Design Manager

Design Manager - Education Projects (DSA)

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Salary: $140,000 - $200,000

Overview

The Design Manager leads the full design lifecycle for college campus capital projects, from initial planning and pre-construction through construction support, close-out, and DSA certification. Acting as the primary liaison between the Capital Program Team, design consultants, and District stakeholders, this role ensures all design deliverables meet quality, constructibility, budget, schedule, regulatory, and District standards. The ideal candidate will bring 10+ years of facilities design or capital project experience, including at least five years on educational or comparable public-sector projects requiring DSA or OSHPD/HCAI compliance.

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Urban Planning, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• NCARB or Registered Architect equivalent
• Minimum 10 years of experience managing facility design or capital improvement projects, including design management, contract administration, cost estimating, and project scheduling.
• Minimum 5 years of experience delivering educational facilities or comparable public-sector projects requiring DSA or OSHPD/HCAI compliance.

Nice to Haves

• Familiarity with sustainable design principles and their application on public-sector projects.
• Experience with risk management, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating project risks.
• Experience managing project scope definition, scope control, and coordination across multiple project interfaces.
• Experience managing DSA box submittals and reviewing DSA Construction Change Directives (CCDs).

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the complete design lifecycle for campus capital projects from initial planning through DSA certification and project close-out.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Capital Program Team (CPT) and the Design Team, ensuring effective communication and issue resolution.
• Manage pre-construction activities, design phase services, and implementation of established policies, procedures, and quality standards.
• Coordinate with District stakeholders, architects, consultants, and project teams to define project scope and ensure design objectives are achieved.
• Oversee the timely production, review, and approval of all design deliverables while maintaining compliance with project requirements, District standards, schedules, and budgets.
• Perform comprehensive QA/QC reviews of plans, specifications, schedules, cut sheets, and other design documentation to ensure constructibility, coordination, and compliance.
• Provide design direction to architects and consultants regarding District standards, project objectives, site requirements, schedules, and budgets.
• Guide project teams through the DSA review and approval process, manage DSA box submittals, and evaluate the cost, schedule, and scope impacts of design changes.
• Review and provide comments on DSA Construction Change Directives (CCDs) during construction to ensure compliance with approved design intent.
• Ensure all projects comply with DSA guidelines, applicable codes, District policies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and approved programming criteria.