Principal Designer / CDM Advisor

On behalf of our client, we are seeking a Principal Designer to join a thriving and well-established team based in Theale, Reading. This role presents an exciting opportunity to work across a variety of sectors, including housing, education, and commercial projects. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in supporting the growth of the business while ensuring compliance with CDM 2015 regulations and delivering exceptional health and safety services.

About the Role

As a Principal Designer, you will:

• Guide Clients: Educate clients on their legal duties under CDM 2015, ensuring responsibilities are fulfilled.
• Lead CDM Services: Act as the main point of contact for Principal Designer duties, ensuring adherence to statutory requirements, codes of practice, and industry guidance.
• Manage Design Risk: Work closely with designers to compile Design Risk Management schedules and conduct safety-specific design reviews throughout project lifecycles.
• Oversee Pre-Construction: Collate pre-construction information and address any gaps in project documentation.
• Facilitate Collaboration: Promote effective communication between project stakeholders to coordinate health and safety considerations.
• Deliver Project Outputs: Prepare and issue project-specific Health and Safety Files upon completion.
• Provide Specialist Advice: Offer expert CDM guidance to both internal teams and external stakeholders.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are looking for a motivated individual with:

• Professional Membership: Registered membership of APS, IOSH, or equivalent.
• Qualifications: Degree-level education (or equivalent) in a construction-related field, with at least 3 years of post-qualification experience.
• Expertise in CDM 2015: Comprehensive understanding of CDM regulations, industry guidance, and codes of practice (L144).
• Construction Experience: Demonstrable experience in managing design risk and working on multi-discipline construction projects.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication, enabling effective collaboration with clients, design teams, and contractors.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with other construction-related health and safety regulations and common construction techniques.
• Organizational Skills: Effective self-management and time-management abilities to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Key Stakeholders

This role involves engaging with:

• Construction clients
• Architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and project managers
• Contractors, including site management, design managers, and project leads
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) representatives
• Health and safety managers