Technical Director - Civil Engineering

Snc-Lavalin; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis seeks a Civil Engineering Technical Director to lead and shape major UK infrastructure programmes. The role requires technical authority across civil design, program leadership, and delivery governance, with travel UK-wide and hybrid working.

You will influence strategy, manage cross-disciplinary teams, and drive innovative solutions for landmark projects in Land Development, energy, and defence sectors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or better in Civil Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered status with recognised professional body.
• Extensive leadership of complex, high-risk, cross-disciplinary projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for national D&AT practice and drive best practices.
• Represent Civil Engineering expertise to clients and stakeholders.
• Oversee delivery strategy and compliant bid submissions.
• Grow and manage Civil Engineering capabilities within the practice.
• Identify risks and opportunities early and advise senior leadership.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, high-quality delivery.

Skills

Chartered Civil Engineer

Technical leadership

Civil engineering expertise

Energy/Defence market knowledge

Innovative solutions

Strong communication

CDM Regulations knowledge

Education

Degree in Civil Engineering

Job description

Job Description Overview

Shape the Future of our cities and environments. The Design & Advanced Technology (D&AT) Practice of AtkinsRéalis is seeking a Technical Director for Civil Engineering to join our team in the UK. We are looking for an energetic and experienced Civil Engineer that can both lead as technical expert in civil design and driving forward business results. AtkinsRéalis specialise in all aspects of civil engineering within the Land Development Sector for significant infrastructure projects in the UK and internationally. Civil Engineering project opportunities also stretch to other sectors such as nuclear energy, defence, and water infrastructure projects. We’re committed to providing industry-leading engineering solutions right through the project lifecycle from feasibility to commissioning, with value added through client-side support as well as construction phases. As a key member of our technical leadership team, you’ll play a vital role in shaping and delivering transformational programmes for critical UK infrastructure, with opportunities to work on landmark engineering projects for our Land Development projects – projects like Sizewell C, Ministry of Defence Programmes, Net Zero and Renewable Energy Projects, Homes England, Revantage UK, MADE Partnership, and more. We’re committed to providing industry-leading solutions throughout the project lifecycle, adding value through client-side and construction-phase support. By providing technical leadership across the organisation you’ll drive results, by contributing to functional strategy, influencing senior stakeholders, and leading within the civil group and multidisciplinary project teams, to deliver measurable outcomes. In this role, you will set direction for complex, high-impact projects and initiatives, anticipate business and regulatory challenges or changes, and develop innovative solutions and offerings that move the business forward. Become part of a team where every voice matters, and together we can tackle our clients’ toughest challenges. We foster a diverse and inclusive environment where world-class talent thrives without boundaries. For us, collaboration isn’t a buzzword. We value the different perspectives our people bring and recognise everyone for their contributions equally. We also know that different people have different priorities, which is why we’re here to support you with whatever you need.

Being a Technical Director with us involves UK wide travel. We offer hybrid working which involves 3 days per week travel/office based. This position can be based at any of our main locations: Epsom, London, Bristol, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, or Glasgow. It can also be based in our other offices but may require additional travel to main locations as needed: Peterborough, Cambridge, Cardiff, Swansea, Derby, Leeds, Belfast, Edinburgh.

Your role

As a Civil Engineering Technical Director in the D&AT Practice, the successful candidate would have the following responsibilities:

• Provide Technical Leadership within discipline for the national D&AT practice and influence D&AT Practice wide initiatives and recommend best practices to improve internal process and services.
• Serve as a recognised expert and technical authority in Civil Engineering across the D&AT Practice and wider AtkinsRéalis business.
• Provide visible representation of your and AtkinsRéalis’ Civil Engineering technical expertise to our current and prospective clients.
• Collaborate with stakeholders at all levels, including internal and external clients, operational staff, project teams, or external stakeholders.
• Recommend and drive improvements to processes, services, and technical practices while ensuring robust engineering governance is consistently upheld.
• Oversee technical input into bid proposals, defining the delivery strategy and working with cross-functional teams to prepare high-quality, compliant, competitive submissions.
• Proactively identify opportunities for cross-selling and business growth, using commercial insight to strengthen and expand client relationships and selling our value proposition to clients.
• Grow, develop, and manage the Civil Engineering capability within the national practice, supporting talent development and succession planning.
• Anticipate emerging business, regulatory, and technology challenges, identifying risks and opportunities early and advising senior leadership.
• Provide strategic oversight across multiple complex, multidisciplinary projects, ensuring technical excellence, safe delivery, and alignment with client and practice objectives.
• Work independently even in the most challenging situations.
• Act as the point of escalation for the most complex technical matters and exercise personal judgement to find solutions.

About you

The ideal candidate would be a well-rounded and versatile individual who exemplifies the following key skills and attributes:

• A degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered Civil Engineer.
• Extensive experience in progressively senior technical roles, including significant leadership of complex, high-risk, cross-disciplinary projects and programmes.
• Nationally or internationally recognised subject matter expertise in utilities, drainage, paved and unpaved surfaces, access and accessibility, earthworks and construction logistics.
• Experience in the Energy or Defence markets is beneficial.
• Takes broad perspective to identify innovative solutions, challenges the status quo.
• Comprehensive knowledge and expertise in civil engineering including drainage, utilities, pavements and earthworks with experience across all design phases including construction.
• Expert knowledge of current design codes and standards as well as industry best practices, including CDM Regulations.
• Champion continuous improvement, driving enhancements to processes, services, technical standards, and innovation across the practice.
• Commercially astute, with experience shaping winning proposals and driving practice or business growth.
• Demonstrates strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas with clarity, anticipating challenges and persuading senior stakeholders to adopt new perspectives, and navigate diverse, international and cross-cultural delivery.
• A proactive, highly motivated mindset with a collaborative approach to drive teamwork and shared success across projects and the wider AtkinsRéalis D&AT practice.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life. Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We’re AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people. Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance. We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

Worker Type Employee Job Type Regular At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences. Created by the integration of long-standing organisations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital. News and information are available at Atkinsrealis or follow us on LinkedIn.