Senior Project Manager

MOTT MACDONALD; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee pension matching

Private medical insurance

Minimum of 33-35 days holiday annually

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

A global engineering consultancy is seeking a Senior Project Manager to oversee complex infrastructure projects in the South East of England. The role involves leading teams, managing client relationships, and delivering water and wastewater construction projects. Ideal candidates will have a project management degree, relevant certifications, and substantial experience in the water sector. The position offers opportunities for professional growth within a supportive and dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Substantial project management expertise.
• Experience managing projects within the Water and Environment Sector.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Delivery of commission obligations and internal project performance.
• Building and managing strong relationships with senior client representatives.
• Taking the lead on problem-solving and decision-making.

Skills

Project Management

Engineering

Client Relationship Building

Problem Solving

Communication

Team Leadership

Education

Engineering and/or Project Management degree

Member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM)

APM PMQ level qualified or equivalent

Tools

NEC contract experience

Job description

Location/s

Reading, London, Croydon; UK

Recruiter contact

Aoife Cullen

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you're surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee‑owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit

Mott MacDonald's Advisory and Programme Delivery (APD) unit delivers both project, programme & commercial management (PPCM) services and advisory solutions across the built environment, defence, energy, water, environmental, transportation, health and care sectors.

We deliver tailored solutions that directly address our clients' key challenges, combining our world‑leading project expertise with unrivalled programme delivery capabilities and advisory services. APD delivers services to projects ranging in scale and complexity up to £20bn, through the technical disciplines of programme management, project management, project controls, scheduling, cost management, estimating, infrastructure finance, management consulting, digital consulting and education, health and care management.

Environment & water

Our multidisciplinary experts help water, wastewater, and government organisations find sustainable, cost‑effective solutions to the challenges of climate change, net‑zero, water scarcity and environmental protection.

We work with around half of the UK's regulated water and wastewater companies, and our work stretches across the entire project lifecycle – from pre‑contract cost estimating and benchmarking, to post‑contract quantity surveying and commercial assurance.

For project and programme management, we deliver capital projects on behalf of our clients, both internal and external that range from several hundred thousand pounds in value to major projects and programmes worth over £0.5bn.

Overview of the role

As a Senior Project Manager you will lead complex workstreams on major infrastructure projects in the South East of England. This opportunity will enable you to shape the direction of our growing Project Management team and be part of the senior team delivering a nationally significant portfolio of projects. You will drive innovation of our service delivery and provide mature programme and project management advice to the team and an integrated client.

Working within the Environment and Water Portfolio (ENW), with clients such as Thames Water and Southern Water, you will be responsible for the delivery of both above ground and below ground water and wastewater construction projects. Roles typically being secondment to the client, but not always.

Key responsibilities and duties include

• Delivery of commission obligations and internal project performance
• Building and managing strong relationships with senior client representative
• Establishing effective communications across the project delivery, client and stakeholder teams
• Taking the lead on problem solving and decision making
• Team leadership, resource planning and management
• Controlling the internal and external commercial aspects of projects across a range of contractual arrangements

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Engineering and/or Project Management degree or relevant successful experience in project management
• Member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM)
• APM PMQ level qualified or equivalent (e.g., Managing Successful Programmes, PRINCE2 Practitioner)
• Substantial project management expertise
• Substantial experience of managing and leading project teams to successful outcomes
• Experience of managing projects within the Water and Environment Sector
• Strong client and stakeholder relationship building skills
• Effective communication, with clients, project team, business manager and other business units
• NEC contract experience
• High degree of commercial acumen and knowledge of planning and project controls

Desirable:

• Ability to motivate, inspire and develop high performing teams
• Ability to create an enjoyable and fulfilling work environment
• Strong focus on health and wellbeing
• Broad experience in the public sector environment
• Significant experience in administering a wide range of contracts
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrable collaborative behaviours
• Proven leadership skills with ability to adapt leadership style

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well‑being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long‑term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long‑term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years' service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high‑street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self‑development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.