Lead Principal Designer

Overview:

We are seeking a highly experienced and proactive construction professional to join our Principal Designer (Building Safety Act) department within our established Architectural Consultancy. This is a senior position for a dynamic leader, offering the chance to share our compliance services and drive best practices across our project portfolio. The candidate will focus on ensuring compliance with the Building Regulations and associated legislation, specifically under the new Building Safety Act, throughout the design and construction process.

About the Role:

As Lead Principal Designer under the Building Safety Act (BSA), you will play a central role in planning, managing, coordinating, and monitoring Building Regulations compliance across our business projects. This includes reviewing design proposals, assessing compliance at both the design and construction phases, completing our compliance matrix, conducting plan report checks and site reports, and advising clients and project teams to ensure regulatory obligations are met.

Reporting to the Senior Leadership team, you will lead a growing team and serve as a key liaison among clients, contractors, and design teams, ensuring the highest standards of safety and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Principal Designer BSA department.
• Plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate matters relating to Building Regulations compliance across multiple projects.
• Provide advice and guidance to clients, design teams, and contractors.
• Review design proposals and technical submissions for compliance with current legislation.
• Conduct site inspections to confirm progress of the works and compliance with Building Regulations.
• Keep up to date with legislative changes and industry best practices relevant to the business.
• Support and mentor junior team members and contribute to internal knowledge sharing.

Qualifications and Skills:
This role is suitable for professionals from a range of construction and design backgrounds, including:

• Architect
• Architectural Technologists
• Design Managers
• Building Control professionals / Plans Checkers
• CDM Principal Designers (CDM 2015 Regulations)
• Project Managers or Surveyors with strong regulatory experience

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate exceptional organisational skills, precision, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment. Experience mentoring or training junior staff is strongly valued.

What we offer:

• Supportive, collaborative team culture
• Ongoing professional development, including CPD and business-related training
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Pension scheme with employer contributions
• Private medical insurance
• Season ticket loan to support travel costs
• Hybrid working arrangement
• Full-time, permanent position

If you're looking for a fresh challenge and the opportunity to work alongside skilled professionals, IDL Group could be the right fit. We're committed to creating an environment where you can grow, share ideas, and make a genuine impact on the future of the built environment.

Follow us on LinkedIn to learn more about our team and projects. If you're interested in joining us, we'd be delighted to hear from you.

To apply, please send us your CV below.