Design Performance and Innovation Manager

OCU; Ruislip; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Careers with Purpose

Benefits package

Job summary

OCU is seeking a Design Performance and Innovation Manager to shape how our design function operates across a portfolio of power infrastructure projects in the UK. You will drive efficiency, quality, and consistency through smarter ways of working and new technologies.

The role focuses on process improvement, standardising design outputs, and embedding data-driven enhancements, collaborating with design, delivery, and digital teams to achieve better project outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience in power, utilities, energy, or infrastructure design environments.
• Strong understanding of engineering design processes and project delivery constraints.
• Experience delivering process improvement, transformation, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Ability to engage confidently with engineers, project teams, and senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate challenges into practical solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead improvement initiatives that enhance design performance, reduce rework, and improve project delivery outcomes.
• Analyse design workflows to identify inefficiencies and implement practical solutions that improve productivity and quality.
• Drive the standardisation of design processes, templates, documentation, and technical outputs.
• Evaluate and implement digital tools, automation solutions, and emerging technologies that add measurable value.
• Collaborate with engineering, project delivery, and digital teams to improve design systems and data management processes.
• Influence stakeholders across the business to embed new ways of working and support successful change adoption.
• Monitor performance metrics and use data-driven insights to support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure all improvement activities align with client requirements, regulatory obligations, and operational delivery needs.

Skills

Design excellence

Process improvement

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Project delivery

Engineering communication

Tools

CAD

BIM

Common Data Environments

Design management systems

Job description

Description

Department: Regulated Power

Location: Ruislip

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full-Time

Pay / Benefits: Remuneration for this role is benchmarked competitively within our sector.

The Opportunity

OCU is delivering a significant portfolio of power infrastructure projects across substations, underground cable systems, and overhead line networks. As Design Performance and Innovation Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping how our design function operates, helping to improve efficiency, quality, and consistency across a large and complex project portfolio.

This is a unique opportunity for someone with both engineering credibility and a passion for continuous improvement. You'll work closely with design, delivery, and digital teams to identify smarter ways of working, implement new technologies, and drive meaningful change that enhances project outcomes. If you're excited by innovation, process optimisation, and influencing the future of engineering delivery, this could be the role for you.

What You'll Do

• Lead improvement initiatives that enhance design performance, reduce rework, and improve project delivery outcomes.
• Analyse design workflows to identify inefficiencies and implement practical solutions that improve productivity and quality.
• Drive the standardisation of design processes, templates, documentation, and technical outputs.
• Evaluate and implement digital tools, automation solutions, and emerging technologies that add measurable value.
• Collaborate with engineering, project delivery, and digital teams to improve design systems and data management processes.
• Influence stakeholders across the business to embed new ways of working and support successful change adoption.
• Monitor performance metrics and use data-driven insights to support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure all improvement activities align with client requirements, regulatory obligations, and operational delivery needs.

What You'll Bring

• Significant experience within power, utilities, energy, or infrastructure design environments.
• Strong understanding of engineering design processes and project delivery constraints.
• Experience delivering process improvement, transformation, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Ability to engage confidently with engineers, project teams, and senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate challenges into practical solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• Experience within DNO, transmission and distribution, or regulated utility environments.
• Bonus if you have experience in substation, cable, or overhead line design disciplines.
• It would be great if you hold qualifications or training in Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• It would be great if you've implemented digital engineering tools, automation solutions, or AI-enabled processes within an engineering environment.
• Knowledge of CAD, BIM, Common Data Environments, or design management systems would be advantageous.

What We Offer

At OCU, we believe that meaningful work should come with meaningful support. That's the principle behind Careers with Purpose, our commitment to ensuring every person at OCU feels supported, developed, and valued, not just in their role today, but throughout their career with us.

Alongside the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects, we offer a benefits package that we are continuing to develop as we grow, and the kind of career acceleration that only comes from being inside a business moving at this pace.

As a rapidly growing organisation, there are genuine opportunities to progress, broaden your experience, and build a long-term career within OCU Group.