Design Manager (5-Star Hotels)

• ASCENTIS is an international engineering and project management firm, founded in 2006 and operating throughout South Asia and Africa. ASCENTIS provides advisory, engineering and project management services to the real estate sector with end-to-end solutions from feasibility to commissioning. Championing world-class professional standards, the firm has earned a reputation for high quality and uncompromising integrity, especially in the hospitality sector where Ascentis is the leader in South Asia.
• We are looking for a smart and dynamic professional to manage the design of several hotel projects in India and abroad. The position entails managing the appointment of the design team, leading the design process, and working with our cost management team to value engineer the designs and ensure it stays on budget.

Title: Design, Lead / Sr Lead

Location: Gurgaon/Mumbai/Bangalore (Office Based)

Reports to: Director Development

Role & Responsibilities:

Consultant appointments & contract administration:

• Prequalify local and international consultants for all design disciplines
• Prepare Requests for Proposal and administer tenders
• Clarify and evaluate proposals received and prepare tender report with adjudication recommendation.
• Assist PM and Client to negotiate commercial terms and prepare LOA and contract documents.
• Certify consultant bills for payment.
• Manage contractual claims and change orders.

Design leadership & scheduling:

• Implement documentation management and communication protocols
• Manage all design documentation with document controller
• Assist the planner in preparing the pre-construction master schedule.
• Prepare design briefs with inputs from client, operator, PM, and QS team
• Lead all design meetings/calls, prepare agenda & minutes, and follow-up on assigned tasks
• Prepare design schedules with weekly/fortnightly deliverables and inter-discipline dependencies
• Track design deliverables against schedule, flag delays, and implement recovery plans
• Lead design reviews and approval process by all stakeholders and drive inter-discipline coordination.
• De-bottleneck design hold-ups and help stakeholders to reach consensus.
• Ensure the operator brand standards are incorporated in the design and leverage the operator operational expertise to improve the design functionality.
• Post tender documentation, hand over design role and responsibilities to site design coordinator

Budgeting, value engineering, cost management:

• Assist the QS team to prepare the project budget and subsequent updates. Review the budget and ensure it is consistent with the designs.
• Throughout the design, ensure designers adhere to the budget brief and identify any deviation.
• Identify areas for potential value engineering to improve designs and/or reduce cost in coordination with the designers, the operator, and the client.

Required Education & Experience:

• B.Arch. or BE/BTech with experience in managing schematic or design development stage.
• Post-graduate degree or PMP certification is a plus.
• A minimum of 10–12 years’ experience in design management or project management for high end residential, commercial, retail or hospitality projects.
• International experience is a plus.
• Tender/contract drafting experience is a plus.

Required Skills & Knowledge:

• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, able to lead international, multidisciplinary teams, and develop constructive relationships with all stakeholders.
• Good written and spoken English, able to convey complex ideas and design briefs in a concise and clear manner
• Good planning and organizational skills, able to effectively schedule and coordinate various design activities. MS Project proficiency is a plus.
• Sharp analytical mind with good problem-solving skills
• Solid understanding of all design disciplines, architecture/structure/MEP/Façade/ ID/ Facility and inter-discipline coordination process.