Pre-Construction Manager - HV

MDE UK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Leave 25 days

Medical cover

Dental cover

Life assurance

Income protection

EV salary sacrifice

Professional development

Career progression

Job summary

MDE UK is seeking a Pre-Construction Manager to oversee a broad portfolio of electrical infrastructure projects across the UK. This front-end role focuses on design, technical approvals and DNO/IDNO processes before construction and adoption.

You will coordinate with ICPs, DNOs, designers and internal teams to drive projects through gateways and resolve delays, with hybrid work in London and travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Experience with ICP/IDNO/DNO grid connections is advantageous.
• Experience with HV/EHV infrastructure projects is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Manage the pre-construction phase across a large portfolio of electricity network projects.
• Coordinate and monitor design submissions, technical approvals and DNO responses.
• Act as a key interface between ICPs, DNOs, designers and internal delivery teams.
• Track projects through approval gateways and proactively resolve delays or outstanding actions.
• Review project information and ensure designs and documentation progress with network requirements.
• Maintain oversight of programme, risk, technical queries and dependencies across a high-volume portfolio.
• Challenge external delivery partners when information, approvals or actions delay progress.
• Support the transition of projects from pre-construction into delivery, commissioning and network adoption.
• Provide clear reporting and visibility across the wider project pipeline.
• Work with engineering, commercial and operational teams to improve project flow and delivery performance.

Job description

Type: Full-time, permanent

MDE are working with a fast-growing business that is looking to appoint a Pre-Construction Manager to support a significant and expanding portfolio of electrical infrastructure projects across the UK.

This is not a traditional site-based Project Manager position. The role sits at the front end of project delivery, taking responsibility for projects as they move through design, technical approval and DNO/IDNO processes before being handed across for construction and adoption.

The successful person will oversee a large portfolio of projects at varying stages of development, working closely with ICPs, DNOs, designers, internal engineering teams and wider project stakeholders to ensure schemes progress efficiently towards construction.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the pre-construction phase across a large portfolio of electricity network projects.
• Coordinate and monitor design submissions, technical approvals and DNO responses.
• Act as a key interface between ICPs, DNOs, designers and internal delivery teams.
• Track projects through approval gateways and proactively resolve delays or outstanding actions.
• Review project information and ensure designs and documentation are progressing in line with network requirements.
• Maintain oversight of programme, risk, technical queries and dependencies across a high-volume portfolio.
• Challenge external delivery partners where information, approvals or actions are delaying progress.
• Support the transition of projects from pre-construction into delivery, commissioning and eventual network adoption.
• Provide clear reporting and visibility across the wider project pipeline.
• Work closely with engineering, commercial and operational teams to improve project flow and delivery performance.

What we’re looking for

You will ideally come from an ICP, IDNO, DNO, grid connections or HV/EHV infrastructure background and understand how electricity connection projects move from design through approval and into construction.

Experience may have been gained as a:

• Project Manager
• Pre-Construction Manager
• Connections Manager
• Design Manager
• Senior Project Manager
• Delivery Manager

Experience across 33kV, 66kV or 132kV projects would be highly advantageous.

You do not necessarily need to be a design engineer, but you should be comfortable managing technical stakeholders, understanding design approval processes and challenging progress across multiple concurrent projects.

What’s on offer

• Competitive salary with annual discretionary bonus
• 25 days’ annual leave + bank holidays, increasing with service
• Private medical and dental cover
• Life assurance and income protection
• Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Support for professional qualifications and development
• Genuine career progression opportunities within a growing electricity infrastructure business

The opportunity

This is a particularly good opportunity for an experienced electricity infrastructure Project Manager who wants to move away from constant operational/site delivery and into a broader portfolio and pre-construction role.

The business is continuing to grow its network portfolio and the role will have visibility across 200+ live projects, giving the successful person significant exposure across the organisation.

The position will be hybrid, with approximately two days per week in the London office, alongside home working and occasional project/site travel.