Brisbane | Residential Towers | Pre-DA to Tender | Up to $250K Package

A growing Brisbane development advisory and project management business is looking to appoint an experienced Design Manager to work across a pipeline of significant residential developments.

This is an opportunity for an accomplished Design Manager from a principal building contractor to take their construction and delivery knowledge upstream, becoming involved much earlier in the development lifecycle.

Working alongside an experienced in-house team across design, development, construction and project management, you'll help shape projects from early concept and pre-DA through design development, consultant procurement and preparation of a coordinated tender package.

The Role

This is broader than a traditional contractor Design Management position.

You'll represent the development team's interests throughout the design process, protecting design intent while continually testing decisions against buildability, cost, programme, planning requirements and procurement strategy.

Key responsibilities will include:

- Working with the in-house team through concept and pre-DA design
- Driving preparation and coordination of the complete DA documentation package
- Establishing design programmes, consultant deliverables and key milestones
- Coordinating architects, planners, structural, civil, services, façade, landscape and specialist consultants
- Preparing consultant scopes and obtaining and reviewing fee proposals
- Assisting with consultant appointments and managing performance and deliverables
- Driving documentation through approximately 50–70% design development
- Reviewing designs for buildability, methodology, sequencing and construction risk
- Identifying design gaps and coordination issues before they impact procurement or construction




- Challenging design decisions from a commercial, buildability and value-management perspective
- Ensuring design development remains aligned with project feasibility, budget and programme
- Managing design workshops, responsibility matrices, registers and consultant actions
- Identifying long-lead items and packages requiring early design resolution
- Supporting ECI and incorporating contractor feedback into the developing design
- Driving documentation to a level that allows the market to accurately price and de-risk the project
- Coordinating and completing the tender documentation package
- Supporting tender queries, qualifications and design-related clarifications
- Maintaining design intent as projects transition towards construction

About You

We're specifically targeting someone who has developed their Design Management career within an Australian principal building contractor and understands the complexities of delivering residential towers.

Ideally, you'll bring:

- Significant experience as a Design Manager with a principal contractor
- Extensive medium and high-rise residential experience
- Strong understanding of structure, façade, services and apartment finishes
- Experience managing multidisciplinary consultant teams
- Excellent understanding of design documentation and consultant deliverables
- Strong buildability, construction methodology and sequencing knowledge
- Exposure to ECI,



tendering and construction procurement
- Commercial awareness and an understanding of how design decisions impact cost and programme
- Confidence challenging architects and consultants constructively
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- A proactive approach with the ability to identify and resolve issues early

Why Make the Move?

This is an chance to take everything you've learned delivering complex residential projects for builders and apply that knowledge earlier in the development lifecycle, where your decisions can have significantly greater influence.

Rather than receiving a design and determining how to build it, you'll be involved in shaping that design from the outset.

You'll operate across the intersection of design, development, commercial strategy and construction, providing considerably broader exposure than a traditional contractor Design Manager position.

What's On Offer?

- Package up to $250K
- Major Brisbane residential developments
- Involvement from pre-DA through design development and tender
- Work directly with an experienced in-house development and design team
- Genuine influence over major project and design decisions
- Broader exposure to feasibility, procurement and development strategy
- High-quality architects, consultants and project stakeholders
- Opportunity to take your builder-side experience client-side
- Exceptional long-term career development and progression

If you're an experienced builder-side Design Manager who enjoys complex residential projects but wants greater influence over how projects are conceived, designed and de-risked before construction begins, we'd be keen to hear from you.

All applications and enquiries will be treated in strict confidence.

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📌 Design Manager - Development Advisory (Queensland)
🏢 Contec Recruitment
📍 Queensland