Design Manager Clean Water / Wastewater

Advance Training & Recruitment Services; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - GBP 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm seeks an experienced Design Manager for a hybrid position focused on clean water and wastewater projects. You will manage multidisciplinary teams and ensure timely, budget-compliant project delivery in a collaborative environment. Ideal candidates have Chartered Engineer status, strong water sector experience, and proven leadership skills. This role offers competitive salary and benefits, plus opportunities for professional growth within a dynamic team environment.

Benefits

Competitive pension contributions

Private medical insurance

33-35 days annual leave

Structured learning and development opportunities

Employee ownership model and annual bonus schemes

Qualifications

• Significant UK water sector experience delivering feasibility and outline design solutions.
• Experience checking and reviewing technical deliverables, calculations, and reports.
• Confidence in client engagement and ability to collaborate.

Responsibilities

• Manage and lead design teams across clean water and/or wastewater programmes.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
• Provide technical leadership and oversee design.
• Build strong relationships with client teams.

Skills

Chartered Engineer status (CEng)

Strong understanding of water treatment technologies

Engineering technical leadership

Communication skills

Client engagement

Stakeholder management

Education

Chartered Engineer status (CEng)

Job description

Job Title: Design Manager – Clean Water / Wastewater

Salary: £65,000 to £85,000 (dependent on experience)

Location: Multiple UK locations available (Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, London, Cambridge, Reading, Brighton, Leeds, Exeter)

Type: Permanent | Hybrid working

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced Design Manager to lead the delivery of projects across a major UK water consultancy framework. This is a customer-facing role where you will manage a multi-disciplinary team and work closely with technical discipline leads to ensure successful delivery across either clean water or wastewater programmes.

The role will evolve in line with framework requirements and offers the opportunity to shape innovative, future-proofed solutions, embracing digital technology and mentoring the next generation of talent.

About the client

Our client is a global engineering and consultancy organisation with a strong UK water presence, delivering work across the full project lifecycle – from feasibility and advisory services through to outline and detailed design. They are known for their collaborative culture, technical excellence, and long-term investment in staff development.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and lead multi-disciplinary design teams across clean water and/or wastewater programmes
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to high technical standards
• Work closely with internal discipline leads to coordinate design delivery
• Provide strong technical leadership and oversight across feasibility and outline design
• Check and review technical deliverables, calculations, reports, and design outputs
• Support bids, fee proposals, and offers of service where required
• Build strong relationships with client teams and contribute to collaborative delivery
• Mentor and support junior staff and help build team capability
• Travel to client offices and sites as required

What Our Client is Looking For

Essential:

• Chartered Engineer status (CEng) with a recognised professional institution
• Strong understanding of conventional and innovative water and/or wastewater treatment technologies
• Proven track record of engineering technical leadership
• Significant UK water sector experience delivering feasibility and outline design solutions
• Experience checking and reviewing technical deliverables, calculations, and reports
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across multi-disciplinary teams
• Confidence in client engagement and stakeholder management
• Ability to support bids, fee proposals, and service offers

Desirable:

• Experience building teams and developing junior engineers
• Understanding of key sustainability and treatment drivers in the UK water sector
• Knowledge of drivers for wastewater treatment investment in England and Wales
• Strong technical report writing using clear, concise English

What Our Client Offers

• Hybrid working with flexibility agreed between you and your manager
• Competitive pension contributions
• Life assurance and income protection
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Enhanced family leave policies
• 33-35 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays), increasing with service
• Professional institution subscription paid
• Structured learning, mentoring, and development opportunities
• Employee ownership model and annual bonus schemes
• Active inclusion networks and wellbeing support

Eligibility

Please note: our client is not able to offer Skilled Worker visa sponsorship, now or in the future. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK via an alternative route that does not require sponsorship.

Opportunity for Growth

This role offers a clear route to broaden your leadership impact within a major UK framework, with opportunities to develop client-facing responsibility, influence technical direction, and support team growth across a long-term programme of work.

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.