Design Manager
PR/080774
Posted: 28/01/2026
- Negotiable
- England, South East, Hampshire
- Permanent
Design Manager (Subsea Engineering)
An established, independent subsea engineering company based in Hampshire is seeking a Design Manager to support its work, providing technical expertise and
equipment to major projects in the renewables, telecommunications, and power distribution markets.
The Design Manager will lead the design team, directing design activities, allocating tasks, and managing specialist engineers. The successful candidate is expected to be degree-qualified with a mechanical and/or structural engineering bias, with a minimum of 10 years’ post-degree experience, ideally within the marine or subsea sectors. This is not a purely managerial role; the Design Manager must be an experienced and competent designer, capable of approaching design challenges from first principles.
The role blends hands-on design work with leadership and management
responsibilities.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate experience managing the design of both small and high-value (multi-million GBP) products from concept through to completion. This includes concept and detailed design, technical support during build and commissioning, and management of lifecycle documentation.
While the primary bias is mechanical and structural engineering, familiarity with design tools and techniques such as Autodesk Inventor, finite element analysis (FEA), Mathcad, and Excel is essential. A sound understanding of material selection, fabrication methods, hydraulics, and electrical systems is also required.
Key Responsibilities (including but not limited to):
Management of the Design Team
• Ensuring all design work is completed in accordance with company procedures and ISO 9001 accreditation
• Providing technical and planning input to quotations and tenders
• Producing design basis and design definition documentation
• Planning and managing design activities to ensure efficient execution, with clear work packages and interfaces to enable parallel working
• Managing workload and design resources
• Leading and participating in design reviews, including functionality, safety, compliance, and HAZID/HAZOP studies
• Managing design documentation throughout projects
• Reviewing and approving drawings for construction
• Representing the company in technical meetings with clients and suppliers
• Working closely with company management to maintain and improve high standards of quality and productivity
Day-to-Day Activities
• Developing design concepts and engineering solutions
• Planning and coordinating design activities
• Guiding and overseeing individual team members’ design work
• Preparing 3D models and drawings as part of a collaborative team effort
• Checking and approving calculations, reports, and drawings
• Compiling and maintaining Lessons Learned and Design Improvement registers based on project experience
• Developing and improving internal design processes
• Researching, costing, specifying, and ordering bought-in and manufactured components
About the Company
The company is a specialist subsea cable consultancy and engineering business, providing engineering support, products, and personnel to the renewable energy,
telecommunications, pipeline, and power cable industries worldwide.
The design team has extensive experience in the development of subsea machinery, cable handling equipment, and cable accessories, including burial machines
(trenchers, jet sleds, ploughs), deck machinery, and MV/HV/FO cable connectors, hubs, and accessories. While there is a library of established designs, much of the work is bespoke to project requirements, offering a wide range of technical challenges.
Projects typically involve the design and subcontracted manufacture of turnkey products, with durations usually under one year. The Design Manager and team also support build and commissioning activities, providing variety in the role and ensuring strong feedback into future designs.
The design function has historically been led by a company director. With a strong forward workload, this role represents a key opportunity to strengthen the management team and support continued growth.
Application Details
Please submit a CV along with a covering letter.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits: Competitive salary and benefits package within the subsea engineering sector, negotiable for the right candidate.
Our role in supporting diversity and inclusion
As an international workforce business, we are committed to sourcing personnel that reflects the diversity and values of our client base but also that of Orion Group. We welcome the wide range of experiences and viewpoints that potential workers bring to our business and our clients, including those based on nationality, gender, culture, educational and professional backgrounds, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, and age differences, job classification and religion. In our inclusive workplace, regardless of your employment status as staff or contract, everyone is assured the right of equitable, fair and respectful treatment.
An established, independent subsea engineering company based in Hampshire is seeking a Design Manager to support its work, providing technical expertise and
equipment to major projects in the renewables, telecommunications, and power distribution markets.
The Design Manager will lead the design team, directing design activities, allocating tasks, and managing specialist engineers. The successful candidate is expected to be degree-qualified with a mechanical and/or structural engineering bias, with a minimum of 10 years’ post-degree experience, ideally within the marine or subsea sectors. This is not a purely managerial role; the Design Manager must be an experienced and competent designer, capable of approaching design challenges from first principles.
The role blends hands-on design work with leadership and management
responsibilities.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate experience managing the design of both small and high-value (multi-million GBP) products from concept through to completion. This includes concept and detailed design, technical support during build and commissioning, and management of lifecycle documentation.
While the primary bias is mechanical and structural engineering, familiarity with design tools and techniques such as Autodesk Inventor, finite element analysis (FEA), Mathcad, and Excel is essential. A sound understanding of material selection, fabrication methods, hydraulics, and electrical systems is also required.
Key Responsibilities (including but not limited to):
Management of the Design Team
• Ensuring all design work is completed in accordance with company procedures and ISO 9001 accreditation
• Providing technical and planning input to quotations and tenders
• Producing design basis and design definition documentation
• Planning and managing design activities to ensure efficient execution, with clear work packages and interfaces to enable parallel working
• Managing workload and design resources
• Leading and participating in design reviews, including functionality, safety, compliance, and HAZID/HAZOP studies
• Managing design documentation throughout projects
• Reviewing and approving drawings for construction
• Representing the company in technical meetings with clients and suppliers
• Working closely with company management to maintain and improve high standards of quality and productivity
Day-to-Day Activities
• Developing design concepts and engineering solutions
• Planning and coordinating design activities
• Guiding and overseeing individual team members’ design work
• Preparing 3D models and drawings as part of a collaborative team effort
• Checking and approving calculations, reports, and drawings
• Compiling and maintaining Lessons Learned and Design Improvement registers based on project experience
• Developing and improving internal design processes
• Researching, costing, specifying, and ordering bought-in and manufactured components
About the Company
The company is a specialist subsea cable consultancy and engineering business, providing engineering support, products, and personnel to the renewable energy,
telecommunications, pipeline, and power cable industries worldwide.
The design team has extensive experience in the development of subsea machinery, cable handling equipment, and cable accessories, including burial machines
(trenchers, jet sleds, ploughs), deck machinery, and MV/HV/FO cable connectors, hubs, and accessories. While there is a library of established designs, much of the work is bespoke to project requirements, offering a wide range of technical challenges.
Projects typically involve the design and subcontracted manufacture of turnkey products, with durations usually under one year. The Design Manager and team also support build and commissioning activities, providing variety in the role and ensuring strong feedback into future designs.
The design function has historically been led by a company director. With a strong forward workload, this role represents a key opportunity to strengthen the management team and support continued growth.
Application Details
Please submit a CV along with a covering letter.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits: Competitive salary and benefits package within the subsea engineering sector, negotiable for the right candidate.
Our role in supporting diversity and inclusion
As an international workforce business, we are committed to sourcing personnel that reflects the diversity and values of our client base but also that of Orion Group. We welcome the wide range of experiences and viewpoints that potential workers bring to our business and our clients, including those based on nationality, gender, culture, educational and professional backgrounds, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, and age differences, job classification and religion. In our inclusive workplace, regardless of your employment status as staff or contract, everyone is assured the right of equitable, fair and respectful treatment.
Calum Galvin
Senior Recruitment Consultant
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