Project Design Manager

Department: CAD

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Reading

Reporting To: Philip O'Connor

Water Design Manager

Join Trant Engineering and help shape the delivery of complex, high-impact water and wastewater projects.

Trant Engineering is a leading EPC contractor with a strong reputation for delivering innovative engineering solutions across the UK and internationally. With over 1,000 employees and a £150m turnover, we're growing and are now looking for a Water Design Manager to play a key role in the successful delivery of our water-sector projects.

The Role

The role sits within the IDS Department of Trant Engineering Ltd. IDS delivers multidisciplinary design solutions and technical support to the wider business and clients. We primarily work across the water sector, undertaking projects in water and wastewater treatment, water storage and distribution, and flood defence projects, alongside selected works within the energy sector. Projects typically range in value from £1M to £10M.

The Water Design Manager role will be based at our Theale office and reports directly to the Associate Director of Engineering. You will be responsible for supporting multidisciplinary design teams in the technical delivery of water and wastewater projects, acting as a focal point throughout all stages of the design development process.

In this role, whilst working closely with your IDS colleagues, you will frequently collaborate with our commercial, planning and delivery teams to ensure robust and efficient engineering solutions are developed in accordance with project requirements, client expectations and industry best practice. As a Tier 1 EPC contractor, we operate in a fast-paced environment where collaboration and communication across all teams and stakeholders are key to success.

What You’ll Be Doing

Key Skills, Knowledge & Behaviour

This role is suited to technically strong candidates with an engineering background in the water industry. Ideally, you will be able to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge and behaviours:

• Experienced in coordinating the efforts of multidisciplinary teams of engineers and CAD technicians on small to medium-sized projects.
• Capable of managing and prioritising multiple projects within a dynamic environment.
• Confident in presenting and explaining ideas and solutions, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains a thorough awareness of the commercial factors applicable to tendering and the design delivery process.
• Possesses a keen eye for detail with the ability to identify technical issues during the early stages of the project lifecycle.
• Has a good working knowledge of BIM and Digital Delivery processes.
• Competent user of the Microsoft Office suite of products.
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of water and wastewater treatment processes, water infrastructure projects and relevant industry standards.

Responsibilities & Duties

The Water Design Manager role typically encompasses the following activities:

• Taking responsibility for coordinating design resources to ensure the efficient and intelligent production of design deliverables against design fee estimates and design programmes.
• Ensuring formal design and safety reviews are undertaken at appropriate stages throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring proposals comply with health, safety and environmental best practice, as well as client and industry specifications.
• Establishing and maintaining effective relationships and communication with client project teams.
• Managing design interfaces with third-party designers, subcontractors and suppliers.
• Regularly reviewing design delivery strategies in collaboration with Discipline Leads.
• Identifying and escalating instances of design change in accordance with Trant procedures.
• Proactively driving a health and safety focus throughout the design process and subsequent delivery phase, including the development of design risk assessments to address risks identified during review activities.
• Identifying opportunities for continuous improvement of design delivery processes and associated quality management systems.
• Supporting successful project delivery across water and wastewater treatment, pumping, storage, distribution and flood defence schemes.
• Upholding and promoting the Company's Core Values of Care, Trust, Respect and Sustainability.

You may be required to undertake additional duties, consistent with the responsibilities and level of this role, beyond those specified above.

CORE VALUES

Upholds and promotes the Company’s Core Values – Care, Trust, Respect and Sustainability.

What We’re Looking For

Essential requirements of the role

While the role is hybrid/office based, occasional site visits to remote sites will be required so it is essential that you have the ability to travel to site as and when required.

Desirable requirements

Recognised Engineering Institution Accredited MEng/Beng.

Chartered membership of a relevant professional institution.

Why Join Trant?

At Trant Engineering, we deliver complex, high-value engineering and construction projects across the UK. We play a key role in delivering and protecting critical national infrastructure – shaping the systems that communities and industries rely on every day.

Our teams design and deliver full EPC solutions, combining technical excellence with practical, hands-on delivery. We offer end-to-end capabilities – from concept and design through to manufacturing, construction and commissioning utilising a continually evolving in-house expertise. This means you’ll work on projects that are varied, challenging and genuinely impactful.

Our multi-disciplinary teams bring together specialists in civil, mechanical, electrical, process, instrumentation, and control & automation engineering, alongside our in-house manufacturing of control panels, MCCs, PLCs and SCADA systems. With over 1,000 people and a strong, growing pipeline of work, it’s an exciting time to join Trant. We are committed to helping our people succeed through our Career Development Association, providing structured support, mentoring and clear pathways to help you reach your full potential.

Whether you’re starting out or looking to take your next career step, Trant offers the chance to develop, progress and make a real difference.

Our company benefits package includes.

• Competitive salary.
• Company car or car allowance (some levels).
• Mentored support within our ‘Career Development Association’, to work towards chartership.
• 24 days holiday (increasing with service) + 8 bank holidays.
• Options to buy additional holiday via salary sacrifice.
• Company Pension Scheme.
• Flexible working based on a ‘core hours’ system.
• 1 x Professional Membership paid annually.
• Hybrid working.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Free onsite parking.
• Bike to Work Scheme.
• Discretionary annual bonus.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply now and be part of something bigger.