Design Director - Utility Compounds

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Position Summary

The Design Director – Utility Compounds is responsible for directing and managing the overall design delivery process for utility compounds (substations, switching/control compounds, utility hubs, and associated buildings and infrastructure). The role is focused on project and process management rather than performing detailed design. It ensures that all design activities are properly planned, coordinated, and controlled so that scope, schedule, cost, quality, and stakeholder requirements are achieved and effectively interfaced with construction, commercial, HSE, and operations objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design Governance & Process Leadership

• Define and implement the design management strategy, plans, and procedures for utility compound projects and programs.
• Establish the overall design delivery roadmap, including stage gates, key milestones, and approval processes.
• Set up and maintain the design responsibility matrix, clarifying scope boundaries, interfaces, and deliverables for all parties.
• Ensure consistent application of company and client design management standards across all utility compound projects.

2. Design Planning, Schedule & Cost Control

• Develop and own the integrated design schedule in coordination with planning and project controls teams.
• Monitor progress of design deliverables against agreed baselines; identify deviations and lead recovery planning.
• Coordinate with commercial and finance teams to set and manage design budgets, consultancy fees, and internal resource allocations.
• Track and report design productivity, progress curves, and cost versus budget for design activities.

3. Multi‑Disciplinary Coordination (Process‑Focused)

• Lead coordination of all design contributors (internal teams and external consultants) across civil, structural, architectural, MEP, power systems, protection & control, SCADA, and site infrastructure.
• Chair regular design coordination and progress meetings; ensure actions, decisions, and interfaces are clearly recorded and closed.
• Ensure design outputs are aligned with construction sequences, procurement plans, and commissioning strategies.
• Drive alignment between compound designs and external networks (transmission/distribution, access roads, external utilities).

4. Design Change & Risk Management

• Establish and manage a formal design change control process, including impact assessments on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk.
• Maintain a design risk register; facilitate risk identification, ownership, and mitigation with design and project teams.
• Ensure that approved changes are properly documented, communicated, and incorporated into design deliverables, contracts, and schedules.

5. Quality, Compliance & Assurance (Management Role)

• Ensure that design activities follow agreed review, verification, and approval processes, including peer reviews and stage‑gate approvals led by technical authorities.
• Coordinate technical and constructability reviews, HAZID/HAZOP, operability and maintainability assessments with discipline leads and HSE.
• Oversee compliance with relevant codes, standards, client requirements, and regulatory approvals from a process and documentation standpoint.
• Ensure robust document control for all design deliverables, including revision control, transmittals, and traceability.

6. Stakeholder, Client & Authority Management

• Act as the senior point of contact for all design management matters with the client, utility