Engineering Design Manager (Water / Wastewater Treatment)

Locations: Multiple offices across the UK in most major cities (hybrid & flexible working available)
Sector: UK Water Utilities
Employer: Leading international engineering consultancy

About the opportunity

A leading engineering and professional services consultancy is expanding its UK Water team following recent success across several AMP8 water and wastewater frameworks. As part of this growth, they are seeking experienced Engineering Design Managers to lead the delivery of clean water and/or wastewater treatment programmes across multiple regions.

These roles sit within a well-established water business that delivers complex projects across the full project lifecycle, from early feasibility and optioneering through to outline and detailed design. The organisation is known for its strong technical capability, collaborative culture, and long-term framework relationships with UK water companies.

The role

As a Design Manager, you will be responsible for leading multi-disciplinary design teams and overseeing the delivery of water or wastewater treatment projects within a framework environment. You will work closely with technical leads, project managers, and client stakeholders to ensure solutions are delivered safely, efficiently, and to a high technical standard.

Depending on your background and interest, the role can focus on clean water treatment, wastewater treatment, or a combination of both, with flexibility to shape the position around your expertise.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and coordinating multi-disciplinary design teams across water and/or wastewater treatment projects
• Managing the delivery of feasibility studies, optioneering, outline and detailed design
• Ensuring technical quality, programme certainty, and commercial performance
• Acting as a key point of contact for clients and framework partners
• Providing technical leadership, review, and assurance of design outputs
• Supporting bids, proposals, and framework-related growth activities
• Mentoring and developing junior and mid-level engineers
• Contributing to the development of innovative, sustainable, and digital design solutions

The role offers long-term progression within AMP8 and beyond, with opportunities to influence strategy, develop services, and shape future delivery models.

Candidate profile

Essential requirements:

• Chartered Engineer status (CEng) with a recognised professional institution
• Strong technical background in water and/or wastewater treatment
• Proven experience delivering feasibility and outline design within the UK water sector
• Track record of technical leadership within multi-disciplinary engineering teams
• Experience working within framework environments
• Ability to review and approve technical calculations, drawings, and reports
• Strong communication skills and confidence working directly with clients
• Willingness to travel to client offices and project sites as required

Desirable experience:

• Experience leading both clean water and wastewater treatment projects
• Understanding of regulatory, sustainability, and investment drivers within UK water
• Experience building and developing high-performing technical teams
• Strong report-writing skills with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly
• Awareness of digital engineering tools and modern delivery approaches

What’s on offer

• Long-term AMP8 workload with a highly secure project pipeline
• Roles available across multiple UK locations with flexible and hybrid working
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
• Strong commitment to professional development, chartership support, and career progression
• Inclusive, people-focused culture with a genuine emphasis on wellbeing and flexibility

Additional information

• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK (sponsorship is not available for these roles)
• The employer is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and encourages applications from all backgrounds
• Reasonable adjustments and flexible working arrangements are fully supported

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.