Senior Design Manager

Driver Hire Borders; Portsmouth; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A major contractor is seeking a Senior Design Manager to oversee design delivery for water treatment projects across Southern Water's AMP programme. This role involves leading design coordination, managing multi-disciplinary teams, and ensuring adherence to construction standards. Ideal candidates will have solid experience in design management, particularly in the water sector, and enjoy a hybrid working model that balances site visits and remote work.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in design management on water treatment projects.
• Contractor-side delivery background preferred.
• Comfortable working directly with clients and construction teams.

Responsibilities

• Leading design activities across several sites, both clean and wastewater.
• Managing design consultants and reviewing technical deliverables.
• Coordinating civil, MEICA, and process inputs.

Skills

Design Management

Team Management

Client Engagement

Knowledge of UK Water Standards

Education

Engineering Background (Civil or MEICA)

Chartered Engineer or Working Towards

Job description

Senior Design Manager - Water Treatment
Covering Southern Water projects
Hybrid working

Randstad are working with a major contractor delivering capital works across Southern Water's AMP programme. They're looking for a Senior Design Manager to join the team and take ownership of design delivery on key water and wastewater treatment schemes across the region.

The role
You'll be leading design coordination from the contractor side, managing multi-disciplinary inputs and ensuring that everything is technically sound, buildable, and on programme.
You'll work closely with Southern Water, internal delivery teams, and external design consultants to keep things moving through design and into construction.

The role covers:

• Leading design activities across several sites, both clean and wastewater

• Managing design consultants and reviewing technical deliverables

• Coordinating civil, MEICA and process inputs

• Aligning design with construction plans and site constraints

• Regular engagement with Southern Water and framework partners

• Mix of home working, site visits, and time in the regional office (Portsmouth area)

What we're looking for

• Solid experience in design management on water treatment projects

• Contractor-side delivery background preferred

• Able to manage multi-disciplinary design teams and external consultants

• Comfortable working directly with the client and construction teams

• Strong knowledge of UK water sector design and construction standards

• Engineering background (civil or MEICA), chartered or working towards

Why this one?
It's a key role in a long-term programme with plenty of opportunity to lead.
You'll be part of a stable and well-supported team, with flexibility around how and where you work.

If you're local to the South and want to take a senior role on major water projects without being stuck in a London commute, this is worth a look.

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.