Architectural Design Manager

About the Role: Architectural Design Manager - Commercial Construction, Wānaka or Queenstown

Cook Brothers Construction are seeking a design‑focused leader to join our Wānaka or Queenstown team and guide the design process for large‑scale commercial projects. This role suits a senior architect or experienced design coordinator who enjoys working closely with clients, consultants, and construction teams to shape high‑quality, buildable commercial outcomes.

You’ll be the person who keeps the design process moving, coordinating consultants, reviewing documentation, resolving technical issues early, and ensuring the design aligns with commercial realities, programme, and buildability.

This is a commercial design leadership position for someone who understands how design decisions impact construction, cost, sequencing, and client outcomes.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead and coordinate the design process for commercial projects from early concept through construction documentation.
• Prepare ECI / Design Build proposals, briefs, and scoping documents based on CBC pre-construction structures.
• Collaborate with estimating and marketing teams to develop complete submission packages.
• Collaborate with construction teams to ensure design decisions support buildability, sequencing, and commercial outcomes.
• Manage design documentation through Procore, ensuring accuracy, version control, and timely distribution.
• Review design documentation at all stages, identifying gaps and areas for further coordination.
• Assist with development feasibility assessments, including bulk, location, preliminary design, and high-level budgets.
• Maintain strong relationships with clients, consultants, and internal teams, fostering a collaborative and solutions‑focused design culture.

About You

You bring 5+ years of architectural or design‑coordination experience, ideally within large‑scale commercial projects. You’re confident navigating multidisciplinary design environments and enjoy working at the intersection of architecture, technical coordination, and construction delivery.

You have:

• Strong architectural and technical capability, with experience delivering commercial projects from concept to construction.
• Skilled at leading design meetings, coordinating design processes, and managing commercial risk, you are confident reading and interpreting construction drawings.
• Proven ability to coordinate and manage complex design inputs.
• Excellent communication skills, written, verbal, and visual.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to build trust quickly.
• Experience with construction programming, finance, and CmBuilder is preferred, but not essential.
• Experience with seismic detailing, mass timber, or complex commercial operational environments is an advantage but not essential.

About Us

At Cook Brothers Construction, we back our teams to take ownership, make smart calls, and deliver with pride. Our strength lies in our people and their drive to continually raise the bar. This has led to a legacy of 20 years of dedication and teamwork. We value hard work, celebrate achievements, and take pride in the results we create and the connections we form.

From our Dunedin roots to growth across Auckland, Canterbury, Southern Lakes, Wānaka, and Otago, we’ve built a reputation as one of New Zealand’s leading construction firms.

Our foundations are clear: innovation, quality, sustainability, client satisfaction, health, safety and wellbeing.

If you’re looking to contribute to a company that values trust, collaboration, and growth, Cook Brothers is the place to be.

Why Join Us

This is a fantastic opportunity to step into a commercial design leadership role within a supportive, high‑performing construction team. You’ll influence design direction, strengthen consultant coordination, and help deliver commercial projects that balance creativity, technical excellence, and buildability.

If you’re ready to connect people, drive results, and make an impact, click Apply!

Your health, safety, and wellbeing are our top priority. Before starting with us, you’ll need to complete and pass a pre‑employment medical, including drug and alcohol testing.

Please submit your application via Seek