Design Manager

Jacobs; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid & flexible hours

Pension contributions up to 10%

Medical coverage

Fertility & family planning support

Enhanced parental leave

Life assurance 4x salary

Wellbeing apps access

Professional development

Community engagement & volunteering

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a Design Manager to coordinate multidisciplinary design activities across water and wastewater projects in the UK. You will work with civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and process teams to deliver integrated, buildable designs that support delivery, commissioning and operation.

You will take day-to-day responsibility for defined design packages, manage scope, programme and interfaces, and resolve technical or delivery issues while liaising with project managers and

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating the design or engineering delivery of water, wastewater or comparable infrastructure projects.
• Evidence of managing defined design packages or project workstreams, including scope, programme, deliverables and change.
• Practical understanding of how engineering design interacts with construction, commissioning, operations and maintenance.
• Working knowledge of Design & Build contracts and CDM requirements, helping teams identify, record and manage design risk.
• Experience working within NEC3 or NEC4 delivery environments, including change control and cost implications.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate design packages and manage scope, programme and interfaces.
• Track progress and resolve technical or delivery issues.
• Ensure buildability, sequencing, safety and operational requirements are reflected in the design.
• Collaborate with project managers, discipline leads and construction teams.
• Support use of standardised solutions and digital tools to improve design efficiency.
• Provide design management support across water infrastructure projects.

Skills

Design management

Design coordination

NEC3/NEC4

CDM compliance

Water/wastewater design

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

You will help turn some of the UK & Ireland's most important water and wastewater plans into safe, buildable and effective infrastructure.

Working across multidisciplinary programmes, you will bring engineering disciplines, construction teams and client stakeholders together around clear, coordinated design decisions. You will help identify risks early, improve buildability and make sure commissioning, operational performance and whole-life value are considered throughout the design process.

This is a role for an experienced engineering professional who understands how complex designs move from development into delivery. You will coordinate technical interfaces, manage design information and help project teams resolve issues before they affect construction, programme or cost.

You will work closely with project managers, technical specialists and construction teams, providing design management support and giving clients confidence that designs are coordinated, assured and ready for delivery.

Your contribution will go beyond managing drawings and schedules. You will challenge assumptions, support better ways of working and help teams make practical decisions that improve safety, value and long-term performance.

About The Opportunity

The UK water sector is entering a significant period of investment, creating the opportunity to improve the resilience, capacity and environmental performance of critical infrastructure.

As a Design Manager, you will coordinate multidisciplinary detailed design activities across water and wastewater projects and programmes. You will work with civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, process and construction teams to produce integrated, buildable designs that support successful delivery, commissioning and operation.

You will take day-to-day responsibility for defined design packages or project workstreams, helping manage scope, programme, technical interfaces, assurance requirements and design change. Working alongside senior design managers, project managers and discipline leads, you will track progress, coordinate inputs and help resolve technical or delivery issues.

You will also work closely with construction and commissioning teams to make sure buildability, sequencing, access, safety and operational requirements are reflected in the design. Where opportunities exist, you will support the use of standardised solutions, digital tools and lessons learned to improve design efficiency and consistency.

Depending on the size and complexity of the programme, you may coordinate a small design team or manage several technical packages within a larger multidisciplinary delivery environment. You will provide clear direction and constructive support, but you will not be expected to carry the same practice leadership, business development or people-management responsibilities as a Senior Design Manager.

This is a great opportunity to join a growing water practice and take on greater responsibility across complex infrastructure programmes. Success will mean improving design coordination, identifying risk early and helping multidisciplinary teams produce engineering solutions that work in design, construction and operation.

This role can be based out of several locations across our major UK & Ireland offices

Here’s what you’ll need

We would be delighted to hear from and speak to candidates with a progressive mix of the following

• Experience coordinating the design or engineering delivery of water, wastewater or comparable infrastructure projects within a consultancy, contractor, delivery partner or asset-owner environment.
• Evidence of managing defined design packages or project workstreams, including design scope, programme, technical interfaces, deliverables, assurance activities and change.
• Practical understanding of how engineering design interacts with construction, commissioning, operations and maintenance
• Working knowledge of Design & Build contracts and CDM requirements, helping teams identify, record and manage design risk.
• Experience working within NEC3 or NEC4 delivery environments, including an understanding of change control, early warnings and the relationship between design decisions, programme and cost.

We offer

• Competitive salary We offer compensation that reflects your skills and experience
• Flexible Work Arrangements Benefit from hybrid, part-time, and flexible working hours, patterns, and locations
• Robust Pension Contributions We offer enhanced pension contributions up to 10% to secure your future
• Comprehensive Health Coverage Single medical cover and Digital GP service, with options to add your partner and family
• Family Planning Support Access to fertility healthcare and family planning services
• Enhanced Parental Leave Enjoy enhanced parental leave pay and free membership to employee assistance and parental programs
• Life assurance at 4x your salary
• Wellbeing Hub Free access to wellbeing apps like Calm and Daily Burn
• Professional Development We cover professional membership fees and provide continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities
• Community Engagement Participate in charity matched-funding, paid volunteering time, and charitable donations

#Design #Water #Infrastructure

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well‑being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about ourJacobs Employee Networks here.

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As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.