Project Director

Randstad Construction and Property; Southampton; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a highly experienced Project Director for a critical role in the Water Infrastructure Framework. The successful candidate will provide leadership across major projects, ensuring efficient delivery and compliance standards. Candidates should have extensive contract delivery and stakeholder engagement experience in the water sector. This freelance position offers competitive rates and the opportunity to work with a Tier 1 Principal Contractor.

Qualifications

• Significant contract delivery experience in the water sector.
• Proven ability to build strong stakeholder and partner relationships.
• Extensive experience in line management and team development.

Responsibilities

• Provide whole-life oversight for project delivery.
• Drive commercial and financial performance.
• Establish collaborative relationships with client teams.
• Develop a high-performance culture within the team.
• Champion safety and environmental performance.
• Ensure compliance with governance requirements.

Skills

Contract delivery experience

Stakeholder engagement

Knowledge of CDM regulations

Team leadership

Commercial skills

Education

HNC/HND or Degree in construction or engineering

Job description

Overview

Project Director – Water Infrastructure Framework (Freelance)

Location: Southern Water Region  Contract: Freelance / Outside IR35 Assessment Available  Sector: Tier 1 Principal Contractor – Water & Civil Engineering  Rate: Highly Competitive – Negotiable Day Rate

The Opportunity

We are recruiting a dynamic and strategic Project Director to provide comprehensive leadership and accountability across a significant, multi–project Water Infrastructure Framework. This is a high–profile freelance role with a leading Tier 1 Principal Contractor, focused on delivering efficiencies and continuous improvement throughout the framework\'s delivery cycle.

The ideal candidate is an engaging leader with a track record of successfully managing complex programs in a collaborative environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Framework Delivery & Accountability: Provide whole–life oversight for project delivery, guiding schemes through design, procurement, assembly, commissioning, and final handover.

• Commercial & Financial Performance: Drive and maintain commercial and financial performance, ensuring all projects deliver in line with rigorous budget and efficiency expectations.

• Client Relationship & Collaboration: Establish and grow excellent, collaborative relationships with client teams (Southern Water) and communicate extensively with all stakeholders to achieve mutual success.

• Culture & Performance Leadership: Develop and maintain a high–performance culture within the team, focusing on continuous improvement and operational efficiencies.

• Safety & Wellbeing Champion: Actively champion wellbeing, safety, and environment performance, ensuring compliance to maintain a safety culture with the goal of Zero LTI and RIDDOR Incidents.

• Governance & Compliance: Ensure full compliance with all client and internal governance requirements, leveraging internal expertise to maximize framework potential.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential Requirements

• Significant contract delivery experience successfully managing a framework or portfolio of multiple complex/critical projects, preferably in the water sector.

• Proven ability to positively engage, build, and lead strong stakeholder and partner relationships.

• Expert knowledge and practical experience with CDM (Construction Design and Management) regulations and Construction & Engineering Management.

• Engaging leader of people with extensive experience in line management and team development.

• Solutions–focused mindset with robust commercial, financial, and analytical skills.

Desire Qualifications

• HNC/HND or Degree in a relevant construction or engineering discipline.

• Senior Leaders Safety training (required post–appointment if not held).

• NEC Project Manager Accreditation (Preferred).

• Association of Project Management (APMP) Qualification (Preferred).

This is a critical leadership opportunity for a highly experienced Project Director. Apply now to discuss the scope and commercial details in confidence.

Randstad CPE values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are more than happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

For the purposes of the Conduct Regulations 2003, when advertising permanent vacancies we are acting as an Employment Agency, and when advertising temporary/contract vacancies we are acting as an Employment Business.