Major Projects Director

Location/s: UK South East England (Cambridge, London, Brighton)
Recruiter contact: David McFall

About the team

Delivery of major water infrastructure projects is at the core of Mott MacDonald's heritage, collaborating closely with all UK water companies. The Environment, Nature & Consents Division specialises in successfully achieving consents of nationally significant projects for our clients across all markets. Mott MacDonald has a significant footprint across many of the largest water projects in the UK, including the Fens Reservoir, Grand Union Canal Transfer and London Water Recycling scheme.

The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring sustainable water supplies and flood resilient places for future generations, whilst enhancing our natural environment and communities. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through scheme consent, to post-consent and construction support.

As a company with a fully independent ownership, we're proud to be stewards of our business. We embed real leadership behaviours and the business priorities they serve, and believe transparency and openness make us agile and adaptable.

Overview of the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Major Projects Director in our Water Portfolio to lead on development and delivery of major projects. The Major Projects Director will bring their unique expertise to lead a consents-led and digitally enabled service while ensuring commercial success. This project leadership role is central to delivery of current schemes, securing new work and owning relationships with clients and key partners.

It is an exciting time for the UK water sector and Mott MacDonald, and we welcome your application for this role to lead the delivery of some of the UK’s largest and most complex water resource and wastewater projects.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Providing direction to major projects delivery and leadership to multidisciplinary teams
• Demonstrate strong commercial and contractual acumen
• Strategic client engagement with a diverse range of clients and stakeholders from both the public and private sector.
• Providing direction to fee estimates and proposals, and general business development activities to secure a pipeline of opportunities.
• Business strategy development to capture and plan for a pipeline of major infrastructure schemes
• Maintaining effective communication channels and relationships with project partners and key stakeholders.
• Identify potential risks associated with project and programme execution and lead on developing and delivering mitigation strategies.
• Lead and motivate multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring that all team members are aligned with the project goals and are fully equipped to meet their responsibilities.
• Undertake mentoring role within projects, developing more junior team members both technical and commercially
• Take ownership of rigorous quality control processes throughout the project lifecycle to meet or exceed the quality standards expected.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant conditions, legislation, policies, standards, and best practice
• By staying abreast of industry developments, champion and leverage the latest technologies, innovative practices, and case studies to enhance project efficiency, effectiveness, and outcomes.

The role offers an excellent progression route within the business and the opportunity to make a difference in the water sector, delivering long lasting benefits to the environment and society.

Candidate Specification

We are looking for an experienced and driven individual, keen to develop and push the boundaries of major project delivery
Essential:

• Experience of high-quality major project development and delivery through a major consenting process (technical and commercial)
• Consent-focussed mindset to major project delivery
• Responding to and dealing with any programme and relationship risks as soon as they are identified
• Knowledge of the water and wastewater market in the UK.
• Collaborative and effective management of, and/or partnership with supply chain partners.
• Ability to build a strong network of relationships and positive connections within and external to the organisation.
• Experience working in diverse multi-disciplined teams and leading high performing teams.
• Experience of working in a client facing environment and ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders to deliver positive outcomes.
• Well organised with strong planning and management skills, with ability to produce high quality deliverables and manage budgets and programmes.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Ability to problem solve, think creatively, and seek continual improvement.
• Qualified in a related technical subject (Minimum of a Bachelor's degree essential).

Desirable

• Experience of major project delivery in the UK
• Leadership role in securing a development consent order (DCO)
• Qualified to Master's degree level in a relevant subject
• Chartered with a professional institution (e.g., CIWEM, IEMA, APM) or equivalent level
• Team leadership

If you meet 80% or more of what we're looking for, please still apply. We understand not everyone will meet all the requirements, but you might have skills we didn't know we need.

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

We can offer (subject to Company’s policy):

- Agile and safe working environment

- Competitive annual leave and sick leaves

- Group incentive scheme

- Group term life insurance, Workmen’s compensation and Group medical insurance coverage

- Short and Long-term Global employment opportunities

- Global collaboration and knowledge sharing

- Digital Innovation and Transformation

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 have the opportunity to contribute.

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 embrace agility, flexibility and trust.