Design Manager - Place Based Thinking

at  Sweco UK

ABOUT THE @ONE ALLIANCE

The Anglian Water @one Alliance is a totally collaborative organisation made up of nine partner companies (Anglian Water, SWECO, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Binnies, MMB, MWH Treatment, and Skanska) and an extended supply chain, delivering over half of Anglian Water’s capital investment programme.
We are gearing up for our most exciting and challenging Asset Management Period yet, known as AMP8, this will see us deliver a programme of work larger than we’ve ever delivered before. We’ll be embarking on a new kind of project delivery focusing on nature-based solutions like wetlands and urban drainage schemes.
We are driving change, empowering us to set global benchmarks and build a better environment, with the opportunity to offer enhanced growth and development to our workforce. We’re looking to build on our existing teams with an environment built for career progression.
With such an exciting portfolio of projects planned for AMP8 to keep the water flowing across the region, our ability to manage our work and outperform against our customer’s expectations will come under greater scrutiny.
We need aspiring driven talent to help us achieve our ambitious targets, are you ready to join us as we prepare to deliver the most creative and innovative AMP we have ever seen?

ABOUT SWECO

Transforming society together, we’re planning and designing sustainable communities and cities of the future.
Solving the great societal challenges of our time is more relevant, demanding and inspiring than ever before. At Sweco, we bring together experts with different perspectives and skills to develop solutions that address the challenges of urbanisation, harness the positive power of digitalisation and make societies more sustainable.
We offer our clients a combination of global expertise and local presence, adapted to their business and reality. Our ambition is to be our clients’ most relevant partner, working together to help them solve their challenges, today and into the future.
To ensure we support our objectives of collaboration across the business whilst providing our workforce with the agility to achieve a healthy work/ life balance, we are asking our employees to have office or site presence on an average of three days a week.
To help us achieve our ambitious targets, lead the team and deliver projects on time within budget we’re looking for a Design Manager for our Place Based Thinking (larger projects (£20-£40m in size)).
What will you be doing as our new Design Manager?
As the Design Manager for Place Based Thinking, you’ll lead the design and delivery of solutions to deliver a programme of capital investment projects, with an
emphasis on place-based outcomes and systems thinking, as opposed to single outputs.
Your role will focus on developing innovative, outcome-driven solutions to transform wastewater networks, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance efficiency. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to develop sustainable, carbon-efficient, and innovative solutions.
Key Responsibilities

Design Management

• Oversee design teams to ensure high-quality project plans, controlling scope, costs, risks, and resources.
• Collaborate with discipline leads and the BIM manager to establish and monitor design quality.
• Engage with subcontractors and suppliers, ensuring designs meet safety, environmental, and operational standards.

Project Delivery

• Partner with @one functions and stakeholders to deliver value-driven outcomes on time and within budget.
• Manage risks proactively and support teams in value optimization.

Health & Safety

• Fulfill Principal Designer duties per CDM regulations and oversee competency assessments.
• Ensure robust design risk assessments and H&S documentation for project portfolios.

People & Team Development

• Provide leadership to a multidisciplinary team, focusing on performance management, development, and a diverse, inclusive culture.
• Allocate resources strategically, identifying skill gaps and supporting recruitment as needed.

Transformation & Innovation

• Lead the shift to AMP8 with a focus on digital transformation and sustainability.
• Drive innovation in carbon reduction, 3D modelling, and standardization within design processes.

A little bit about your skills, experience and behaviours.
To join us on the team, an engineering, or equivalent degree is preferential however experience in designing multi-disciplinary capital projects within a design & build collaborative environment is essential. It is preferable you have experience of wastewater assets; proven expertise in designing wastewater infrastructure solutions, including rising mains, pipelines, pumping stations, and CSO. You’ll be a strong leader with a track record in team development and stakeholder collaboration. A commitment to sustainability, innovation and reducing carbon impacts through advanced engineering practices, and a solid understanding of Construction Design & Management (CDM) regulations and the ability to ensure safety and compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
Able to inspire and lead a team, you’ll be customer focussed in all the activities you undertake. With a strong appreciation of how collaboration can truly unlock complex projects, you’ll be able to assess unique situations and draw upon your technical expertise to make decisive, yet safety conscious, decisions to keep projects on track. Always operating with integrity and accountability, you’ll be able to build rapport and trust amongst your stakeholder and establish yourself and the team across the Alliance.
Be a part of a team that values sustainability, innovation, and collaboration to shape the future of water infrastructure. Apply today to lead and inspire change!

Please refer the Job description for details