Design Manager- Kano-Maradi Railway Project

MISSION

The Design Manager is responsible for leading, coordinating, reviewing, and controlling all multidisciplinary engineering and design activities related to the Kano-Maradi Railway Project, ensuring that the railway infrastructure, stations, structures, track systems, signaling, telecommunications, electrical, mechanical, geotechnical, and associated facilities are designed in compliance with contractual requirements, client specifications, Nigerian standards, international railway standards, lender requirements, project schedules, and budget constraints.

The Design Manager serves as the primary interface between the Project Team, Client, Design Consultants, Independent Engineers, Regulatory Authorities, and Construction Teams to ensure that design solutions are technically sound, constructible, cost-effective, sustainable, and delivered in alignment with project objectives. The project comprises a major railway corridor with stations, bridges, culverts, maintenance facilities, freight yards, and rail systems infrastructure.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Design Leadership

• Lead and manage all design activities for the railway project;
• Develop and implement the overall design management strategy;
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams;
• Ensure integration between civil, structural, geotechnical, architectural, railway systems, MEP, signaling, telecommunications, and environmental designs;
• Establish design priorities and technical standards.

Design Planning and Control

• Develop and maintain the design schedule;
• Monitor progress against engineering milestones;
• Identify design risks and implement mitigation measures;
• Coordinate design deliverables with construction requirements;
• Ensure timely submission of design packages to the Client and Engineer.

Technical Management

• Review and approve engineering calculations, drawings, specifications, and technical reports;
• Verify compliance with project technical requirements and contractual obligations;
• Manage design interfaces between disciplines and contractors;
• Review value engineering proposals and optimization opportunities;
• Resolve complex engineering issues.

Railway Systems Integration

Oversee engineering coordination for:

• Permanent way and track design;
• Stations and ancillary buildings;
• Bridges and structures;
• Earthworks and drainage;
• Signaling systems;
• Telecommunications systems;
• Power supply systems;
• Depot and maintenance facilities;
• Freight yards and operational facilities;

The railway includes numerous bridges, culverts, stations, rail infrastructure, maintenance facilities, and operational systems requiring coordinated design management.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the focal point for all design-related communications;
• Manage relationships with:
• Federal Ministry of Transportation;
• Supervising Engineers;
• Independent Consultants;
• Design Consultants;
• Regulatory Authorities;
• Lenders and Technical Advisors.
• Participate in technical meetings and design review sessions.

Design Quality Assurance

• Implement design quality control processes;
• Establish document review and approval workflows;
• Ensure compliance with ISO and project quality management systems;
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design reviews;
• Manage non-conformities and design change requests;

Construction Support

• Provide technical support during construction;
• Review Requests for Information (RFIs);
• Manage design clarifications and revisions;
• Coordinate responses to site engineering issues;
• Support commissioning and testing activities.

Change Management

• Control design modifications;
• Assess technical and commercial impacts of design changes;
• Maintain design registers and revision histories;
• Obtain required approvals before implementation.

Budget and Resource Management

• Manage design budgets and consultant contracts;
• Monitor engineering expenditures;
• Plan and allocate design resources effectively;
• Optimize engineering costs while maintaining quality and safety standards.

Environmental and Social Compliance

• Ensure design compliance with:
• Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) requirements;
• Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) requirements;
• Lender standards (AfDB, EBRD, IFC and equivalent);
• Sustainability and climate resilience requirements.
• Support incorporation of mitigation measures into engineering designs.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Design deliverables completed on schedule;
• Number of approved designs submitted on time;
• Design-related non-conformities;
• Number of unresolved design interfaces;
• Design change turnaround time;
• Percentage reduction in design-related construction rework;
• Compliance with project budget;
• Client approval rate of submitted designs;
• Technical risk closure rate;
• Engineering productivity index.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, Railway Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, or related discipline;
• Master's degree is an advantage.

REQUIREMENTS

Professional Registration

• COREN Registered Engineer;
• Professional Engineering Membership;
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification is desirable.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years of engineering experience;
• Minimum 10 years in major infrastructure projects;
• Minimum 5 years in railway, metro, transportation, or large linear infrastructure projects;
• Proven experience managing multidisciplinary design teams;
• Experience with EPC and Design-Build contracts;
• Experience working on internationally financed infrastructure projects is preferred.

COMPETENCIES

Technical Competencies

• Railway engineering design;
• Design management;
• Project controls;
• Systems integration;
• Construction methodology;
• Contract management;
• BIM and digital engineering;
• AutoCAD, Civil 3D, MicroStation, OpenRail or equivalent;
• Risk management;
• Value engineering;
• Quality management systems.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic thinking;
• Leadership and team management;
• Stakeholder engagement;
• Problem solving and decision making;
• Negotiation and influencing skills;
• Results orientation;
• High ethical standards;
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

Authority Level

The Design Manager has authority to:

• Coordinate and direct multidisciplinary design teams;
• Recommend design approvals;
• Initiate design reviews;
• Escalate design risks to project leadership;
• Approve technical submissions within delegated authority;
• Recommend engineering consultant appointments and performance evaluations.

This role is considered a senior management position within the Kano–Maradi Railway Project organization and is critical to ensuring successful delivery of the project's engineering and technical scope.