Technical Director - Civil Structures

slihrms; Epsom; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

UK-wide travel

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis in the UK is seeking a Civil Engineering Structures Technical Director to lead as a technical expert in heavy civil design and to drive business results. The role requires UK-wide travel and a hybrid working pattern with three travel/office days per week, based from Epsom or other key locations.

You will guide multi-disciplinary teams across Energy, Defence, and Nuclear sectors, shaping strategies, ensuring safe delivery, and advancing transformational programmes for critical UK

Qualifications

• Degree and chartered status as a prerequisite.
• Extensive leadership of complex, high-risk projects.
• Experience across nuclear, defence, or large-scale civil structures.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership within discipline for the national D&AT practice.
• Influence D&AT Practice wide initiatives and recommend best practices to improve internal process and services.
• Serve as the recognised expert and technical authority in Civil Structural engineering of nuclear related structures across the D&AT Practice and wider AtkinsRéalis business.
• Provide visible representation of your and AtkinsRéalis' Civil Structural 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 Structures engineering capability, particularly in the context of nuclear energy and defence markets, 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

Skills

Leadership

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Civil or Structural Engineering

Chartered Civil or Structural Engineer

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 Civil Engineering Structures Technical Director to join our team in the UK. We are looking for an energetic and experienced Civil Structures Engineer that can both lead as technical expert in design of heavy civil structures as well as drive forward business results. AtkinsRéalis specialise in all aspects of civil structures engineering within the Energy, Defence, and Nuclear Sectors in the UK and internationally. 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 across the Energy, Defence, and Nuclear sectors - projects like Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, EPR2, Ministry of Defence Programmes, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) 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 heavy civil structures 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 key locations: Epsom, London, Bristol, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle or Glasgow

Your role

• Provide Technical Leadership within discipline for the national D&AT practice
• Influence D&AT Practice wide initiatives and recommend best practices to improve internal process and services
• Serve as the recognised expert and technical authority in Civil Structural engineering of nuclear related structures across the D&AT Practice and wider AtkinsRéalis business
• Provide visible representation of your and AtkinsRéalis' Civil Structural 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 Structures engineering capability, particularly in the context of nuclear energy and defence markets, 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 or Structural Engineering or equivalent
• Chartered Civil or Structural Engineer
• Extensive experience in progressively senior technical roles, including significant leadership of complex, high-risk, cross-d