Head of Design

We Build Recruitment; England; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm is seeking a Head of Design for a client in the UK energy sector. In this senior role, you will provide strategic leadership for design activities, ensuring compliance and quality standards. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in transmission & distribution, particularly in overhead line design. Responsibilities include guiding design governance, managing risks, and mentoring teams. This position offers a unique opportunity to impact the strategic direction of the company's operations.

Qualifications

• Proven senior leadership experience in design management.
• Strong background in overhead line (OHL) and transmission & distribution design.
• Familiarity with National Grid and DNO technical assurance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design function ensuring quality and compliance.
• Provide strategic direction for the design function.
• Ensure timely delivery of the design portfolio within budget.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Design governance

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Education

Degree in engineering or equivalent

Chartered Engineer status (CEng/IEng)

Job description

We Build Recruitment are now looking to hire a Head of Design (Overhead Line / Transmission & Distribution) on behalf of our client, a specialist engineering and operations company supporting the UK energy and utilities sectors. We deliver expert services across design, construction, and asset management of high‑voltage transmission and distribution networks, renewables, and grid connection projects.

As they continues to expand its technical capability and project portfolio, we are seeking a Head of Design to lead and govern the design function across the business. This is a senior leadership role aligned with the most senior members of staff, responsible for strategic direction, technical governance, and portfolio‑level design assurance.

Role Purpose

The Head of Design leads the design function across the business, ensuring that all design activities are delivered to the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance.

The role focuses on strategic leadership, governance, and portfolio delivery, rather than direct oversight of detailed design, which remains the responsibility of Technical Leads. The position plays a critical role in shaping design strategy, driving performance, and ensuring robust technical assurance across all transmission and distribution design activities, with particular emphasis on overhead line OHL and or Cable works.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction for the design function, aligned with corporate objectives, client requirements, and long‑term business growth.
• Champion innovation, sustainability, and digital delivery, embedding best practice across design processes, tools, and systems.
• Own, maintain, and continuously improve design policies, standards, and procedures, ensuring clear, auditable governance.
• Ensure the overall design portfolio is delivered on time, within budget, and to required quality and safety standards.
• Establish and maintain effective reporting and assurance rhythms, including dashboards, gateways, and KPIs.
• Intervene early where delivery, quality, or resource risks emerge, providing leadership direction and resolution.
• Coordinate interfaces across disciplines and projects, unblocking issues and driving timely decisions at portfolio level.

Technical Assurance & Governance

• Ensure Technical Leads are fully accountable for detailed design quality, verification, and compliance with applicable standards.
• Maintain proportionate governance mechanisms such as design reviews, hazard reviews, and approval processes without duplicating detailed technical oversight.
• Ensure alignment with client‑specific technical assurance frameworks and regulatory requirements.

Risk, Safety & Continuous Improvement

• Identify, assess, and escalate risks that could impact delivery, safety, cost, or quality, implementing and tracking effective mitigations.
• Champion lessons learned and continuous improvement across projects, frameworks, and the wider design function.
• Promote a strong safety culture through the design process, ensuring risk is eliminated or reduced so far as reasonably practicable.

People & Resource Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the design leadership and technical teams, building capability, succession, and a high‑performance culture.
• Plan resources and competencies to meet current and future portfolio demand.
• Manage internal capacity and the use of external design partners as required.
• Support the development of apprentices and early‑career engineers within the design function.

Key Interfaces

• Technical Leads
• Project Managers
• Commercial and Contract Management
• Clients and External Stakeholders
• Proven senior leadership experience in design management within transmission & distribution, utilities, or related infrastructure sectors.
• Deep understanding of design governance, technical assurance, and compliance frameworks, including CDM 2015 and client‑specific standards.
• Demonstrable track record of delivering complex, multi‑disciplinary design portfolios and driving measurable performance improvement.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at executive and client level.
• High level of commercial and financial awareness, including budget ownership and value engineering principles.
• Decisive, structured, and resilient leadership style suited to complex, regulated environments.

Experience & Qualifications

• Degree‑qualified in an engineering discipline or equivalent relevant experience.
• Chartered or Incorporated Engineer (CEng / IEng) status, or working towards, is highly desirable.
• Strong background in overhead line (OHL) and transmission & distribution design environments.
• Familiarity with National Grid and/or DNO technical assurance frameworks (e.g. SR188, BP141) is advantageous.
• Formal training in leadership, project, or portfolio management (e.g. APM, MSP, MBA) is beneficial.