Principal Design Manager - Water

Mott MacDonald

Position location: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Cambridge, London, Reading, Bristol, Brighton & Manchester
Recruiter contact: Nicola Coyle

We’re a global engineering, management, and development consultancy. 
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities. 

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs. 

We are proud to be a one of Glassdoor’s top employers to work for in the UK, as well as being recognised as a Top Inclusive Company in the UK.

Our values: Progress, Respect, Integrity, Drive, Excellence. 

About the division

The Water Consultancy Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to water and wastewater challenges, offering fantastic opportunities to get involved in diverse and technically challenging work. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations and protecting our environment. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through outline and detailed design, to construction support and site supervision.

Ready for your next challenge? We're a company that actively fuels the creativity of our people. We create the right foundations to bring brain and soul together and we understand that careers take many forms. We've had enormous success in the AMP8 frameworks, and we know that variety is key to job satisfaction. We use our success to help our people learn through new challenges.  So take the next step in your career, with a company focused on supporting the development of our people through defined technical career pathways and supporting creativity with global and local mentors. You have the skills, now use them at Mott MacDonald, a company that values a different perspective. If water's the new gold - shift your career and help address our planet's needs. 
 

Overview of role

Do you want to work for a company whose purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes, and to transform businesses, communities, and opportunities for its employees? Mott MacDonald is a market leader in the UK water sector, being a key supplier to major water companies and delivering a wide variety of engineering and advisory projects in support to the challenges faced by the sector. Our Water Consultancy Division has ambitious growth plans in line with AMP8 investment needs and we are proud of our strong reputation in the industry which is allowing us to expand our business.

As a Principal Design Manager, you will lead and direct an innovative and motivated team of engineers in the technical delivery of water supply projects. These will include development of new solutions, from concept through to construction support, and introducing innovative, new thinking to existing schemes. You will be responsible for successful project delivery, defined by technical excellence and performance to programme whilst maintaining commercial margins and improving client KPIs. You will also mentor more junior staff and provide technical and pastoral mentoring to aid their development. You will support our cross-cutting technical practices in developing inter-disciplinary services between water, environment, and technology. Alongside your technical role, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in project leadership and business development through engaging with our multiple water sector and regulatory frameworks.

Mott MacDonald offers a highly innovative and collaborative environment within which to further develop your career. We can offer career opportunities in technical, management or client-facing directions. You will have control of your own career path and great prospects progression as the business continues to grow. 

Candidate specification 

• Demonstrable technical experience in design of dams, reservoirs, water transfers, treatment works and/or pumping stations
• Proven track record in project leadership and delivery of complex, multidisciplinary projects
• Proven track record in managing clients and other project stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills with experience in effective collaboration across internal multi-disciplinary teams with other technical disciplines including environmental specialists, geotechnical, structural, electrical and mechanical engineers.
• A drive to be abreast of professional development and knowledge of current and emerging technical solutions
• Motivation and ability to collocate within client offices, notionally 1-2 days/week. 

Desirable 

• Chartered or Incorporated with a relevant professional institution
• Proven track record of client-based or collocated roles, overseeing the deliverables of others.
• Ability and enthusiasm to provide supervision to engineers, technicians and apprentices

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working 

Happy to talk Flexible Working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

 Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here. #LI-NC1