Design Manager - Special Projects

We are looking for a Design Manager to own the design process for the technical facilities that support Engineering, R&D and Remanufacturing across EMEA. You will report to the Manager, Infrastructure – Special Projects and work with Engineering, the Technical Program Manager and the Construction Manager, as well as external architects and consultants. You will make sure the design is coordinated, buildable and fits how the facility will be used.

You will run design on complex projects with minimal direction and close every review with clear decisions. You will set the design standard for the region, work across multiple jurisdictions at once and act as the reference the discipline leads align to when the schedule and the drawings do not match.

The role is decentralized across EMEA and you must be based in the region. Berlin is an option, not a requirement. Travel to project sites is expected.

- Own the design process from brief to Issued for Construction (IFC), covering architecture, interiors, site design and the interface with Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP), structure and fire, and support tender, construction and handover.
- Turn end-user requirements into a design brief and hold it when scope starts to drift
- Select, direct and review external architects and design consultants, managing deliverables, review cycles and quality
- Run design reviews and coordination meetings, and close clashes before they reach site
- Align design packages with Infrastructure Development (InfraDev) standards, local planning, permitting and project stage gates, prepare permit and authority submissions with local consultants, tracking comments to closure
- Control design change by recording decisions, assessing cost and schedule impact with the Technical Program Manager and keeping unapproved scope out of the drawings, while keeping the design record (including the drawing register and open decisions) current in Tesla's common data environment
- Set design templates and how reviews are run and mentor others in that standard

- Degree in Architecture or Engineering, or equivalent experience managing design on complex buildings
- Strong, demonstrable experience managing design on laboratories, industrial buildings or technical facilities. Experience across more than one jurisdiction is an advantage
- Advanced understanding of how architecture interfaces with MEP, structure, fire, construction and the ability to reject a package that is not coordinated
- Experience directing external architects, consultants and running design reviews that end with owners and dates
- Working knowledge of local planning, permitting and of how design-stage approval processes work in practice
- Familiarity with design coordination tools, including model review (Building Information Modelling (BIM) authoring is not required) and proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite and Autodesk tools
- Based in EMEA (Berlin is an option, not a requirement), willing to travel to project sites and fluent in English. German or Dutch is a plus