Build a Brighter Future with McNab

About McNab

McNab is one of the largest Construction, Development and Property groups in Australia, with turnover now exceeding $1bn each year. Despite our growth and size, we've never lost our small company DNA - which centres around genuine care for our staff, customers and all our stakeholders. Success for us isn't about awards or growth, it's when we deliver so well that our customers are proud to wear a McNab T-Shirt on weekends!

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Design Manager to join our experienced Design team, based in our Brisbane office and focused on our growing Industrial portfolio, with projects ranging from $20M to $140M+.

Working closely with clients, consultants, estimating and project teams, you’ll challenge design, identify risk and opportunities early, and influence decisions across buildability, cost, programme, procurement and the end product.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design process on large-scale industrial projects from pre-construction through delivery.
• Manage consultant coordination, design programmes and key approvals to keep projects moving to time.
• Lead and mentor Design Managers and Design Coordinators, or contribute as a senior technical resource rather than in a traditional people management role.
• Challenge design early to improve buildability, reduce risk and identify value engineering opportunities.
• Work with estimating and delivery teams to align design with procurement, sequencing, cost and constructability.
• Understand industrial project interfaces, client requirements and compliance, and influence outcomes with confidence.
• Build strong relationships with clients and consultants, and contribute technical leadership to the wider Design team.

About you

This is a senior role for someone who brings strong technical capability, commercial thinking and solid construction knowledge. Working across projects from early design and estimating through to delivery, you will help shape practical, buildable and commercially sound outcomes.

• Tertiary qualification in Construction Management, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture or a related discipline.
• Previous role examples – Design Manager, Architect, Structural/Civil Engineer, Project Engineer or Project Manager
• Proven experience delivering sizeable new-build industrial projects, such as warehousing, logistics, food processing, manufacturing or other large-format industrial facilities.
• Strong technical and commercial mindset, with a clear focus on value engineering.
• Sound understanding of how design decisions affect cost, programme, procurement and construction.
• Experience with construction methodology, sequencing and key industrial building interfaces.
• Confident in reviewing and challenging design, identifying efficiencies without compromising client outcomes, practicality or buildability.
• Able to identify design risks and opportunities early, and work collaboratively with estimating and delivery teams to resolve them.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work confidently with clients, consultants, subcontractors and internal project teams.

McNab benefits

• Career development – tailored development plans, coaching and in-house learning programs to support your long-term career goals.
• Flexible leave benefits – including birthday leave, leave purchasing options and paid parental and secondary carer’s leave.
• Health and wellbeing – Fitness Passport, group fitness training, an annual health and fitness subsidy and confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employee benefits and discounts – access to workplace banking and an employee discounts portal with 1,000+ exclusive offers.
• Social Club and team events – regular opportunities to connect with your team and the wider McNab business.

We genuinely care. We make it easy. We deliver certainty.

• This is our promise - to our clients, and everyone we deal with. Delivering on these three things really, really well is what drives us at McNab. Everything we do, from recruiting and training to performance and promotion, centres around this promise.
• We leverage the entire McNab Group to deliver certainty for our clients at a time of unprecedented uncertainty in the industry. And our approach works. From delivering our own property developments, to manufacturing our own building products, and a plethora of aligned businesses, your career at McNab goes well beyond traditional construction roles.