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You will help turn some of the UK’s most important water and wastewater plans into safe, buildable and effective infrastructure.

Working across multidisciplinary programmes, you will bring engineering disciplines, construction teams and client stakeholders together around clear, coordinated design decisions. You will help identify risks early, improve buildability and make sure commissioning, operational performance and whole-life value are considered throughout the design process.

This is a role for an experienced engineering professional who understands how complex designs move from development into delivery. You will coordinate technical interfaces, manage design information and help project teams resolve issues before they affect construction, programme or cost.

You will work closely with project managers, technical specialists and construction teams, providing design management support and giving clients confidence that designs are coordinated, assured and ready for delivery.

Your contribution will go beyond managing drawings and schedules. You will challenge assumptions, support better ways of working and help teams make practical decisions that improve safety, value and long-term performance.

About the opportunity

The UK water sector is entering a significant period of investment, creating the opportunity to improve the resilience, capacity and environmental performance of critical infrastructure.

As a Design Manager, you will coordinate multidisciplinary detailed design activities across water and wastewater projects and programmes. You will work with civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, process and construction teams to produce integrated, buildable designs that support successful delivery, commissioning and operation.

You will take day-to-day responsibility for defined design packages or project workstreams, helping manage scope, programme, technical interfaces, assurance requirements and design change. Working alongside senior design managers, project managers and discipline leads, you will track progress, coordinate inputs and help resolve technical or delivery issues.

You will also work closely with construction and commissioning teams to make sure buildability, sequencing, access, safety and operational requirements are reflected in the design. Where opportunities exist, you will support the use of standardised solutions, digital tools and lessons learned to improve design efficiency and consistency.

Depending on the size and complexity of the programme, you may coordinate a small design team or manage several technical packages within a larger multidisciplinary delivery environment. You will provide clear direction and constructive support, but you will not be expected to carry the same practice leadership, business development or people-management responsibilities as a Senior Design Manager.

This is a great opportunity to join a growing water practice and take on greater responsibility across complex infrastructure programmes. Success will mean improving design coordination, identifying risk early and helping multidisciplinary teams produce engineering solutions that work in design, construction and operation.

This role can be based out of several locations across our major UK offices

We would be delighted to hear from and speak to candidates with a progressive mix of the following:

• Experience coordinating the design or engineering delivery of water, wastewater or comparable infrastructure projects within a consultancy, contractor, delivery partner or asset-owner environment.
• Evidence of managing defined design packages or project workstreams, including design scope, programme, technical interfaces, deliverables, assurance activities and change.
• Practical understanding of how engineering design interacts with construction, commissioning, operations and maintenance.
• Working knowledge of Design & Build contracts and CDM requirements, helping teams identify, record and manage design risk.
• Experience working within NEC3 or NEC4 delivery environments, including an understanding of change control, early warnings and the relationship between design decisions, programme and cost.

We offer:

• Competitive salary: We offer compensation that reflects your skills and experience
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Benefit from hybrid, part-time, and flexible working hours, patterns, and locations
• Robust Pension Contributions: We offer 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: Enjoy 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 like Calm and Daily Burn
• Professional Development: We cover professional membership fees and provide continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities
• Community Engagement: Participate in charity matched-funding, paid volunteering time, and charitable donations

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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.