Senior Design Manager

Liverpool

United Utilities (UU) is proud to be ranked #11 in The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List. We value diversity, inclusion and innovation in our workplace, and we foster a culture where our people can grow, excel, and be themselves. Whether you work with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation to be part of and to belong to.

Our mission is to deliver high-quality water for a more prosperous, greener and healthier North West of England. We are committed to providing our services in a way that respects the environment, supports the economy, and benefits society. We uphold our ethics, values and business model to fulfil our mission and, by setting clear goals and objectives, we create sustainable long-term value for our colleagues, customers and communities.

Joining us

We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll join a thriving FTSE 100 company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution. These include:

A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service, in addition to 8 bank holidays

A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover

A 20% performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements

A £5,000 car allowance to support your travel needs

A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme

A relocation allowance of up to £8,000, subject to eligibility criteria

We are excited to offer you a flexible and hybrid working model that lets you balance your work and life. You can choose to work from our main sites close to Warrington, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Kendal, or from any of our other hubs across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria. We want you to enjoy the benefits of working with us wherever you are.

Our projects are designed to be environmentally and socially responsible and will offer you opportunities to learn and grow throughout the project cycle. As part of our team, you will benefit from a range of training and development programs, such as support to gain CEng/Ieng status, AMP Project Management Qualifications (PMQ), leadership coaching, professional accreditation and mentoring. We are here to support you in reaching your full potential and thriving in your career and beyond.

The role

Are you a Lead Engineer, Engineering Manager or Project Engineer inspired to use your engineering skills to make a positive impact on the environment and society through sustainable, large-scale engineering projects? If yes, then you might be the perfect fit for the role of Senior Design Manager at United Utilities (UU), where you will have the opportunity to lead and motivate our project engineering teams and contribute to the delivery of UU’s Capital Programme in North West England, UK.

As a project engineering leader, you will have a crucial role in advancing our projects from the feasibility stage (which may involve studies that are years ahead of the actual intervention) to the completion stage. By embracing and promoting innovation, especially with new technologies and/or environmental solutions, and using your leadership skills, you will oversee engineering teams from different disciplines to deliver solutions that meet the customer's technical, contractual and legal requirements. Working closely with Project Managers and delivery teams, you will effectively plan and manage the engineering work within projects, ensuring quality, schedule and cost objectives are met. You will also lead process improvement initiatives and help us shape and define our future vision.

You will have full visibility of the organisation, our major contracts and our largest industry partners. You will witness our projects being built and, through your responsibilities and day-to-day activity, you will have a direct impact on our success. Stakeholder engagement is crucial for this role. You will therefore need to establish strong working relationships, manage key internal and external stakeholders effectively and provide expert guidance to our contractors and the wider enterprise.

United Utilities offer dynamic and long-lasting options that will help you grow professionally and personally and you will have the chance to enhance your skill, knowledge and experience in a supportive and collaborative environment. If you are passionate about making a positive difference for the North West of England and want to join us on our journey of transformation, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and become part of the UU family!

Key accountabilities

Motivate and mentor Design Managers, fostering a culture of learning and development

Collaborate with delivery teams and stakeholders to ensure successful engineering outcomes

Lead and review projects, enhancing engineering processes and practices across the enterprise

Create and execute project engineering plans that align with client expectations and quality standards

Promote a positive, empathetic, and inclusive team culture, focusing on continuous improvement

Represent the engineering voice within and outside the business, managing risks and driving performance

Oversee project budgets and develop comprehensive business cases to support project initiatives

Skills & experience To be successful with your application, you’ll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

Chartered or Incorporated Engineer or has demonstrable equivalent skills, knowledge and experience

Experience of providing technical advice at a senior level, leading the delivery of successful engineering outcomes in multidisciplinary projects and leading/managing an engineering team

Hold a current UK/EU driving licence