Design Manager - Water & Wastewater

Carrington West; Derby; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Carrington West is seeking a Design Manager in the water and wastewater sector to lead complex projects from concept through delivery. Hybrid role with a minimum of three days in office/site.

You will manage multidisciplinary design teams, ensure technical quality, regulatory compliance, and efficient delivery, and drive best-practice processes across design, engineering and construction interfaces. This pivotal leadership role requires strategic thinking, robust stakeholder engagement, and a

Qualifications

• 8–10 years' experience in design management or design delivery.
• Experience in water and wastewater projects.
• Strong understanding of water treatment processes.
• Experience monitoring design performance with EVA.
• Experience managing design change and regulatory compliance including CDM.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary design teams across multiple projects.
• Oversee the full design lifecycle from concept through to delivery.
• Monitor design performance using KPIs and EVA.
• Manage design change processes and ensure effective control measures.
• Ensure compliance with CDM regulations, industry standards, and best practice.
• Maintain robust quality assurance processes across all design outputs.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, project, and construction teams.
• Manage design budgets, schedules, and resource allocation.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and support to design teams.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Organisation

Priority management

Multi-tasking

Analytical thinking

Decision making

Collaborative

Education

Degree in Engineering, Design, Architecture, Construction Management, or related field

Chartered status or working towards

Strong understanding of CDM responsibilities and design governance

Tools

Earned Value Analysis (EVA)

Job description

Design Manager - Water & Wastewater

Location: Hybrid (minimum 3 days per week in office/site)

Type: Permanent

The Role

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a Design Manager to lead the delivery of complex, high-impact water and wastewater treatment projects.

In this role, you will take ownership of the full design lifecycle, managing multidisciplinary teams from concept through to detailed design and delivery. You will ensure projects are delivered to the highest standards of technical quality, regulatory compliance, and efficiency.

You will play a key role in driving design performance, implementing best-practice processes, and ensuring alignment between design, engineering, and construction teams. This is a pivotal position where your leadership will directly influence project success and the delivery of sustainable infrastructure solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary design teams across multiple projects
• Oversee the full design lifecycle from concept through to delivery
• Monitor design performance using KPIs and tools such as Earned Value Analysis (EVA)
• Manage design change processes and ensure effective control measures are in place
• Ensure compliance with CDM regulations, industry standards, and best practice
• Maintain robust quality assurance processes across all design outputs
• Collaborate closely with engineering, project, and construction teams
• Manage design budgets, schedules, and resource allocation
• Provide leadership, guidance, and support to design teams

Experience Required

• 8-10 years' experience in design management or design delivery
• Ideally within water and wastewater projects
• Strong understanding of water treatment processes
• Experience in monitoring design performance, including use of EVA
• Proven experience managing design change and regulatory compliance, including CDM

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills
• Excellent communication with the ability to influence at all levels
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under pressure
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Confident decision-maker with a collaborative approach

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Design, Architecture, Construction Management, or related field
• Chartered status or working towards
• Strong understanding of CDM responsibilities and design governance