Head of Design - Gas

IES Utilities Group LTD; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK utility company seeks a Head of Design to lead the in-house Design Department. The role involves ensuring compliance with industry standards and overseeing design delivery for utilities infrastructure. The ideal candidate will have experience in utility design, strong leadership skills, and knowledge of digital tools such as AutoCAD and Revit. This position offers a competitive salary and benefits, including career progression opportunities and a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Career Progression opportunities

Pension

Holiday allowance (25 days + Bank holidays)

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Experience delivering design within EPC or D&B project environments.
• Familiarity with design assurance processes for safety-critical assets.
• Strong commercial awareness in delivering value-for-money propositions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Design Department for multi-disciplinary designs.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards in design delivery.
• Support bids by scoping design solutions and estimating efforts.

Skills

Chartered Engineer (or working towards)

Proven track record in utilities/infrastructure design

Strong leadership skills

Digital competency (AutoCAD, Revit)

Great communication skills

Education

Chartered Engineer in Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Process discipline

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Job description

Job Title: Head of Design
Salary: Competitive with benefits package
Location: Manchester
Contract: Permanent

About IES

IES Utilities Group Ltd is a leading UK utility Provider delivering end-to-end utility solutions. Our teams operate across Power, Gas, Water, Telecoms, District Heating and Renewables, where we provide survey, design, construction, and maintenance services nationwide. With a commitment to innovation, safety, and sustainability, IES supports clients in building and maintaining resilient, future-ready infrastructure networks across the UK. Headquartered in Manchester, IES continues to grow as a trusted partner in the utilities sector.

Our Vision:To be the leading utility and infrastructure services provider, Known for innovative and sustainable solutions to current and future challenges.

Our Mission:To enable essential utility networks and infrastructure to achieve exceptional levels of resilience and long-term value

Role Summary

To lead, build, grow, and manage the IES in-house Design Department, ensuring the safe, compliant, and efficient delivery of multi-disciplinary designs including temporary works designs for gas, water, wastewater, power, and telecoms infrastructure. Provide technical leadership, design governance, and client confidence in the company's end-to-end service offering.

Key Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Leadership

• Establish the Design Department and define its scope, processes, and standards.
• Develop design capability roadmap aligned to business growth.
• Line management of multi-disciplinary design engineers and CAD team.

Design Delivery

• Oversee all design output (concept, FEED, detailed design, as-builts).
• Ensure compliance with industry standards (IGEM, BS/EN, DWI, NG/ENA specifications, CDM Regs).
• Chair design reviews, HAZOPs, and technical assurance meetings.
• Adopt the role of DI for Temporary Works and support the establishment, implementation and oversight of the company procedures for temporary works.
• Appoint competent individuals into Temporary Works Co-ordinator (TWC) and Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) positions.
• Approve and sign off designs as the lead technical authority.
• Conduct regular design and temporary works design audits.

Governance and Compliance

• Act as Principal Designer under CDM where required.
• Maintain ISO 9001/19650 design management system.
• Ensure risk assessments and design risk registers are embedded.

Commercial & Client Engagement

• Support bids and tenders by scoping design solutions and estimating design effort.
• Engage with clients engineering teams to position the company as a trusted design & build provider.
• Manage subcontract design partners where additional expertise is needed.

Pre-Construction Management

• Support the pre-construction phase on major projects in terms of Design Co-ordination
• Support the business in establishing and deploying effective pre-construction process and controls to ensure projects transition smoothly, safely and efficiently from the pre-construction to the construction phases.
• Build a functioning multi discipline pre-construction Design Co-ordination team for the business as it grows

Resource Development

• Recruit, mentor, and develop design engineers.
• Manage design budget and forecasting.
• Promote digital engineering/BIM adoption.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Chartered Engineer (or working towards) in Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Process discipline.
• Proven track record in utilities/infrastructure design (gas, water, power).
• Experience delivering design within EPC or D&B project environments.
• Strong leadership, team management, and client-facing skills.
• Familiarity with design assurance processes for safety-critical assets.
• Strong grasp of standards, regulations, and utility / DNO requirements.
• Digital competency (AutoCAD, Revit, 3D modelling).
• Great communication and sales skills capable of developing strong relationships with internal and external customers.
• Strong commercial awareness in both delivering VFM propositions to customers and taking fiscal P&L responsibility for running Design Services.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary
• Supportive team environment
• Career Progression opportunities
• Pension
• Holiday allowance (25 days + Bank holidays)
• Other benefits

How to Apply

If you believe you have the skills and experience were looking for, please submit your CV, including a brief covering note outlining your most relevant contract management or account management experience to [e-mail]. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.