Design Manager (Wastewater Non-Infrastructure)

Cowi; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office/Home Hybrid Working

Job summary

Cowi is seeking a Design Manager (Wastewater Non-Infrastructure) to join its expanding Water Design team. You will lead multidisciplinary design groups and drive delivery of wastewater non-infrastructure projects across AMP8, from optioneering to detailed design and commissioning support.

Key responsibilities include cross-disciplinary integration, BIM/digital delivery, risk and budget management, and sustainability alignment.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Civil, Mechanical or Process Engineering (or related)
• Achieved Chartered Engineer status (e.g. MICE, MCIWEM, IChemE or equivalent), or working towards chartership
• Extensive experience in wastewater non-infrastructure design within UK water sector frameworks (AMP7/AMP8)
• Established experience as Design Manager or senior design leader in cooperative delivery structures such as alliances/frameworks
• Demonstrable experience delivering TotEx-driven solutions and understanding Ofwat drivers
• Knowledge of wastewater treatment processes (activated sludge, SBR, MBR, sludge treatment, nutrient removal)
• Experience with NEC3/NEC4 contracts in a Design Manager/PM role
• Understanding of digital engineering, BIM (ISO) and CDEs
• Knowledge of sustainability, carbon reduction and environmental compliance
• Demonstrated leadership and client-facing skills
• Commercial awareness including programme and cost control

Responsibilities

• Managing and delivering design of wastewater non-infrastructure projects across all AMP8 stages
• Acting as Design Manager within alliances and frameworks with cross-disciplinary integration
• Ensuring best-for-project TotEx-led design solutions
• Managing wastewater process design integration including treatment performance and regulatory compliance
• Embedding digital engineering and BIM into design delivery
• Managing design programmes, resources, risks and budgets to meet AMP8 milestones
• Overseeing design risk management activities (HAZID/HAZOP/ALM) and safe-by-design per CDM
• Collaborating with contractors, suppliers and client teams to deliver integrated solutions
• Supporting carbon reduction and sustainability objectives in design
• Contributing to bids, tenders and framework growth
• Building and sustaining client relationships as a delivery partner
• Mentoring engineers and designers to grow AMP8 capability

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Client-facing

Commercial awareness

Education

Civil/Mechanical/Process Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer status or working towards

Tools

BIM (ISO)

Common data environments

Job description

Design Manager (Wastewater Non-Infrastructure)

Derby, London, York, Glasgow, Bristol

Permanent

Office/Home Hybrid Working

Do you want to be part of a growing Water Design team? Can you lead and inspire multidisciplinary design teams? Are you experienced in wastewater treatment design and delivery? Then, read on. This could be the next adventure in your career.

Create Solutions that will enable a better tomorrow

To further expand our Water team, we are looking for a Design Manager (Wastewater Non-Infrastructure) to join us. You’ll be responsible for the design and delivery of wastewater treatment and non-infrastructure projects, including treatment works upgrades, process optimisation, sludge treatment, pumping stations, and associated MEICA and civil assets.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Managing and delivering the design of wastewater non-infrastructure projects across all AMP8 stages, from optioneering and outline design through to detailed design and commissioning support
• Acting as Design Manager within collaborative delivery models (e.g. alliances and frameworks), ensuring integration across process, civil, mechanical, electrical and ICA disciplines
• Ensuring best-for-project and TotEx-led design solutions, balancing capital and operational expenditure
• Managing wastewater process design integration, including treatment performance, resilience, and compliance with tightening regulatory standards (e.g. nutrient removal, storm overflow reduction)
• Embedding digital engineering and BIM (ISO ) principles into design delivery, supporting data-driven decision making
• Managing design programmes, resources, risks, and budgets to meet AMP8 delivery milestones
• Overseeing design risk management activities (HAZID, HAZOP, ALM) and embedding safe-by-design principles to comply with CDM Regulations
• Collaborating with contractors, suppliers, and client teams to deliver integrated and buildable solutions
• Supporting carbon reduction and sustainability objectives, including low-carbon design and circular economy principles
• Contributing to bids, tenders, and framework growth within AMP8 and beyond
• Building and sustaining trusted client relationships as a reliable delivery partner
• Mentoring and developing engineers and designers, supporting capability growth aligned to AMP8 demand

Your skills. Our team. Together we design the future.

The first step to success in this role is that you are eager to collaborate with the people around you, whether they are colleagues, partners, or customers. Developing ties with others is something you do by acting respectfully and delivering on your promises. And you never get set in your ways but keep exploring new insights and ways to improve.

On top of that, you’ll have:

• Degree-qualified in Civil, Mechanical or Process Engineering (or a related discipline)
• Achieved Chartered Engineer status (e.g. MICE, MCIWEM, IChemE or equivalent), or working towards chartership
• Extensive experience in wastewater non-infrastructure design within UK water sector frameworks (AMP7/AMP8)
• Established experience serving as a Design Manager or senior design leader in cooperative delivery structures such as alliances and frameworks
• Demonstrable experience delivering TotEx-driven solutions and understanding of Ofwat regulatory drivers
• In-depth knowledge of wastewater treatment processes (e.g. activated sludge, SBR, MBR, sludge treatment, tertiary processes, nutrient removal)
• Experience working under NEC3/NEC4 contracts in a Design Manager or Designer’s PM capacity
• Thorough understanding of digital engineering, BIM (ISO ), and the use of common data environments
• Knowledge of sustainability, carbon reduction, and environmental compliance within water projects
• Demonstrated leadership, stakeholder engagement, and client-facing skills
• Commercial awareness, including programme and cost control within design delivery