Design Manager - Interiors

Job Description

Design Manager (Interiors) - Permanent, South West London

Hours: 40 per week, 08:00am - 17:00pm Monday to Friday

As Design Manager – Interiors & Amenity Fit-Out, you will lead the design coordination and delivery of apartment interiors, common areas and amenity spaces across a residential development. You will manage architectural detailing, interior design and specialist trades to ensure high-quality, compliant and coordinated internal environments are delivered to programme.  This role focuses on buildability, finishes, coordination of services, and delivery of apartments and shared spaces to Ballymore’s quality standards.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Design Coordination:

• Coordinate with the consultant team and specialist trade contractors to ensure all elements are correctly detailed.
• Ensure consultant and trade contractor design packages are delivered on time to meet the construction programme.
• Coordinate apartment layouts, bathroom pods (if applicable), kitchens and joinery packages.
• Manage design interfaces between architecture and specialist trades.
• Ensure compliance with Building Regulations, acoustic standards and fire compartmentation.
• Review finishes, specifications and detailing to ensure buildability and quality.
• Manage consultant and subcontractor design submissions.
• Coordinate sample reviews and mock-ups where required.

Design/ Project Management:

• Chair interiors and fit-out coordination meetings.
• Track design deliverables against construction sequence.
• Identify risks relating to services coordination and apartment typologies.
• Attend site meetings to resolve technical and quality issues.
• Manage O&M information and Golden Thread requirements for internal elements.
• Ensure planning condition requirements relating to interiors are addressed where applicable.

Procurement/ Tendering and Value Engineering:

• Support procurement of fit-out and interior packages.
• Review technical submissions from kitchen, joinery, bathroom and finishing trades.
• Assess value engineering proposals to maintain design intent and quality.
• Work closely with commercial team on finishes strategy and specification alignment.

Building Safety & Change Control:

• Ensure compliance with fire compartmentation and life safety requirements.
• Support Gateway 3 occupation readiness.
• Ensure safety-critical interior design changes are controlled and recorded.
• Maintain Golden Thread records.

Stakeholder Liaison:

• Liaise with site management to manage quality and programme risks.
• Maintain close communication with interior designers and client representatives.
• Support apartment handover preparation and defect mitigation strategy.

Skills and Experience 

• 5–7+ years’ experience in residential interiors or fit-out delivery.
• Strong understanding of apartment detailing and coordination.
• Experience managing specialist fit-out subcontractors.
• High attention to detail and quality standards.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• On-site experience (beneficial).
• Excellent organizational skills with an ability to produce quality work and achieve project deadlines.
• Pragmatic/ common sense approach, always demonstrating a sense of ownership.

Ballymore operates as an equal opportunity employer