Technical Director - Clean Water Process Engineering

slihrms; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis, a leader in engineering and design, seeks a Technical Director for Clean Water Process to join the UK D&AT Practice. You will lead as a technical expert in water treatment while driving business results, shaping critical UK infrastructure programs for major water clients.

You will influence practice-wide initiatives, govern engineering standards, and oversee bid input, with travel UK-wide and a hybrid work pattern across multiple offices.

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 a recognised expert and technical authority in Clean Water Process Engineering across the D&AT Practice and wider AtkinsRéalis business.
• Provide visible representation of your and AtkinsRéalis' Clean Water Process 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 Clean Water Process 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.

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 Clean Water Process to join our team in the UK. We are looking for an energetic and experienced Clean Water Process Engineer that can both lead as technical expert in water treatment and driving forward business results.

AtkinsRéalis specialise in all aspects of process engineering within the Water Sector, including water, waste water and bioresources in the UK and internationally. Process Engineering project opportunities also stretch to other sectors such as nuclear and defence. We're committed to providing industry-leading engineering solutions right through the project lifecycle from feasibility to process 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 of critical UK infrastructure for our Water market clients - clients like Thames Water, Anglian Water, Environment Agency, Welsh Water, United Utilities, Scottish Water, and more. You'll be part of and lead in talented, multi-disciplinary teams delivering cutting edge, iconic projects across water sector at home (UK) and abroad. Projects like desalination and disinfection for NEOM, water treatment for Sizewell C, and water treatment for and from some of the strategic reservoirs being planned across the UK.

By providing technical leadership across the organisation you'll drive results, by contributing to functional strategy, influencing senior stakeholders, and leading within the process 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 Clean Water Process 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.

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 Clean Water Process Engineering across the

D&AT Practice and wider AtkinsRéalis business.

Provide visible representation of your and AtkinsRéalis' Clean Water Process 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 Clean Water Process 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