Design Manager

Costain; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading infrastructure solutions company in the United Kingdom is seeking a Design Engineer to manage the delivery of water projects. You will coordinate design and project teams, ensuring compliance with industry standards and managing stakeholder expectations. Applicants should have a Civil Engineering qualification, knowledge of NEC4 contracts, and strong communication skills. The role offers a hybrid working model based in Manchester, with opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Hybrid working model

Qualifications

• Civil engineering qualification and practical delivery experience.
• Driving licence required.
• Passionate about best practices and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with design controls.
• Manage information flow within project teams.
• Coordinate design risk and buildability workshops.

Skills

Civil engineering qualification

Effective communication

Stakeholder management

SMSTS

CSCS

Good organisational skills

Proactive attitude

Education

Civil Engineering Degree

Tools

NEC4 contracts

Job description

Job Description

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Costain have won extensive work across the water sector this year to support the AMP 8 investment cycle. We have been appointed by United Utilities as one of 7 partners to the Enterprise, delivering £5.5bn of projects in the Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8) between 2025‑2030, and AMP 9 (2030‑2035). Our scope is to provide project management, design, construction and commissioning services on design and build schemes throughout the North West and Cumbria region covered by United Utilities. Projects vary in value, covering both infrastructure and non‑infrastructure assets on water and wastewater sites with wider Enterprise partners.

Reporting to the Principal Design Manager you will be responsible for the design delivery of water projects on the United Utilities (UU) AMP8 Framework. Adopting a hybrid working model you will split your time between the Costain Manchester office, UU Warrington offices, design partner offices, UU sites and home as required.

You will have experience working within the water sector, in either Mechanical, Electrical ICA or Civils disciplines in maintenance, design, or capital delivery roles. You should be a motivated team player, with the ability to work collaboratively with multiple teams to deliver production thinking carbon efficient design solutions.

You should also demonstrate a thorough understanding of design delivery, design procurement, design management, design control, quality assurance, BIM to ISO 19650 and have a working knowledge of the NEC4 suite of contracts.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with The Costain Way gates & controls for design commissions within your control
• Control flow of information between parties to ensure relevant information is available to the relevant teams at the right time, including supply chain partners
• Prepare design scopes and agree deliverable requirements in collaboration with relevant teams
• Co-ordination of reporting aligned to the Framework requirements and agreed KPIs
• Management of the allocated design partner and project teams to delivery against agreed design deliverables, programmes & budgets
• Hold and record regular design meetings to actively manage progress and coordination
• Co-ordinate and manage design risk, buildability, carbon and DfMA workshops (amongst others)
• Liaise closely with other members of the team to support package procurement and any respective supply chain partners
• Work closely with commercial team to ensure engagement with supply chain partners to support the design development with timely provision of design information
• Ensuring design compliance with UU, industry and Costain standards; ensuring necessary derogations are secured as required. Challenge design solutions to ensure a safe, efficient and buildable design, considering DfMA and low carbon solutions which meet the Client's affordability challenges
• Coordination and recording of design reviews, technical assurance reviews and CDM reviews
• Ensure design is implemented and managed aligned to the project BIM strategy
• Be conversant with current legislation, especially that which applies to health and safety, which is relevant to tasks being carried out
• Promote the business in a professional manner to both external and internal persons or organisations
• Maintain and grow professional working relationships with the design team, delivery team, commercial team, and employer team and communicate well with them

Qualifications

Essential

• Civil engineering qualification and practical delivery experience
• SMSTS
• CSCS
• Driving licence
• Good organisational skills
• Effective communication and strong stakeholder management skills
• Passionate about improving performance in the sector through best practice, process improvements and continuous improvement practices
• Able to work and learn quickly in a fast paced, fun and dynamic environment.
• Previous experience of management on complex / sensitive programmes
• Practical experience working with NEC 4 contracts
• A positive and proactive attitude

Desirable

• Experience of water industry working
• Chartered Engineer of a relevant institution

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About Us

Costain helps to improve people's lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK's energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK's leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future‑shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.

Costain appreciate the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at application phase.

We do share individual feedback following an interview.

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that disclose they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer.

It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people.

For more details please go to the Disability Confident website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign