary team in Design-Build, IPD, P3, EPC, or other alternative delivery models

Typically leads Design Management for one major/complex project or limited concurrent projects depending on complexity and staffing model

DBIA, LEED, RA, PE, AIA, NCIDQ, or related credentials may be preferred based on project/client requirements

Or equivalent combination of education and experience

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Strong understanding of design-to-budget, constructability, and risk management

Executes departmental processes and procedures

Excellent communication, leadership, and team-building skills

Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and drive consensus,

Proficiency in design and construction management software/tools; proficiency in BIM software is preferred

Collaborate with project leadership on strategic thinking and problem-solving action plans

Collaborative influence with team

Risk identification and mitigation

Innovation and continuous improvement

Results-oriented and accountable

Salary to be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, and/or experience of the applicant, as well as the internal equity and alignment with the team.

For (Arlington, VA) this ranges from $145,000-$185,000 plus benefits and retirement program.

Gilbane offers an excellent total compensation package which includes competitive health and welfare benefits and a generous profit-sharing/401k plan. We invest in our employees’ education and have built Gilbane University into a top training organization in the construction industry. Qualified applicants who are offered a position must pass a pre-employment substance abuse test.

Gilbane is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or disability status. Click here to view the physical demands and working conditions required to perform this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Note to Recruiters, Placement Agencies, and Similar Organizations : Gilbane does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our jobs alias, website, or to any Gilbane employee. Gilbane will not pay fees to any third party agency or firm and will not be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered property of Gilbane and will be processed accordingly.