Design Manager - Water

Overview

At Jacobs, we’re challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world’s most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

The UK water sector is undergoing its biggest transformation in decades. The Independent Water Commission (IWC) review comes at a time of unprecedented investment, creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine water and wastewater infrastructure. We’re proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, partnering with the largest water companies across the UK. From feasibility and planning to design, construction management, operations & maintenance, we bring together exceptional talent and expertise to deliver success. We are delivering some of the UK’s most ambitious and high-profile water infrastructure programmes and are seeking an experienced Design Manager to play a central role in their success. You will provide leadership on large, complex water and wastewater schemes, driving delivery through innovative and collaborative delivery models. This is a high-impact role within a growing and forward-thinking practice, offering the opportunity to influence major infrastructure portfolios, shape technical and delivery strategy, and drive positive outcomes for communities across the UK. More than just a role, this is an opportunity to lead transformative programmes, mentor and develop high-performing teams, and help shape the future direction of water infrastructure. You’ll join a business that values innovation, inclusion, and sustainability, and contribute to solutions that deliver lasting value. Ready to make a difference? Join Jacobs and help us reinvent tomorrow.

Responsibilities

• Design Manager – Water: Ensure compliance with technical standards and UK CDM regulations
• Take ownership for value engineering, value management and buildability
• Lead stakeholder engagement, manage client expectations and be an active member of the framework leadership team
• Oversee design management, scheduling, risk mitigation, change control and financial forecasting and analysis, ensuring constructability and commissioning are embedded in design thinking
• Promote innovation in design and construction, including standardization and design automation
• Mentor engineers and project team members, supporting their career, personal and professional development
• Take ownership of client relationships and contribute to business growth
• Work with the Project Manager to develop and implement project quality and delivery plans and monitor technical performance

Qualifications

• Technical leadership in the design and project management of large-scale infrastructure programmes
• Expertise in multidisciplinary engineering and construction integration
• NEC3/4 contract and change control experience
• Knowledge of CDM regulations and processes
• Passion and enthusiasm for problem solving, creating and delivering innovation
• Track record in developing and fostering a culture focused on success
• Ability to operate autonomously across a wide range of complex projects with authority
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain complex technical issues to multiple stakeholders with differing backgrounds and levels of expertise

Benefits

• Competitive salary — compensation that reflects your skills and experience
• Flexible work arrangements — hybrid, part-time, and flexible working hours, patterns, and locations
• Robust pension contributions — enhanced pension contributions up to 10% to secure your future
• Comprehensive health coverage — single medical cover and Digital GP service, with options to add your partner and family
• Family planning support — access to fertility healthcare and family planning services
• Enhanced parental leave — enhanced parental leave pay and free membership to employee assistance and parental programs
• Life assurance at 4x your salary
• Wellbeing hub — free access to wellbeing apps
• Professional development — we cover professional membership fees and provide CPD opportunities
• Community engagement — charity matched-funding, paid volunteering time, and charitable donations

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. We value safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business and believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees. We’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working to provide support, flexibility, and space to maximize potential, including flexible working arrangements, wellbeing benefits, and our global giving and volunteering program. We invite you to find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that being inclusive makes us more connected and creative. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and Find Your Community initiatives. Find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https://www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles. As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.

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