Principal Designer

Principal Designer
Location: Chichester / Hybrid
Salary: £45,000 - £55,000 (DOE)
Sector: Construction, Health & Safety

A leading multi-disciplinary consultancy is seeking a dynamic and experienced Principal Designer to join their growing team. This is an excellent opportunity to take ownership of multiple projects, ensuring full compliance with CDM regulations and health & safety standards, while supporting design delivery from inception to completion.

This role is ideal for a motivated individual with strong technical and leadership skills who can manage teams, liaise with clients, and play a central role in driving health & safety strategy across diverse architectural projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as Principal Designer across a range of projects, ensuring regulatory compliance and design risk mitigation.
• Lead and manage project delivery across all RIBA stages, aligning with client expectations, programme and budget.
• Oversee health & safety documentation including pre-construction information and risk assessments.
• Provide expert guidance on CDM and Building Safety Act 2022 requirements.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders to manage design risk and compliance.
• Mentor junior staff and lead knowledge sharing across the team.
• Support design reviews, deliver training, and maintain ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards.
• Foster client relationships and contribute to business development efforts.

Candidate Requirements:

• Demonstrable experience working as a Principal Designer within the built environment.
• Strong working knowledge of UK building regulations, CDM 2015 and the Building Safety Act 2022.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, AutoCAD and Revit.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage confidently with clients, stakeholders, and design teams.
• Proven leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Familiarity with pre-construction health & safety management and competence declarations.
• Experience managing projects through the full lifecycle.

Qualifications & Professional Memberships:

• RIBA or APS Principal Designer (required)
• NEBOSH (or working towards)
• IOSH or APS membership (or working towards)
• ARB/RIBA chartership (desirable)