Design Project Manager

Department: Water

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Yorkshire

Reporting To: Nicholas Wise

OCU Group are seeking an experienced Design Project Manager to join our growing multidisciplinary Water & Wastewater engineering team. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the successful delivery of projects across the full project lifecycle, from feasibility and front-end engineering through to detailed design, Design & Build (D&B) delivery, and construction support.

Working in a fast-paced and agile environment, you will play a key role in coordinating multidisciplinary design teams, managing project delivery, and ensuring technical excellence across a portfolio of water and wastewater projects within the Yorkshire region.

As Design Project Manager, you will:

• Lead multidisciplinary teams to successfully deliver water and wastewater projects across all stages of the project lifecycle.
• Oversee the delivery of multiple design projects and programmes, including Design & Build projects, detailed design commissions, and Owner's Engineer services.
• Manage design deliverables and coordinate design-related activities across civil, mechanical, electrical and process disciplines.
• Develop, maintain and monitor design programmes and work breakdown structures throughout project lifecycles.
• Ensure compliance with client design management processes, employer requirements, industry standards, and regulatory obligations.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all design-related matters between clients, contractors, subcontractors and project teams.
• Forecast and coordinate design, surveying and digital engineering resources across multiple projects.
• Lead design review meetings, workshops and coordination sessions to ensure all stakeholders are working to approved information.
• Manage design-related project controls, including Technical Queries (TQs), Requests for Information (RFIs), Early Warning Notices (EWNs), and Compensation Events (CEs).
• Take ownership of quality and safe design principles, fulfilling CDM Designer responsibilities and ensuring compliance with relevant standards and codes.
• Collaborate closely with UK and overseas teams to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Support business development activities through bid preparation, scope definition, fee proposals and tender submissions when required.
• Contribute to the growth and development of the water engineering capability within the Yorkshire Water region.

• Degree-qualified in a relevant engineering discipline, such as Civil, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering.
• Proven experience providing design leadership on major infrastructure projects as a Design Manager, Project Manager, Lead Design Engineer, Project Engineer or similar.
• Strong technical knowledge of water and wastewater treatment, distribution, collection, storage and hydraulic systems.
• Experience delivering design services within the UK water and/or wastewater sector.
• Comprehensive understanding of CDM 2015, including Principal Designer and Principal Contractor responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of WIMES, CESWI, UK design codes, asset standards and industry best practice.
• Demonstrable understanding of construction methodologies, sequencing and project delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to chair meetings, coordinate multiple stakeholders and effectively manage competing priorities.
• Full UK Driving Licence and willingness to travel as required.

• Chartered Engineer status or membership of a recognised engineering institution.
• Experience developing design plans, design scoping reports and design delivery strategies.
• Experience working within a Principal Contractor environment.
• Familiarity with Yorkshire Water standards, specifications and asset requirements.