Design Manager – Water
📍 Location: Manchester
💼 Job Type: Permanent
📅 Start Date ASAP
💰 Salary / Day Rate
- Permanent: £60,000 – £80,000 (depending on experience)
🏢 Working Arrangement
- Office-based with flexibility
- Hybrid working available (1–2 days WFH for exceptional candidates)
- Occasional site visits (fully expensed)
🚀 The Opportunity
We are looking for an experienced Design Manager to lead and develop a multidisciplinary design team delivering projects across the UK water industry.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a growing consultancy with a strong pipeline of work across utilities and rail, where you will play a key role in shaping the team, driving standards, and delivering high-quality engineering solutions.
🎯 Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage a team of engineers, CAD technicians, and graduates
- Drive the delivery of multidisciplinary design projects within the water sector
- Ensure designs meet quality, safety, and regulatory standards
- Manage project timelines, budgets, and resource planning
- Develop and improve internal design processes and procedures
- Champion the use of BIM and 3D modelling tools
- Support team growth, mentoring, and capability development
- Monitor and manage design changes and documentation
- Assist with estimating and planning design packages
🧠 What We’re Looking For
Essential Experience
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in engineering design within regulated sectors such as:
- Water
- Rail
- Oil & Gas
- Nuclear
- Highways / Bridges
- Proven track record managing multidisciplinary design teams
- Experience delivering projects within the water industry
- Strong leadership and team development skills
Qualifications
- Degree or HND in a relevant engineering discipline
- Chartered Engineer status (or working towards) preferred
- Full UK driving licence
💡 Key Skills
- Strong communication and leadership
- Results-driven with a focus on delivery
- Excellent technical knowledge
- Problem-solving mindset
- Ability to develop and mentor others
- Collaborative team player
🌟 Why Join?
Company are a growing engineering design consultancy working across the UK rail and utilities sectors. We pride ourselves on:
- A friendly, supportive, and high-performing team culture
- A strong commitment to employee wellbeing
- Opportunities to shape and grow a design team
- A stable pipeline of exciting infrastructure projects
Benefits Include:
- Competitive salary/package
- Employee benefits scheme
- Workplace pension
- Ongoing training & development
