Flood Risk & Drainage Lead

Arthian Ltd.; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Attractive benefits package

Mentoring opportunities

Job summary

A leading environmental consultancy in the UK is seeking a Principal Flood Risk & Drainage Consultant to enhance their Water Environment team. The ideal candidate will combine technical oversight with strong client management and business development skills. Responsibilities include leading flood risk assessments, managing complex projects, and mentoring junior staff. Candidates should have experience in winning proposals, a solid understanding of UK flood policies, and the ability to drive commercial growth. Competitive salary and benefits are provided.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of winning work and managing client relationships.
• Experience in leading proposals, budgets, and advising clients.
• Strong understanding of UK flood risk policies and hydraulic modelling.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery across flood risk and drainage assessments and designs.
• Manage technically complex projects and client relationships.
• Support business development activities and mentor junior consultants.
• Build and manage client relationships, developing repeat work and new opportunities.
• Lead fee proposals, tenders and scope definition with proportionate risk advice.
• Support business development including pipeline creation and conversion.
• Line manage and mentor junior consultants, ensuring standards.
• Own project financials: budgets, fee forecasting, WIP and invoicing.
• Contribute to strategic growth and market positioning of the water team.

Skills

Winning work

Managing client accounts

Comfortable with budgets

Technical oversight

Business development

Team leadership

Education

Degree in civil/ Water engineering

Job description

Arthian is seeking a commercially driven Principal Flood Risk & Drainage Consultant to lead and grow our Water Environment team. This is not a pure delivery role. We are looking for someone who can combine strong technical oversight with business development, client ownership and team leadership.

Overview

The successful candidate will help shape the direction of the service line, strengthen technical capability and grow fee income. You will take ownership of projects, clients and team performance while driving commercial growth across a varied portfolio of sectors and clients.

About The Role

Our water environment team delivers a wide range of work across flood risk, drainage and hydraulic modelling, supporting planning and delivery for energy, infrastructure, industrial, residential and commercial projects. The work is varied, client-facing and often fast moving, with a mix of strategic advisory, modelling and design-led delivery.

You will lead and oversee delivery across the water environment discipline, including Flood Risk Assessments, drainage strategies and designs, hydraulic modelling and specialist assessments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee delivery across the water environment discipline, including Flood Risk Assessments, drainage strategies and designs, hydraulic modelling and specialist assessments
• Manage technically complex projects, including surface water and fluvial assessments, drainage network modelling, detention and storage design, and fire water and containment assessments where required
• Act as technical sign-off and quality lead on flood risk, drainage and modelling outputs
• Build and manage client relationships across a varied client base (developers, operators, landowners, contractors, consultants and public sector bodies), developing repeat work and new opportunities
• Lead fee proposals, tenders and scope definition, including advising clients on proportionate scope and risk
• Support and lead business development activity, including pipeline development and conversion
• Line manage and mentor junior consultants, delegating effectively and maintaining standards
• Own project financial performance, including budgets, fee forecasting, WIP management and invoicing
• Contribute to strategic growth of the water team, including market positioning, service development and capability building

What We Are Looking For

• Evidence of winning work, leading proposals or owning client accounts
• Confident scoping work, agreeing fees and advising clients on proportionate scope and risk
• Comfortable with budgets, fee forecasting, WIP and invoicing

Leadership

• Experience line managing, mentoring or leading a team
• Strong QA instincts and ability to enforce standards
• Credible and confident representing the business externally

Technical capability

• Strong understanding of UK flood risk policy, guidance and planning requirements
• Experience producing and reviewing FRA and drainage submissions
• Working knowledge of SuDS principles, hydraulic design and hydraulic modelling
• Able to technically direct and review modelling and design outputs, even if not the primary modeller on every project

Sector alignment

• Experience delivering water environment work across a range of sectors and clients
• Planning-led development experience is valuable, but not essential if you can demonstrate strong technical oversight and commercial performance across other sectors
• Experience with energy, industrial, infrastructure, utilities, developer-side or contractor-side projects is welcomed

Personal drive

• Commercially aware, proactive and growth minded
• Comfortable operating in an agile consultancy environment with high ownership and accountability
• Motivated to progress in the business

Additional information:

• A full clean driving licence is desirable
• Legal right to live and work in the UK is required
• Competitive salary and attractive benefits package is offered