Design Management Higher Level Apprenticeship

Design Management Higher Level Apprenticeship

As a Design Management Trainee at Wates, you’ll gain hands-on experience collaborating with a wide range of professionals, including architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and sub-contractors. You’ll be involved in reviewing and analysing information to streamline projects, ensuring cost-effectiveness and best practices throughout. This programme will give you exposure to the full project life cycle, helping you understand how everything fits together.

What you will do

• Support the management of the design processes to reduce risk and maximise project outcomes.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, designers, sub-contractors, and suppliers.
• Support to ensure compliance with contracts related to project progress, design responsibilities and sub-contractor obligations.
• Provide design updates and reports to managers while supporting the preparation of consultant performance reports.
• Collaborate with internal and external teams to review design data, check for technical completeness and identify potential risks or issues.
• Gather vital information and engage with networks to build your expertise in design management.

About you

• Be passionate about a career in the built environment.
• Be excited to learn and develop new skills.
• Have a curious nature.
• Be reliable and professional.
• Be a problem solver with the ability to think logically.
• Possess good time management skills.
• Prioritise your work to meet agreed deadlines.

Entry requirements

• Full UK driving licence and
• You must have achieved grade 4/C or above in GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent) and
• You must have obtained or be working towards a minimum of 2 A-Levels at grade D or above, or an equivalent qualification, such as: Level 3 NVQ, BTEC, T-Level, Or other comparable Level 3 qualifications

Programme duration

This is a 3-year apprenticeship programme, combining practical experience with formal training. You’ll work towards a Level 4 qualification while gaining hands-on experience in the industry.

What’s in it for you?

Our Trainee Management Programme offers placement opportunities across various departments, technical and behavioural development, including support through relevant qualifications and a host of additional benefits. We provide the foundation skills, knowledge and experience you’ll need to build a long-term successful career.

• Mentoring, support, and training by industry experts.
• Structured learning plan (a combination of technical and behavioural development).
• Competitive salary.
• Private medical insurance.
• Car allowance / company car scheme.
• Health & wellness programme.
• 26 days holiday + bank holidays.
• Completion of a construction related Level 4 qualification.

We have nearly 200 talented Trainees currently completing our Trainee programme, providing amazing opportunities to build a network, collaborate and share learning with your peers.

Kickstart your journey and apply now!

We value authenticity and encourage you to complete your application without the use of AI tools. This helps us gain a genuine understanding of your individual strengths, experiences, and potential.

Applications for this role close at midday on Tuesday 25 November 2025. This date may be brought forward or extended in line with the number of applications we receive. We’re only able to accept the first application we receive. Any additional applications will be automatically withdrawn.

Work for Wates

Wates is one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies. Founded over 125 years ago, we have a proud legacy in the built environment. We are driven by our purpose, ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our three promises:

• Thriving places – working with customers, partners and communities to create places that are more sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity.
• Thriving planet – protecting nature and taking action on climate change by collaborating and innovating with our partners.
• Thriving people – creating opportunities and relationships so that everyone who works for and with us feels included, invested in and treated with care.

We are proud to be recognised as Gold Investors in People and as a Disability Confident employer. We also ensure that our recruitment processes do not treat anyone less favourably due to an offending background.

How to apply

To apply for this role and to find out more, please click on the apply button. Please note that applications may close before the application deadline, so apply early to avoid disappointment.