Job Description

Are you looking for a role where you can shape design delivery, grow team capability, and influence how water industry projects are engineered from concept through to delivery?

Have you managed and led multi-disciplinary design teams delivering complex projects within a regulated environment, ensuring quality, safety, and programmed compliance?

Do you have strong hands on experience leading the design process on water or similar regulated infrastructure projects, with accountability for design outputs and team performance?

The Opportunity

This role is available on a contract basis (outside IR35) and they are also recruiting on a permanent basis, offering £60,000–£80,000 per year plus package, with hybrid working options available depending on experience and arrangements.

This role has been created in response to continued growth within a multi-disciplinary engineering design environment delivering regulated infrastructure projects. With an expanding workload in the water sector, there is a requirement for a Design Manager who can lead delivery, strengthen team capability, and drive consistent, high-quality design outputs.

You will play a key role in managing designers and engineers across multi-disciplinary teams, leading the design process, improving systems and standards, and supporting the development of both projects and people. This position offers genuine influence over how design is delivered and provides clear progression for a technically strong, people-focused leader.

Your duties and responsibilities will be:

Manage, direct, and develop engineers, CAD technicians, and graduates

Lead design delivery across multi-disciplinary water industry projects

Grow the design team while maintaining a positive and high-performing team culture

Own and lead the design process, ensuring consistency, compliance, and quality

Challenge, improve, and implement formal design processes and procedures

Drive the adoption of appropriate software tools, BIM, and 3D modelling

Ensure design deliverables meet safety, quality, and integration requirements

Manage delivery of design outputs to agreed programmes and budgets

Ensure appropriate standards, best practice, and tools are applied consistently

Ensure all design changes are accurately recorded and controlled

You will have the following qualifications & experience:

Significant experience working within engineering design in a regulated sector (e.g. water)

Proven experience managing or leading multi-disciplinary design teams

Strong understanding of design delivery, governance, and quality management

Graduate or HND qualified in an engineering discipline

Good level of IT and familiarity with modern design tools

Ability to lead teams, manage workloads, and deliver to programme

It’s great if you also have the following

Significant experience working within engineering design in a regulated sector (e.g. water, rail, highways, nuclear, oil & gas)

Proven experience managing or leading multi-disciplinary design teams

Strong understanding of design delivery, governance, and quality management

Graduate or HND qualified in an engineering discipline

Good level of IT and familiarity with modern design tools

Ability to lead teams, manage workloads, and deliver to programme

The setting for the role

The role is primarily office-based with occasional site visits, providing structure while maintaining project exposure. Hybrid working is supported, with flexibility for the right candidate. You’ll work within a collaborative and delivery-focused environment that values technical excellence, professional development, and wellbeing.

Millbank Holdings Ltd is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background, and encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, and we are committed to ensuring an accessible and supportive recruitment process for everyone. If you require any adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

Millbank operates as both an Employment Agency and an Employment Business