Architectural Projects Manager

Grade: J scp 35 £46,142 to scp 39 £50,269
Contract: Permanent
Essential Qualification: Degree (Level 6) in Architecture, Architectural Technology, Project/Construction Management, or a related discipline.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

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The Role
You will lead the architectural design and technical delivery of a high-profile portfolio of capital projects across the Council’s estate, including major schemes such as the Town Hall refurbishment programme (circa £15m), school capital works, leisure facilities and other corporate property investments. Acting as the client lead on design matters, you will manage projects from feasibility through to completion, coordinating multi-disciplinary consultant teams through all RIBA stages and ensuring design solutions are compliant, buildable, sustainable and deliver value for money.

The role includes preparing and reviewing project briefs, specifications and technical information, supporting planning and building regulations approvals, and administering JCT and NEC contracts through design and construction phases. You will monitor design risks, budgets and programme performance, providing clear technical advice to Members, Directors and senior stakeholders.

The postholder will also undertake the Principal Designer role across the wider Capital Projects programme (circa £50m), ensuring full compliance with CDM 2015 and the Building Safety Act, embedding safe design principles and robust design risk management across the portfolio while supporting the Council’s net zero and sustainability ambitions.

About You
You will be an experienced architectural or technical professional with a strong track record of delivering capital projects through the RIBA Plan of Work within a complex public sector or similarly regulated environment. Educated to degree level in Architecture, Architectural Technology, Construction or a related discipline, you will hold, or be working towards, relevant professional membership such as RIBA, RICS or ARB.

You will bring detailed knowledge of statutory frameworks including CDM 2015, the Building Safety Act and Building Regulations, and be confident undertaking the Principal Designer role, coordinating multi-disciplinary consultant teams and managing design risk effectively. Strong financial and risk management skills are essential, alongside the ability to balance quality, cost and programme across multiple live projects.

You will be an effective communicator able to present complex technical matters clearly to Members, senior officers and stakeholders, with a collaborative, proactive approach and a commitment to sustainability, continuous improvement and high-quality design outcomes.

Within your supporting statement please answer the following questions:

Describe your experience of leading design delivery across different disciplines and workstreams (for example architecture, building surveying, highways or other infrastructure) through the RIBA Plan of Work. How have you ensured effective coordination of multi-disciplinary consultants to deliver compliant, buildable and integrated solutions?
Explain your experience of undertaking and supporting, the Principal Designer role under CDM 2015 and the Building Safety Act. How have you embedded design risk management and safe design principles within your projects?
Provide an example of a capital project where you have balanced design quality, cost and programme to achieve value for money. What challenges did you face and what was the outcome?

About Us
This is your opportunity to join us at an exciting time as we have strong ambitions for the borough.

Bolton is a great place to work. We are a welcoming organisation that wants to contribute to a place where people feel active, connected and prosperous. We are passionate about improving the outcomes and experience of Bolton people. We want Bolton to be a vibrant place built on strong cohesive communities, successful businesses and healthy, engaged residents.

As an employer we want to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment, by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits, including discounts and exclusive gym membership prices and salary sacrifice schemes. In addition, we offer a generous annual leave allowance, flexible work opportunities, access to a Pension Scheme, as well as a range of employee wellbeing and support services.

Our Values are really important to us, read all about them below, along with all our great staff benefits, the job description/person specification for the role and the important legal bits, and our Top Tips too.

Ready to apply? Then please click Apply and upload your anonymised CV and supporting statement discussing your relevant skills and experience and explain how you believe they make you a strong fit for this role.

Within Greater Manchester, local authorities have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex-military personnel. Please see greater.jobs for further information before you apply.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Employment offers are conditional subject to satisfactory clearances. For roles where a criminal records check from the DBS is required, this includes satisfactory clearance of this check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of an individual’s offence/s. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here. Bolton Council’s policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders is available here.

This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification.

This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation that has signed the commitment, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service-related benefits. Please see the home page of greater.jobs for more information.

For more information about working for Bolton Council, please see greater.jobs; for advice and support with your application, contact recruitment@bolton.gov.uk