Senior Design manager - Water sector

Access Talent Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical and wellbeing support

Company pension scheme

Life assurance and income protection

Flexible benefits package

Professional development and mentoring

Job summary

Access Talent Group is recruiting a Senior Design Manager to join its water team, delivering major Design & Build projects across the UK. The role blends design management, technical leadership, client engagement and team leadership to ensure robust, commercially controlled designs delivered to programme.

You will oversee multidisciplinary design teams across clean water, wastewater, hydraulics and pipelines, interfacing with clients, contractors and internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered Engineer status.
• Strong experience managing multidisciplinary design teams.
• Broad technical knowledge across clean water, wastewater, hydraulics, pipelines and water reuse.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary design teams throughout the full project lifecycle from concept to construction.
• Coordinate design deliverables including reports, calculations, drawings, specifications and scopes of work.
• Drive design programmes, manage resources and monitor time, cost and quality against milestones.
• Provide technical leadership and challenge proposed solutions for buildable outcomes.
• Support D&B contract delivery and contribute to bids and proposals.
• Mentor engineers and design managers within the team.

Skills

Design management

Multidisciplinary leadership

Client engagement

Water infrastructure

Project delivery

Commercial awareness

Mentoring

Technical leadership

Budget & programmes

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Chartered Engineer status

Tools

AutoCAD

CDE platforms

MS Office

Power BI

Project management software

Job description

((BST: 8:00 - 18:00 (Mon/Thurs) 8:00 - 16:00 (Fri)))

Access Talent Group are currently recruiting for a leading engineering consultancy who is looking for an experienced Senior Design Manager to join its growing water team, supporting the delivery of major Design & Build (D&B) projects across the UK.

This is a senior role combining design management, technical leadership, client engagement and team leadership. You will oversee multidisciplinary design teams delivering complex water infrastructure, ensuring projects are technically robust, commercially controlled and delivered to programme.

The role offers the opportunity to work across major water programmes covering clean water, wastewater, hydraulics, pipelines, water reuse and associated infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary design teams throughout the full project lifecycle, from concept and optioneering through to detailed design and construction.
• Manage the production, review and approval of key design deliverables, including design reports, calculations, drawings, specifications and scopes of work.
• Coordinate civil, structural, MEICA, geotechnical and other technical disciplines to ensure fully integrated designs.
• Drive design programmes, manage resources and monitor delivery against time, cost, quality and project milestones.
• Lead design reviews, risk assessments, change management and technical assurance.
• Provide technical leadership and challenge proposed solutions to identify more efficient, innovative and buildable outcomes.
• Work closely with clients, contractors and internal stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support D&B contract delivery, ensuring design requirements are clearly defined and managed through construction.
• Provide technical input into bids, tenders and proposals.
• Mentor and develop engineers and design managers within the wider team.
• Contribute to the development of design management processes and best practice across the wider business.
• Support recruitment, team development, client management and business growth activities.

About You

You will be a Chartered Civil Engineer with significant experience in water engineering and design management.

You should have:

• Degree in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered Engineer status.
• Strong experience managing multidisciplinary design teams.
• Broad technical knowledge across areas such as clean water, wastewater, hydraulics, pipelines, water reuse and infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of the interaction between civil, structural, MEICA and other engineering disciplines.
• Excellent knowledge of relevant design standards, CDM, Eurocodes, water company standards and NEC contracts.
• Experience managing design risk, quality, change and technical assurance.
• Strong client and contractor-facing skills.
• Experience using systems and tools such as AutoCAD, CDE platforms, MS Office, Power BI and project management software.
• Proven ability to lead large and complex projects from design through to construction.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of project budgets and programmes.

What Makes This Role Different?

• This is more than a traditional design management position. You will sit at the intersection of technical engineering, project delivery and client management, helping shape the design solution while ensuring it can ultimately be constructed and operated successfully.
• You will have the opportunity to:
• Lead major water infrastructure projects.
• Work directly with major water companies and delivery partners.
• Influence design strategy and technical solutions.
• Develop and mentor multidisciplinary teams.
• Contribute to bids and future project opportunities.
• Help improve design management processes and digital delivery.
• Progress towards wider technical and business leadership positions.
• Hybrid and flexible working, helping you balance office, site and home-based work.
• Competitive annual leave entitlement, with flexibility to support your personal commitments.
• Company pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Private medical and wellbeing support.
• Life assurance and income protection.
• Flexible benefits package, allowing you to tailor benefits to your individual circumstances.
• Professional development and training, with access to technical training, mentoring and leadership development.