Infrastructure Project Manager - Manchester Lead

AECOM; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM is seeking an experienced Project Director (Project Management) in Manchester. This leadership role involves managing local office operations, mentoring project managers, and ensuring the delivery of major infrastructure projects across various sectors. You will build strong relationships with clients and support regional growth ambitions through targeted recruitment and resource management. The role requires a minimum of 9 years of experience and a relevant degree, with a focus on NEC contract management.

Qualifications

• Minimum 9 years of proven management experience across multi-disciplinary projects.
• Demonstrable knowledge of NEC3/4 contract management and post contract administration.
• Ability to manage and mentor less experienced resources.

Responsibilities

• Lead the successful delivery of complex projects within collaborative teams.
• Provide support and mentoring to Project Managers and apprentices.
• Develop strong relationships with clients and business partners.

Skills

Project Management

Team Leadership

NEC Contract Management

Excellent Communication

Relationship Building

Education

Relevant degree in project management, engineering, or environmental science

Project Management Qualification (APMQ or PRINCE2)

Job description

Job Description

Start here. Grow here.

Are you a Project Management (Infrastructure) professional looking to work on projects that make a difference and enhance the world around us? If so, we are looking to attract the finest talent to be part of this journey as we mobilise for several key opportunities across a broad portfolio, delivering for clients in Energy, Water, Rail, Aviation, Highways.

As our Manchester portfolio continues to expand, we’re looking for an ambitious Office Lead to take the reins of our local team and play a pivotal role in the next phase of regional growth.

This is more than a team management role — it’s an opportunity to build, shape and lead a thriving PM capability within one of AECOM’s most commercially successful regions, supporting major clients such as the Environment Agency and driving forward our FY26 growth ambitions.

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading local office operations and acting as the day-to-day leadership presence for the Manchester PM team
• Driving targeted recruitment to support planned regional growth
• Managing team structure, line management arrangements, and regular engagement with all team members
• Setting meaningful personal and business objectives aligned with regional performance targets
• Supporting career development plans and progression pathways across the team
• Monitoring and maintaining utilisation to ensure strong commercial performance
• Ensuring team CVs and capability profiles are current, compelling and client-ready
• Fostering a positive team culture through regular engagement and local initiatives

Why this role?

You’ll be stepping into a leadership position within a region that consistently outperforms national utilisation benchmarks and plays a key role in delivering multi-million programmes of work. With strong pipelines across the infrastructure markets, you’ll have the platform — and autonomy — to grow a team, influence performance, and help secure the next generation of major frameworks.

If you’re motivated by building teams, developing people and delivering outcomes that matter to clients and communities alike, we’d love to hear from you to work on a variety of interesting and challenging projects, both nationally and locally. You will be joining a growing team of like-minded people that have a passion for innovation and delivering cutting edge solutions.

As a Project Director (Project Management) you will also be responsible for Client Project Delivery.

Here’s what you’ll do

• Lead the successful delivery of multi-disciplinary complex projects within collaborative delivery teams.
• Provide effective support and mentoring to Project Managers, Graduates and Apprentices.
• Ensure commissions are managed and completed efficiently, on time and to the client’s satisfaction.
• Support and manage the project team ensuring appropriate resources are provided on projects, meeting the client and business requirements
• Ensure projects and commissions are delivered to the satisfaction of the client for quality, cost, and time
• Develop strong relationships with clients and members of the cross-functional team
• Support business development opportunities with existing and new clients. Be the primary interface with AECOM clients (new and existing)

Qualifications

Here’s what we’re looking for

• A minimum 9 years of proven experience providing a full spectrum of PM services including general post contract management and administration, proactively engaging with relevant stakeholders, being aware of the scope of service and ensuring delivery within the agreed parameters.
• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of NEC3/4 contract management, ideally with Accreditation.
• A relevant degree such as in project management, engineering, environmental science, construction, or relevant subject. Alternatively, relevant experience in industry would be considered acceptable for exceptional candidates.
• Demonstrable experience in team leadership & management of resources, resource planning and supporting the development of less experienced resources within the team
• Experience in the built environment as client-side Project Manager (Energy, Aviation, Water, Rail and/or NEC Project management)
• A project management qualification such as APMQ or PRINCE2 would be desirable.
• Ability to undertake and successfully complete security screening checks.
• Membership of a related professional body preferably chartered (APM, CIOB) would be desirable
• Experience of working in the Built Environment and demonstrated experience of all aspects of Infrastructure Project Management
• Experience of working as part of an integrated, multi-organisation, collaborative team
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Highly motivated with a growing industry network
• Relationship building skills – ability to build strong relationships with clients, teams, and stakeholders as well as an ability to build and maintain networks of business contacts.
• Able to work under own initiative where appropriate working closely with the Senior Project Managers and Associates in the delivery of some of our projects.
• A team player with a ‘can-do’ attitude, outgoing, polite, patient, diplomatic, personable, respectful, and flexible
• Excellent IT Skills and the ability to utilise current digital tools.
• Excellent numeracy, verbal and written communication skills.
• Understanding of a variety of project types/sizes/sectors with an ability to be agile and adaptable to differing client requirements
• Practitioner of NEC suite of contracts, particularly the Professional Services Contract (PSC) and Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC)
• Proven ability to advise clients and design teams on value, risks and programme
• Willing to challenge in a positive and engaging manner

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.