Head of Technical

Location: Bromley, Kent.

Reporting to: Managing Director.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm. Flexibility required on occasion.

Contract: Permanent

Main Purpose of Role

Lead the Guildmore Design and Technical department, direct and manage the outputs of the team of Design Co-ordinators and Design Managers to achieve the objectives of each project in accordance with programme and cost imperatives from tender to handover. Responsible for technical compliance of the entire project portfolio which currently comprises ca 150-200 units across 4-6 sites, and growing.

Specific Responsibilities

  • Leadership: Manage the team of Design Co-ordinators and Design Managers across multiple projects in accordance with internal processes and KPIs. Assess future resourcing requirements and plan accordingly. Interview and recommend appointment of new team members. Mentor and champion their continuing professional development.
  • Strategic: Bring strategic direction and decision making capacity on technical matters to board level discussions
  • Risk: Manage technical risks across portfolio of projects and report on individual and cumulative risk impacts and mitigation at board level.
  • Process: Ensure team compliance with existing processes. Review, improve and implement robust, appropriate processes and procedures
  • Pre-construction: Work with pre-construction team to technically appraise incoming tenders. Identify key risks, opportunities and gaps in the technical information and ERs. Create and manage the standard Guildmore specification and CPs
  • Programme: Lead, check and ratify all project design programmes. Manage internal and external teams to ensure adherence to same.
  • Consultants: Check and ratify consultant fee proposals, scope and responsibility matrix across all projects. Identify need for specialist input where required. Sign off on all appointments and fee invoices
  • Client: Principal client liaison on technical and compliance matters for all projects. Compile, check and present monthly client report at monthly client meetings.
  • Value: Provide strategic direction to team embedding cost-conscious culture. Identify and disseminate common areas for review and continuous improvement. Work closely with Commercial Manager and maintain oversight of cost implications of team decisions.
  • Buildability: Provide strategic direction to team embedding buildability culture. Identify and disseminate common areas for review and continuous improvement. Work closely with Operations Manager and maintain oversight of cost implications of team decisions.
  • Co-ordination: Provide strategic direction to team and strengthen processes for achieving full and complete co-ordination of design. Make final decisions on technical issues.
  • Compliance: Check and ratify that planning, BCO and NHBC conditions and associated timeframes have been correctly identified and managed, and discharged across all projects.
  • Handover: Check and ratify that handover documentation and approvals are obtained and assembled a timely manner and that risks to handover are minimised.
  • CDM: Responsible for ensuring internal and external teams comply with CDM obligations.

Specific Experience

  • The following skills / experience are minimum requirements:
  • Minimum 10 years PQE of which at least 5 years working with residential contractor
  • Specific experience across multiple residential apartment projects between 4 and 10 storeys in height and between 20 and 200 units.
  • Comprehensive understanding of technical detailing and compliance requirements including Building Regulations and NHBC, as demonstrated by specific examples of resolution of complex design challenges

Personal Qualities

  • Professional, personable demeanour which exudes confidence and competence in client facing settings.
  • Versatile written and verbal communications skills to adapt to various circumstances and stakeholders, from clients to subcontractors.
  • Able to analyse and distill complex problems and make rapid, effective decisions under pressure.
  • Leadership qualities which demonstrate capacity to hire, lead, mentor, develop and maximise the potential of a team.
  • Leadership qualities which encourage staff to work openly and collaboratively to own up to and rectify problems rather than shift blame

Key Benefits:

  • High degree of independence and autonomy, reporting directly to owner-manager
  • Opportunity to mould and develop the culture and processes of a growing team
  • Opportunity to influence strategic direction of this fast moving, entrepreneurial company
  • Confirmed pipeline of future work comprising a mix of mainstream residential construction and several interesting listed buildings, cinema and specialist care facilities.
  • A genuinely collaborative and non-confrontational working culture, both internally and externally
  • Company Pension Scheme and Bonus Structure

For more information, please visit www.guildmore.com

Please send your CV to recruitment@guildmore.com