Technical Director - Coastal Engineering

Arcadis; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a Technical Director to lead the WME team across UK and internationally, delivering coastal engineering and hydraulics solutions on high-impact projects. You will drive technical excellence, mentor staff, and integrate new technologies while maintaining client relationships and commercial delivery.

Based in the UK, you will oversee a small team, manage project planning, subcontractors, and risk, and promote health, safety and sustainability as core values throughout the

Qualifications

• Strong background in coastal processes and hydraulic design.
• Experience on major infrastructure projects in marine and river environments.
• Proven ability to lead design, inspection, and asset management projects.
• Demonstrated success in client engagement and commercial delivery.
• Chartered status with CIWEM or ICE.
• Membership of the DEFRA Panel of Reservoir Engineers is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical delivery across WME projects and ensure compliance with industry standards.
• Mentor and develop team members, fostering innovation and continuous learning.
• Manage a team of 3-5 staff, supporting welfare and resourcing.
• Lead bid development and contribute to contracts, invoicing, and client engagement.
• Represent Arcadis externally through thought leadership and professional engagement.
• Embed health, safety, and sustainability in all aspects of project work.

Skills

Coastal processes

Scour assessment

Hydraulic design

Project leadership

Client engagement

Education

Bachelor's/Master's in Civil Engineering

Chartered (CIWEM/ICE)

Job description

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world's most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:

Due to a growing portfolio of high-impact projects across the UK and internationally, our WME team is seeking a Technical Director to support our continued expansion. You will join a dynamic, collaborative team of over 30 professionals delivering integrated services across:

• River and coastal engineering
• Dams and reservoirs
• Waterways
• Ports and maritime infrastructure
• Flood risk management
• Climate adaptation
• Nature-based solutions
• Asset management

We are actively strengthening our capabilities in coastal engineering and contributing to major international infrastructure programmes. Our diverse portfolio spans the full asset lifecycle, from feasibility and design to construction supervision and asset refurbishment, and includes bespoke client services such as cost assurance, independent technical reviews, and strategic advisory.

Role Accountabilities

As Technical Director and a subject matter expert, you will:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, driving technical excellence and strategic growth.
• Lead technical delivery across WME projects, ensuring compliance with industry standards.
• Mentor and develop team members, fostering innovation and continuous learning.
• Promote and integrate emerging technologies into project delivery.
• Collaborate across disciplines and geographies to deliver integrated solutions.
• Represent Arcadis externally through thought leadership and professional engagement.
• Embed health, safety, and sustainability in all aspects of project work.
• Manage a team of 3-5 staff, supporting welfare, career development, and resourcing.
• Expand capabilities in coastal engineering, scour analysis, and hydraulics.
• Lead bid development and contribute to commercial and technical tendering.
• Maintain technical oversight, ensuring quality and financial accountability.
• Manage projects effectively, including planning, coordination, subcontractor management, and client communication.
• Oversee commercial aspects including contracts, invoicing, and client engagement.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations and promote a safety-first culture.

Qualifications & Experience

• Strong technical background in coastal processes, scour assessment, and hydraulic design.
• Experience on major infrastructure projects in marine and river environments; experience with dams and reservoirs is advantageous.
• Proven ability to lead design, inspection, and asset management projects.
• Demonstrated success in client engagement, proposal development, and commercial delivery.
• Experienced team leader and line manager.
• Degree in Civil Engineering, Geography, Environmental Science, Water Resources, or Engineering Hydrology.
• Chartered status with CIWEM or ICE.

Membership of the DEFRA Panel of Reservoir Engineers is desirable

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It's why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.