O&M Project Engineer

Hemiko Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Private health care

Pension plan

Cycle to work

Electric car lease

Professional development opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Job summary

Hemiko is seeking an experienced Operations Project Manager to lead and deliver major energy projects from concept to commissioning within our fast-growing district energy business in the UK. You will be the main project lead, coordinating internal engineering teams and external contractors to ensure safe, on-time, and within-budget delivery.

With a focus on district heating and energy networks, you will manage budgets, schedules and stakeholder communications, develop implementation plans, and

Qualifications

• Technical qualifications or proven experience in engineering / project management.
• Proven experience in the operation of large projects, preferably in district heating.
• Willing to travel regularly; NEBOSH/IOSH or similar recommended.
• Good understanding of BMS/SCADA and energy software programming.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from conception to delivery within budget and timelines.
• Interface with internal engineering teams and external contractors.
• Plan and manage budgets and procurement; develop project plans.
• Develop site improvement strategies and performance reports.
• Coordinate with clients and report progress to senior management.
• Ensure safety and regulatory compliance across projects.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships and stakeholder communications.

Skills

Project leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Communication skills

IT literacy (MS Office)

Organisational skills

Education

Engineering/PM qualification

NEBOSH/IOSH

Tools

BMS/SCADA systems

Energy software programming

Job description

Hemiko

Hemiko is a fast-growing innovative business which is looking to invest in and deliver over £1bn of heat network projects in the coming years. We fund, design, build, operate and maintain low carbon district energy networks and building energy systems. This work is for communities, towns and cities. We work with local authorities, developers, house builders and property owners.

We are looking to lead on city scale decarbonisation. We recognise that the decarbonisation of heating and the built environment is one of the last known and “solution clear” areas – this is where we are focused and where we will be deploying our investment and our resource.

We are an innovative, design and proactive intelligence-led company, looking to attract people who think around a problem and past an issue. We want to be at the front end of commercial and technical innovation and are looking for team members to come on that journey.

Some of our current projects include:

The design, installation, operation and funding of a district heating system to serve 3500 homes in Clapham as part of a major regeneration project.

The design and installation of a heat network in a rural community in Cambridgeshire to replace oil boilers in 300 homes with centralised low carbon heat generation.

The design and installation of a ground source heat pump system to provide heating and cooling to a new development of 300 homes, a gym and an office building in South London.

The design, installation and operation of a new city centre wide low carbon district heating system for the City of Cardiff.

Developing detailed long‑term decarbonisation plans for existing large‑scale district heating networks to allow them to transition from gas‑fired CHP‑led generation to low carbon generation.

Hemiko is absolutely committed to an honest and collaborative approach to all our work, to being innovative in everything we do, always looking for better ways to do things and to avoid the business curses of unnecessary complexity and silos.

We are a young, friendly business in the very rapidly growing low carbon energy sector, which provides significant opportunities for career flexibility and development.

The Role

The number of major projects and upgrade works for operational sites is rapidly growing within the operational team, and we are looking for someone capable of running the projects from start to finish as well as acting as the main point of contact throughout.

Your lead responsibility will be project management and organisation of major projects and project work undertaken in the operations department. This includes, but is not limited to, major plant overhauls, government funded upgrade schemes and major network upgrades and improvements. For this type of project work, you will be acting as the main project lead, interfacing with technical departments, internal engineering departments and external contractors to deliver projects safely, on time and within budget.

The compact nature of the business and our rapid growth means that the candidate has significant opportunity to develop their career in a friendly environment. As we grow as an organisation, the opportunities and nature of projects we can undertake will expand in both quantity and scope. We are looking to develop teams that will be able to grow into supporting a variety of projects focused on different types of energy related systems. It is anticipated, therefore, that the candidate would be seeking to broaden their skills and show adaptability to the changing needs of the organisation.

This position will differ from conventional fixed project management in that you will be given the opportunity to ‘own’ a project from conception to completion with involvement from pricing to procurement, all the way to delivery and commissioning.

