About The Role
We are looking for an exceptional leader to head our Design and Engineering function within Rail UK. This is a high‑impact senior role for someone who can shape strategy, inspire technical teams, strengthen client relationships and drive engineering excellence across a growing, high‑performing business.
As Head of Design and Engineering, you will lead a key function that delivers market‑leading design solutions, supports major work‑winning activity and ensures engineering assurance across Rail UK. You will be accountable for performance, growth and budget delivery, while championing innovation, safety, quality and continuous improvement throughout the business. We are open to base location however travel will be required across the UK.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the vision, strategy and performance of the Design and Engineering function within Rail UK.
- Drive engineering excellence through safe, compliant and high‑quality design delivery.
- Support business development and work winning by providing technical leadership and value‑engineered solutions.
- Build strong relationships with clients, senior stakeholders and internal delivery leaders across the organisation.
- Develop, mentor and inspire engineering teams, creating a culture of high performance, inclusion and continuous learning.
- Oversee capability, resource planning and professional development across the design and engineering community.
- Monitor performance, assurance and improvement activity to strengthen delivery, customer outcomes and commercial success.
- Promote health, safety, environment and sustainability through visible leadership and active engagement across projects.
Who we’re looking for
- Proven leadership experience in design and engineering, ideally within rail or a comparable infrastructure environment.
- Strong understanding of both design and construction practices.
- Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
- A strong commercial mindset with sound planning and safety awareness.
- A passion for developing people, building capability and creating high‑performing teams.
- A customer‑focused approach with a commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
- Chartered Engineer status, such as MICE CEng, or equivalent.
Benefits
- Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
- 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
- Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
- Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…
About Us
Balfour Beatty works at the heart of the UK’s rail networks – designing, enhancing and maintaining thousands of miles of the railways that connect communities and underpin growth. From feasibility studies, planning and design through to implementation and asset management, we provide multi‑disciplinary rail infrastructure services across the lifecycle of rail assets. Our expertise covers electrification, track, power, civils, specialist rail plant, railway systems and technologies.
Diversity and inclusion
At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. We are a Disability Confident Employer and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role.
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