Job Title: Head of Design
Salary: Competitive with benefits package
Location: Manchester
Contract: Permanent
About IES
IES Utilities Group Ltd is a leading UK utility Provider delivering end-to-end utility solutions. Our teams operate across Power, Gas, Water, Telecoms, District Heating and Renewables, where we provide survey, design, construction, and maintenance services nationwide. With a commitment to innovation, safety, and sustainability, IES supports clients in building and maintaining resilient, future‑ready infrastructure networks across the UK. Headquartered in Manchester, IES continues to grow as a trusted partner in the utilities sector.
Our Vision
To be the leading utility and infrastructure services provider, known for innovative and sustainable solutions to current and future challenges.
Our Mission
To enable essential utility networks and infrastructure to achieve exceptional levels of resilience and long‑term value
Role Summary
To lead, build, grow, and manage the IES in‑house Design Department, ensuring the safe, compliant, and efficient delivery of multi‑disciplinary designs including temporary works designs for gas, water, wastewater, power, and telecoms infrastructure. Provide technical leadership, design governance, and client confidence in the company’s end‑to‑end service offering.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership
- Establish the Design Department and define its scope, processes, and standards.
- Develop design capability roadmap aligned to business growth.
- Line management of multi‑disciplinary design engineers and CAD team.
Design Delivery
- Ensure compliance with industry standards (IGEM, BS/EN, DWI, NG/ENA specifications, CDM Regs).
- Chair design reviews, HAZOPs, and technical assurance meetings.
- Adopt the role of DI for Temporary Works and support the establishment, implementation and oversight of the company procedures for temporary works.
- Appoint competent individuals into Temporary Works Co‑ordinator (TWC) and Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) positions.
- Approve and sign off designs as the lead technical authority.
- Conduct regular design and temporary works design audits.
Governance and Compliance
- Act as Principal Designer under CDM where required.
- Ensure risk assessments and design risk registers are embedded.
Commercial & Client Engagement
- Support bids and tenders by scoping design solutions and estimating design effort.
- Engage with clients engineering teams to position the company as a trusted design & build provider.
- Manage subcontract design partners where additional expertise is needed.
Pre‑Construction Management
- Support the pre‑construction phase on major projects in terms of Design Co‑ordination.
- Support the business in establishing and deploying effective pre‑construction process and controls to ensure projects transition smoothly, safely and efficiently from the pre‑construction to the construction phases.
- Build a functioning multi discipline pre‑construction Design Co‑ordination team for the business as it grows.
Resource Development
- Manage design budget and forecasting.
- Chartered Engineer (or working towards) in Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Process discipline.
- Proven track record in utilities/infrastructure design (gas, water, power).
- Experience delivering design within EPC or D&B project environments.
- Strong leadership, team management, and client‑facing skills.
- Familiarity with design assurance processes for safety‑critical assets.
- Strong grasp of standards, regulations, and utility / DNO requirements.
- Great communication and sales skills capable of developing strong relationships with internal and external customers.
- Strong commercial awareness in both delivering VFM propositions to customers and taking fiscal P&L responsibility for running Design Services.
What We Offer
- Supportive team environment
- Career Progression opportunities
- Pension
- Holiday allowance (25 days + Bank holidays)
- Other benefits
How to Apply
If you believe you have the skills and experience we are looking for, please submit your CV, including a brief covering note outlining your most relevant contract management or account management experience to recruitment@iesutilities.co.uk. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
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