Lead Principal - Complex Buildings & Defence Projects

Mott MacDonald; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contributions matched

Life assurance up to 4x salary

Income protection insurance

Flexible benefits & annual bonus

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Project Principal to lead complex, multidisciplinary buildings projects across defence, government, and civil sectors. You will own bid mobilisation, delivery strategy, governance, and executive relationships in secure environments.

The role requires strong commercial acumen, experience in Design & Build, and the ability to guide multidisciplinary teams with autonomy and sound judgement. Hybrid working is offered, with a focus on delivering high-standard outcomes.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent) in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or a related discipline.
• Significant experience delivering complex, multidisciplinary buildings projects within a consultancy or professional services environment.
• Proven track record operating in a senior project leadership role with accountability for delivery outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience working in Design & Build and/or contractor-led delivery models, including managing design risk and interfaces.
• Experience delivering complex projects within highly regulated, secure or mission-critical environments, such as defence, government, aviation, nuclear or similar sectors.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience of contract management, forecasting, change control and risk management.
• Sound working knowledge of collaborative contract forms (e.g. NEC or equivalent).
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to operate with authority, sound judgement and autonomy in complex delivery environments.
• Strong client-facing capability, including managing senior client and contractor relationships.

Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end leadership and accountability for complex buildings projects, from bid stage through mobilisation, delivery and close-out.
• Set and approve the overall project delivery strategy, including scope, programme, resources, budget, risk profile and governance arrangements.
• Lead projects delivered in Design & Build, framework and contractor-led environments, ensuring appropriate oversight of design development, interfaces and delivery risk.
• Act as the senior escalation point for delivery, commercial, safety, quality or reputational issues, intervening decisively where outcomes are threatened.
• Provide senior commercial oversight, including fee strategy, forecasting, change management and contract administration, ensuring projects remain financially robust and contractually compliant.
• Lead and assure multidisciplinary teams, providing challenge and guidance to project managers and technical leads to maintain high standards of design quality and delivery performance.
• Sponsor and chair key project reviews at critical stages, ensuring risks are understood, controlled and appropriately escalated.
• Ensure that projects are resourced with appropriately skilled and competent teams and that effective assurance arrangements are in place.
• Maintain oversight of health, safety and wellbeing risks, ensuring safe systems of work and compliance with relevant legislation and standards.
• Act as a trusted senior advisor to clients, contractors and delivery partners, including Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), Ministry of Defence stakeholders and major defence-sector delivery partners where relevant, building strong relationships and managing expectations at an executive level.
• Mentor and support senior project leaders, contributing to capability development and continuous improvement across project delivery.

Skills

Senior leadership

Delivery management

Design & Build

Stakeholder management

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Project Principal to lead complex, multidisciplinary buildings projects across defence, government, and civil sectors. You will own bid mobilisation, delivery strategy, governance, and executive relationships in secure environments.

The role requires strong commercial acumen, experience in Design & Build, and the ability to guide multidisciplinary teams with autonomy and sound judgement. Hybrid working is offered, with a focus on delivering high-standard outcomes.