Design Manager

KBS Maritime; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday purchase scheme

Early finish on Friday

Discretionary company bonus

Enhanced pension scheme

Life assurance x4

Cycle to work scheme

Group income protection

Flexible parental benefits

Free parking onsite

Employee assistance network

Kudos rewards

Discount to Historic Dockyard

Job summary

KBS Maritime is seeking a Maritime & Civil Design Manager to lead design delivery for waterfront assets at HMNB Portsmouth. You will collaborate with multi-discipline teams across project lifecycles, from inception through to in-service, ensuring compliance with standards and client objectives.

Ideal candidates bring civil engineering experience with waterfront/maritime exposure, strong governance understanding, and the ability to mentor engineers while coordinating with stakeholders and clients.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience delivering or managing civil assets; waterfront/marine experience helpful.
• Familiarity with building regs and UK standards (PUWER, LOLER, CDM).
• Ability to work with clients with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and manage design solutions for medium to large civil/maritime projects from inception to in-service.
• Prepare scopes of work and technical docs for tender; support design phase, construction and commissioning.
• Develop engineering assurance docs (Safe to Operate Statements, technical approvals).
• Ensure designs meet client objectives and explore innovations; review sub-contractor designs for conformance.

Skills

Maritime civil design experience

Regulatory knowledge UK regs

Client-facing with minimal supervision

Project lifecycle experience

Education

Degree / HND or equivalent in Civil Engineering

Job description

Job Title: Maritime & Civil Design Manager

Service Area: Asset Management

Hours of Work: 37 Per week

Contract Type: Permanent

What You’ll be doing:

As part of the waterfront engineering team that reports to the Principal Maritime Civil Design Manager, you will be working collaboratively with multi-discipline engineering teams. You will be responsible for effectively delivering and managing design solutions for medium to large sized complex projects, from inception to in-service

This role offers a unique opportunity for a civil engineer to develop specialist skills in waterfront and maritime infrastructure while working on complex operational assets that are critical to UK defence and commercial operations.

Other duties will include:

• Prepare scopes of work and technical documentation for tender, support the management of the design phase, and provide technical support during construction and commissioning.
• Support the development of engineering assurance documentation, including Safe to Operate Statements and technical approvals.
• Ensuring designs align to client’s strategic and environmental objectives, including Net Zero Carbon etc, and actively offer innovations to support these objectives.
• Responsibility for checking that designs delivered by sub-contractors conform with the Statement of Requirement, standards/legislation, and the client’s strategic requirements.

You’ll Have:

• Degree / HND or equivalent of BEng/BSc in Civil Engineering or sub-disciplines
• Experience in the design, delivery or management of civil engineering assets. Waterfront and maritime experience is beneficial but not essential.
• Experience contributing to the delivery of civil engineering projects through one or more phases of the project lifecycle, including design, procurement, construction or asset management.
• Knowledge of building regulations and British standards for civil works, and relevant regulations including PUWER, LOLER, CDM Regulations, Temporary Works etc.
• Knowledge and ability to delivery projects following RIBA governance process.
• Ability to work directly with the client without direct management supervision and instruction.

About you:

• We welcome applications from engineers with experience across a range of civil infrastructure sectors. Specialist waterfront and maritime engineering knowledge can be developed through training and experience within the role.
• You’ll be reliable in consistently delivering work, with ability to solve project or design issues.
• You’ll be able to utilise digital governance tools to manage projects through a gated life cycle.
• You will also work confidently with other departments and be able to articulate technical simplification. As well as working with the broader business, you will also act as a mentor to support fellow engineers within your team.

You’ll get:

• Holiday purchase scheme, following successful completion of probation period
• Early finish on a Friday
• Discretionary company bonus scheme
• Enhanced pension scheme – employee contribution 4% and company contribution 6%, or you can increase your contribution to 6% and company contribution will increase to 10%
• Life assurance x 4 (subject to scheme T&C’s)
• Access to our internal benefits and discounts programme for all colleagues
• Cycle to work scheme
• Group income protection
• Flexible parental benefits (if applicable)
• Free parking onsite
• Access to our Internal employee assistance network, giving you the opportunity to reach the heights of success within your new position.
• Kudos reward opportunities (internal achievements scheme)
• Discount off entry into the Historic Dockyard

Background checks & security

Please note that due to the nature of the site we are based on and the work carried out, once offered we carry out a number of pre-employment checks which include UKSV clearance applications – you will need to be eligible for this and willing to go through the process. For more information, please speak with the Talent & Recruitment team.

About us:

At KBS Maritime, we're not just another company – we're an exciting and dynamic joint venture between industry leaders BAE Systems and KBR. Our team is dedicated to providing Asset Management, Infrastructure Management, Energy Solutions and Alongside Services at His Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth (HMNBP), the beating heart of the Royal Navy.

With almost two-thirds of the Royal Navy's surface ships stationed at HMNBP, working with KBS Maritime means being at the forefront of innovation and progress. We operate in a unique and fascinating environment, with a mix of historic dockyards and cutting-edge infrastructure that's unlike any other.

By delivering state of the art solutions to the Royal Navy, KBS Maritime offers the chance to work on projects that make a real difference to the safety, security, and sustainability of the UK's National Defence and Security. But it's not just about the work – at KBS Maritime, we believe in the value of our people. We have the ethos of a small business, which means we value and empower our team members to succeed.

KBS Maritime is committed to building a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from individuals of every social or cultural background, age, gender, ability, sexual orientation, and belief.

We will make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to accommodate any disability. In the first instance, if you require this job advert in an alternative format, or require any assistance, please contact [e-mail]