Workplace Designer
Summary
A Government Property Agency role ensuring government office projects consistently apply the Government Workplace Design Guide, giving day-to-day design advice and technical assurance to developers, architects and consulting design partners. Suited to an experienced design professional from an architecture, design or construction background using tools like Adobe Creative Suite and Bluebeam Revu.
- Job grade: Senior Executive Officer
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: GPA - Capital Projects - Innovation & Assurance - Workplace Design
- Type of role: Estates, Project Delivery, Property
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.
We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.
Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.
Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:
- Striving for excellence- We always aim to deliver great results
- Empowering through respect- We insist on fair treatment for all, always
- Acting with integrity- We consistently do the right thing
- Succeeding together- We rely on each other to achieve success
We are committed to representing the communities we serve by making Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) part of everything we do. Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.
We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.
Job description
The Workplace Designer (WD) is responsible for ensuring the Government Workplace Design Guide and supporting technical handbooks are applied consistently across specific projects. They also provide day to day advice and guidance to the project team on design matters.
Supporting the Workplace Design Manager, and acting as the tactical Intelligent Client on specific projects, the WD interprets the Government Workplace Design Guide, GPA’s Employer Requirements and any client specialist requirements, informing design briefs for developers and GPA’s consulting design partners to produce designs for each RIBA stage.
The WD provides assurance that all designs support the GPA’s commitment to create workplaces that are safe, inclusive and accessible and as flexible as possible to support smarter and hybrid working practices.
Working as part of a wider team, the WD provides ad-hoc support on other projects as required, including the development and maintenance of our guides and standards to ensure our projects are at the forefront of sustainable and inclusive workplace design.
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to a Workplace Design Manager, the Workplace Designer is responsible for:
- Advising the Workplace Design Manager on the status of the project’s design, ensuring they are aligned to the Government Workplace Design Guide and supporting technical handbooks.
- Providing professional advice and guidance to the project team, escalating design related risks and issues as appropriate to the Workplace Design Manager.
- Technically assuring the designs produced by the GPA’s consulting design partners and developer’s architects, to ensure compliance with GPA’s requirements.
- Supporting client engagement on all design matters.
- Implementing the Government Workplace Design Guide in full, as far as is reasonably practicable, and managing exceptions (client specialist requirements) into appropriate briefing material for designers to use during Cat A and Cat B RIBA stages, minimising the need for bespoke spaces.
- Work with the Project Manager to review client specialist requirements to minimise costs and unnecessary derogation from the Government Workplace Design Guide and technical annexes.
- Providing information to inform detailed briefings, options analysis and information on design for senior leaders and stakeholders.
- Monitoring and reporting on the project specific design progress.
- Supporting the GPA Customer Experience team to advocate smarter ways of working.
- Supporting the GPA’s Chief Technology Office team to deliver interoperable AV/IT solutions.
- Supporting the GPA Business Readiness team to design customer focussed products and services.
- Working with subject matter experts in design-related areas across government, and private sector professionals including the property industry.
- Acting as a client design point of contact for designers, contractors, consultant partners and their supply chains on specific projects.
The Workplace Designer is directly accountable to the Workplace Design Manager for the status of their allocated project’s design
Person specification
We are looking for an experienced design professional who can demonstrate practical experience of design management and delivery on large scale projects or programmes in ‘multi-disciplinary’ project teams.
Experience & Technical Skills
Essential criteria:
Knowledge and understanding of construction, technical specifications, workspace design and procurement.
Successful end-to-end delivery of large change projects through forming effective relationships with senior stakeholders, customer groups, policy makers, and creating engaged teams.
Experience of effective client engagement and relationship management with senior leaders and stakeholders.
Ability to make value based decisions and drive continuous improvement.
Excellent IT skills including Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office and PDF mark-up software (e.g. Bluebeam Revu).
Experience of effective team working.
Experience of communicating and influencing at a senior level.
Understanding of project management methodologies.
Experience gained in an architectural, design or construction based role.
Desirable criteria:
Managing effective governance controls in a complex business environment.
Experience developing, maintaining and applying design guidance and standards.
Understanding of Government or BSRIA Soft Landings process.
Understanding of projects using BIM level 2.
Experience using Common Data Environments (CDE) for document management.
Experience of working in or with the Government Property Profession.
Qualifications and Accreditations
Desirable criteria:
- An associate or bachelor's degree in architecture, interior design and/or another relevant subject.
- Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. ARB, Chartered Society of Designers etc.)
- Relevant project management qualification (eg APM, MSP etc).
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Customer Perspective
- Commercial Acumen
- Property Market Knowledge
- Innovation
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme (RIS) to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Please note - At this time GPA are unable to offer any Visa Sponsorship to candidates as we do not currently hold a visa sponsorship licence. Please do not apply for permanent roles with GPA if you will require your employer to take on the sponsorship of your current or any future visas.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Sift
The sift is due to take place week commencing 24th November 2026.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV and a 500-word personal statement. The personal statement should then align with the person specification.
Interview
GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitment@gpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application.
At interview, applicants will be scored against 4 behaviours - Working Together, Making effective decisions, Communicating and Influencing, and Delivering at Pace.
Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience and Technical (core skill) questions.
Please also come prepared to give a short presentation on:
You will be asked to give a 10 minute presentation of your design portfolio. Your presentation should contain examples of projects you have worked on which demonstrate relevant experience for this role. Your portfolio must be in pdf format to be presented digitally.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to GPA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via GPArecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Andrew Nelson
- Email : andrew.nelson@gpa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : gparecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
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