Design Manager – Construction Services

Direct Hire Opportunity
Location: Chicago, IL with occasional travel to Gary, IN.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Design Manager – Construction Services for a direct hire opportunity supporting a major construction project in Chicago, IL. The Design Manager is a senior project leader responsible for coordinating and aligning all design disciplines with construction execution on design-build projects.

This role ensures design intent, technical requirements, budget objectives, and schedule constraints are fully integrated to support successful project delivery. The Design Manager will serve as a key liaison between the design team, construction team, owner, consultants, and trade partners while driving collaboration, constructability, quality, and efficient execution.

Primary Responsibilities

Design Coordination & Integration

• Lead the integration of architectural, structural, MEP, and specialty systems into a cohesive and constructible design.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary coordination meetings and drive resolution of design conflicts.
• Oversee design deliverables to ensure alignment with project scope, budget, schedule, and quality requirements.
• Ensure design packages are complete, coordinated, and issued in accordance with project milestones.
• Support design reviews and maintain alignment between project objectives and design execution.

Design-Build Collaboration

• Serve as the primary interface between design teams and construction teams.
• Collaborate with preconstruction and field teams to incorporate constructability, phasing, sequencing, and logistics considerations into design development.
• Support early trade partner engagement and coordinate design-assist contributions.
• Establish effective feedback loops between field conditions and evolving design documents.
• Promote collaboration between consultants, contractors, and project stakeholders.

Schedule & Budget Alignment

• Partner with project leadership to align design development activities with procurement and construction schedules.
• Monitor design progress against key milestones and proactively identify and resolve potential delays.
• Support cost management efforts by evaluating design decisions against project budget requirements.
• Participate in value engineering and cost optimization initiatives.
• Assist with identifying risks and opportunities related to design execution.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure designs comply with owner requirements, applicable codes, and regulatory standards.
• Lead design quality reviews and constructability reviews at key project milestones.
• Coordinate with Architects of Record and Engineers of Record to maintain design integrity and accountability.
• Support resolution of technical issues impacting project execution.

Technology & Documentation

• Oversee the use of BIM/VDC tools for coordination, clash detection, and model integration.
• Ensure proper version control and documentation management for all design deliverables.
• Promote digital workflows that improve coordination, reduce rework, and enhance project efficiency.
• Support effective document control practices throughout the project lifecycle.

Stakeholder Management

• Interface with owners, consultants, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), and third-party reviewers.
• Support project presentations and reporting related to design progress, risks, decisions, and milestones.
• Facilitate timely decision-making by identifying, communicating, and escalating critical design issues.
• Build strong working relationships across project teams and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant design, construction, or design-build experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 2 years of leadership experience managing design or project teams.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary design teams on complex projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional licensure as an Architect or Professional Engineer preferred.
• DBIA (Design Build Institute of America) Designated Design-Build Professional® Certification strongly preferred.
• LEED accreditation or sustainability experience.
• Experience supporting large-scale commercial, exhibition, hospitality, aviation, convention center, or similarly complex projects.
• Prior experience with design-build or integrated project delivery (IPD) methodologies strongly preferred.
• Experience working collaboratively with both design consultants and construction teams.
• Strong understanding of building systems, including architectural, structural, and MEP disciplines.
• Proficiency with BIM/VDC platforms such as Revit, Navisworks, or similar tools.
• Knowledge of construction sequencing, phasing, logistics planning, and constructability principles.
• Familiarity with project management tools and document control systems.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional coordination and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with diverse project teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Detail-oriented approach with a focus on quality, accountability, and execution.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic construction environment.

This position requires the selected candidate to work on-site in Gary, IN.

No Corp-to-Corp (C2C) arrangements or third-party recruiting agencies will be considered.