Senior Building Services Design Lead | Heathrow

WSP; England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a senior Building Services design leader to drive delivery across Heathrow programmes, coordinating MEP, structural, and architectural teams with a strong emphasis on BIM and design governance.

You will mentor engineers, manage design delivery programmes, and ensure right-first-time outcomes while collaborating with clients, contractors, and internal stakeholders to achieve project success.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in design management within the Building Services sector, within aviation or similarly complex, regulated environments.
• Experience in leading and coordinating multidisciplinary design teams, including management of design programmes, deliverables, and interfaces across MEP, structural, and architectural disciplines.
• Capability in managing design processes, tools, and systems (including BIM, digital design platforms, and coordination tools).
• Understanding of design risk, technical assurance, and compliance, including the ability to manage design reviews, approvals, and governance processes in line with client and regulatory standards.
• Proven ability to lead design teams both independently and collaboratively, providing clear direction while fostering a coordinated, high-performing environment.
• Experience in managing technically complex Building Services designs within property and buildings, ensuring integration with wider project constraints such as operational environments and phased delivery.
• Able to represent WSP in technical discussions with clients, contractors, and stakeholders, while translating client requirements into practical, coordinated engineering design solutions.
• Recent, demonstrable experience in delivering coordinated Building Services design across multiple stages of project delivery, including managing change, resolving technical challenges, and supporting successful project outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, management, and coordination of Building Services design with other disciplines, across all project stages within Heathrow programmes
• Ensure that design deliverables are technically sound, fully coordinated, and aligned with project requirements and constraints
• Act as the central point of integration between MEP disciplines, architectural, structural, and specialist systems
• Drive a "right-first-time" approach, reducing rework and improving overall design efficiency
• Design Programme & Deliverables: Develop and manage detailed design programmes aligned with overall project milestones and delivery strategy
• Ensure design outputs are delivered in a timely manner, supporting procurement, construction, and commissioning activities
• Monitor progress against design deliverables and take early action where slippage or risk is identified
• Maintain clarity on design scope and deliverables, particularly where changes or additional requirements emerge
• Technical Assurance & Compliance: Lead design reviews and assurance processes, ensuring alignment with Heathrow standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practice
• Provide oversight of technical compliance, including safety, performance, and sustainability requirements
• Ensure that design decisions are justified, recorded, and traceable through appropriate documentation
• Support the resolution of technical challenges through structured problem-solving and expert input
• Stakeholder Engagement: Interface with client technical authorities, contractors, and supply chain partners to communicate design intent and resolve issues
• Lead technical workshops and coordination meetings, ensuring productive outcomes and clear actions
• Translate complex technical information into clear, concise updates for non-technical stakeholders where required
• Change & Risk Management: Manage design change processes, ensuring impacts on cost, programme, and risk are understood and communicated
• Identify design-related risks early and coordinate mitigation strategies across disciplines
• Maintain visibility of key technical risks and ensure alignment with project risk management processes
• Team Leadership & Capability: Provide leadership and mentoring to design engineers and coordinators
• Promote collaboration across disciplines, encouraging integrated design solutions
• Support development of technical capability and knowledge sharing within the team

Skills

Design management

Multidisciplinary leadership

BIM/digital design

Client engagement

Tools

BIM

Job description

WSP is seeking a senior Building Services design leader to drive delivery across Heathrow programmes, coordinating MEP, structural, and architectural teams with a strong emphasis on BIM and design governance.

You will mentor engineers, manage design delivery programmes, and ensure right-first-time outcomes while collaborating with clients, contractors, and internal stakeholders to achieve project success.