Operating within a quick-paced, medium-sized prefabricated modular dwelling building company, the
Design Manager
acts as the primary strategic and operational conduit linking
Sales, Clients, Internal Manufacturing, and External Stakeholders
.
This role is tailored for a highly competent Senior Designer or Senior Draftsperson possessing a strong buildability background who is ready to step into a leadership function.
Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the successful candidate must exhibit complete
role ownership
, actively
shaping the design management function
and establishing standardised workflows.
The incumbent will take full accountability for driving the architectural and technical design lifecycle, transforming conceptual sales agreements into manufacturing-compliant production packages.
The Design Manager ensures all projects are optimised for off-site manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) while maintaining absolute regulatory compliance.
Key Relationships
Sales & Estimating:
Translating initial client parameters into high-yield, constructible modular concepts; providing precise technical advice during the pre-contract phase.
Serving as the business's primary technical authority, navigating expectations through design iterations, planning reviews, and final approvals.
Manufacturing & Production Floor:
Collaborating directly with Construction to ensure documentation aligns with factory tooling, material capacities, and modular constraints.
External Stakeholders:
Managing direct relationships with Local Government Authorities, private certifiers, land developers, and engineering consultants.
Statutory Approvals and Planning Compliance
Regulatory Alignment:
Apply an advanced, comprehensive understanding of the
Western Australian Residential Design Codes (R-Codes)
to ensure absolute architectural compliance across single and multi-dwelling modular designs.




Local Policy Navigation:
Interpret, evaluate, and navigate diverse
local planning policies (LPPs)
, town planning schemes, and Council-specific design frameworks across WA municipalities.
Technical Design Coordination and Leadership
BIM System Management:
Supervise and optimise the design pipeline using
Autodesk Revit
, ensuring standard modular family libraries, component assemblies, and drawing templates are accurately maintained.
Team Mentorship:
Lead, manage, and upskill a small team of internal draftspersons, promoting a high-performance culture focused on technical accuracy, quality assurance, and timeline discipline.
DfMA Optimisation:
Drive continuous improvement in standardised modular layouts, ensuring designs accommodate the logistical constraints of Western Australian road transport networks and regional delivery requirements.
Structural and Civil Integration
Framing Systems Expertise:
Leverage a robust
timber and/or steel frame building background
to engineer efficient, high-performance wall framing layouts, floor cassettes, and structural connections engineered specifically for modular transport.
Engineering Liaison:
Integrate
structural and civil engineering practices
directly into the architectural model, ensuring seamless alignment between civil earthworks, retaining walls, sub-floor footing details, and factory fabrication plans.
Value Engineering:
Perform rigorous buildability reviews of new and existing typologies to reduce material waste,



accelerate factory assembly hours, and control material costs.
Key Selection Criteria
Experience Profile:
7–10 years of progressive professional experience in residential building design or architectural drafting within the Australian market (WA experience highly preferred).
Demonstrated readiness to take accountability for team delivery and department outputs.
Framing Context:
Proven technical proficiency in
timber frame and/or light-gauge steel frame construction
, with a clear understanding of the mechanical behaviours of off-site modular modules under transit and crane load conditions.
Regulatory Competency:
Expert-level capability navigating the
WA R-Codes
and securing complex Development Approvals through various local councils.
Software Capabilities:
Advanced, hands-on proficiency in
Autodesk Revit
, with a strong background in model sharing, engineering links, and production-level shop drawings.
Interpersonal Excellence:
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to act as an authoritative yet collaborative liaison between corporate sales agents, factory trades, and corporate engineering partners.
Qualifications and Accreditation
Degree or Advanced Diploma in Architectural Drafting, Building Design, Architecture, Structural Engineering, or a highly related technical field.
Registration or eligibility for registration with the Western Australian Building Commission as a Building Practitioner is considered an asset.
Current, unencumbered Western Australian Class C Driver's License (essential for council briefings and regional facility oversight).
Please Note:
Only applicants with valid Australian working rights (citizenship or permanent residency) will be considered for this role.
We are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

📌 Design Manager (Western Australia)
🏢 Redibuilt Homes
📍 Western Australia