Technical Director - Coastal Engineering

Arcadis; Manchester; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a Technical Director to lead and deliver high-impact coastal and hydraulic projects in the UK. You will guide technical delivery, mentor staff, and drive business growth across multiple disciplines and geographies.

You will ensure quality, safety, and sustainability across projects while expanding capabilities in coastal engineering and asset management. Strong leadership and client engagement are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil Engineering or related field.
• Chartered status with CIWEM or ICE is preferred.
• Proven ability to lead design, inspection and asset management projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical delivery across WME projects ensuring compliance with standards.
• Mentor and develop team members; foster innovation and learning.
• Lead bid development and contribute to tendering and commercial delivery.
• Maintain technical oversight, quality control, and financial accountability.
• Manage a team of 3–5 staff and coordinate resourcing and welfare.

Skills

Coastal engineering

Hydraulic design

Scour assessment

Project leadership

Client engagement

Bid development

Commercial delivery

Education

Bachelor or MSc Civil Engineering

Chartered (CIWEM/ICE)

Tools

ArcGIS

AutoCAD

Civil 3D

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.