Principal Design Manager

Location/s: Altrincham, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, York; UK
Recruiter contact: Ainsley Anstess

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit
We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

Overview of the role

We are seeking an experienced Principal Design Manager to join our Rail Stations and Civil Engineering team to lead the design, integration and delivery process of a range of projects from major rail improvement projects to smaller local community rail enhancement and renewal projects. As part of this key team, you will have the opportunity to shape and grow the local rail civil engineering team within our UK wide team, focusing on embedding technical excellence at the core of everything we do.

You will play a key role in supporting the delivery of high-profile station, structures and transport infrastructure schemes, while developing strong relationships with clients, local authorities and strategic partners and design and build contractor clients.

As a senior technical leader, you will also be expected to mentor and develop early career professionals and other members of the engineering team, ensuring technical excellence remains at the heart of everything we do.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Lead and oversee the technical delivery of rail civil engineering projects across the UK with a focus on providing integrated design solutions across multi-discipline designs
• Proactively manage the input from multiple rail design discipline engineers, specialists in their field from across our business
• Prepare, review and, deliver high-quality engineering solutions that are safe, practical, sustainable and deliver optimal Client outcomes
• Be a focal point for our clients for the technical delivery of our projects
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, including clients and our rail discipline leads for engineering support
• Collaborate with business development teams to identify and pursue new project opportunities
• Support project managers in achieving programme, budget and quality objectives
• Identify and mitigate project risks, implementing effective solutions to address challenges and ensuring right-first time integrated delivery
• Mentor, coach and develop Early Career Professionals (ECPs) and other team members with an approach centred on technical engineering detail
• Promote technical excellence and knowledge sharing throughout the rail civil engineering team

Candidate specification

We are seeking a highly respected rail civil engineer with deep technical expertise, particularly in railway civils and structures, who can provide leadership both internally and externally. You will be comfortable operating across a range of project environments and clients, to deliver technical excellence on complex projects.

This role is particularly suited to an individual who is passionate about developing people, delivering technically excellent rail civil engineering solutions, and building strong client relationships.

Essential:

• Degree qualified in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng) with ICE or equivalent professional institution
• Extensive experience within the UK rail sector, particularly in delivery of multi-disciplinary rail engineering projects with demonstrable understanding of associated assurance, governance and regulatory requirements
• General all round demonstrable experience of delivery of civil engineering aspects within a muti-disciplinary railway project environment
• Proven experience leading technical delivery on complex rail infrastructure projects – specifically in a detailed design and design and build environment
• Strong communication, leadership and influencing skills
• Experience mentoring engineers and supporting the development of technical teams

Desirable:

• Experience acting as a Contractor’s Responsible Engineer or Contractor’s Engineering Manager (or similar under other engineering management governance structures)
• Willingness and ability to travel across the UK and beyond to support clients and project delivery
• Demonstrable technical understanding of railway structures, stations, bridges, associated civil engineering assets and rail systems
• Site, construction and commissioning experience within a rail environment
• Experience working on heritage, listed or operational railway structures
• Knowledge of station development, Accessibility for All (AfA) programmes and rail enhancement projects
• Experience supporting strategic transport and regeneration programmes

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UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility

We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.