Specific Tasks

• Participating in the delivery and management of operational energy projects during their lifespan, working with and supported by the wider Hemiko Team. This includes:
• Using remote monitoring tools, site visits and data to analyse system performance to diagnose issues and then identify, develop and implement appropriate solutions.
• Undertaking site visits covering condition surveys, assessment of system operation, planning activities and completion of improvement works.
• Completing material take-offs, estimating and procurement activities.
• Support the development of new customer offers with tender documentation and technical proposals for both individual works and larger projects.
• Assisting technical teams with design processes.
• Developing project plans and programmes to ensure effective delivery.
• Complete technical site assessment and performance reports to develop site improvement strategy.
• Managing and reporting of budgets and progress during delivery.
• Managing internal engineers and subcontractors to ensure timely and effective delivery of works.
• Managing safe systems of work such as Risk Assessments and Permits to ensure all works are carried out safely.
• Planning and management of network shutdowns and associated isolation procedures.
• Developing and improving procedures related to project delivery.
• Managing multiple projects, often in parallel.
• Setting up procedures and processes for new heat networks as they come across into the operational phase, either through adopting live contracts or new build sites.
• Proactively manage and build our client and customer relationships through day‑to‑day communications and attendance at any regular client reporting meetings.
• Take responsibility for the delivery of any specialist services, as well as general supply chain activities.
• Responsible for operational budgets & reporting against business KPIs. This will include scoping up corrective works for system improvements and any potential breakdowns.
• Continually improve operating procedures and ensure they are being adhered to.

Key Responsibilities

The focus of this role would be on participating in the delivery and management of operational energy projects during their lifespan, working with and supported by the wider Hemiko Team. The key responsibilities are as follows:

• Project Leadership: Serve as the main point of contact and project lead for major projects within the operations department.
• Project Management: Plan, execute and finalise projects according to strict deadlines and within budget.
• Coordination: Interface with technical departments, internal engineering teams and external contractors to ensure project delivery.
• Comprehensive Involvement: Participate in all project phases, including conception, pricing, procurement, delivery and commissioning.
• Safety and Compliance: Ensure all projects are conducted safely and comply with relevant regulations and standards.
• Budget Management: Develop, monitor and control project budgets.
• Timeline Management: Create and maintain project schedules to ensure timely completion.
• Reporting: Prepare and present regular project updates and reports to senior management.

Candidate

• We are looking for someone who has had experience with managing a variety of different projects, with a focus on the delivery of engineering works. Although having specific experience in the delivery of district heating projects is not necessary for this role, any proven experience for project delivery in building services, energy and power, utilities, chemical and industrial plant operations, and construction would be greatly beneficial.
• We need someone who can manage project budgets and timelines effectively, ensuring that all phases of the project are meticulously planned and executed. The candidate will need to demonstrate excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, fostering strong relationships with key clients, internal teams and subcontractors.
• The ideal candidate will be organised and self‑starting, a reliable figurehead within the operations team. They will inspire a performance‑centred culture across both the operations department and the wider company, driving continuous improvement and innovation.
• We are looking for someone who can adapt to the evolving needs of our growing organisation and is eager to develop their skills in a friendly and dynamic environment. Join us on our journey towards a more environmentally and technically responsible approach to delivering energy systems, moving away from conventional processes and embracing a more innovative and free‑thinking environment.

Knowledge and Qualifications

• Technical qualifications and/or proven experience in engineering / project management related discipline.
• Proven experience in the operation of large projects, preferably in district heating, including CHP, gas boilers, biomass boilers, energy centres etc.
• Good understanding of BMS/SCADA systems and/or energy software programming.
• A willingness to travel regularly.
• Recommended NEBOSH, IOSH or similar.

Skills

• Excellent understanding of and interest in ‘how systems / equipment work’, with practical experience in operating plants or delivering projects.
• Excellent communication skills for liaising with both internal & external stakeholders.
• Fully IT proficient: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, email systems, etc. as a minimum.
• Proven team leadership and people management skills preferred.
• Good organisational, time management and planning skills.

Remuneration and Info

• Remuneration: competitive with market.
• Discretionary bonus based on individual and business performance.
• An inclusive culture that promotes diversity.
• Holidays 25 days a year plus statutory holidays – with an option to purchase, or sell, up to an additional 5 days per annual leave year.
• Pension plan provision.
• Private health care scheme available.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Electric car lease scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support.
• Continuing learning and development opportunities.
• Company PC/laptop, etc.

We appreciate that no one’s circumstances are the same and having the flexibility in working environments is essential to our wellbeing. If this is significant to you, let us know when you apply, and we will discuss how this could work in your role.

Hemiko strives to be an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from anyone regardless of ethnic origin, gender, gender expression, disability, age, trade union activity, marital status, religious belief, sexual orientation or socioeconomic background.

We are Armed Forces friendly. We welcome applications from ex-Armed Forces personnel, reservists, Armed Forces veterans, cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.