Job Title: Project Design Lead
Location: Falmer ( Hybrid)
Contract Type: Full Time, Perm
Salary: Starting from £51,700
"Are you an experienced Project Manager with an engineering background, seeking an exciting new challenge?"
Job Overview
We are seeking an experienced and innovative Project Design Lead to oversee, direct, and provide technical input for a variety of environmental and compliance-driven studies. In this role, you will lead multidisciplinary teams to ensure efficient, high-quality, and compliant project delivery while driving forward environmental improvements. As a Project Design Lead, you will make impactful decisions and provide recommendations that directly influence business planning and operational improvements.
Responsibilities will include:
Safety & Environment:
Ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards, including CDM regulations. Develop risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies.
Design/Technical Leadership:
Lead the design process from feasibility to detailed design, ensuring on-time, high-quality deliverables. Manage design costs and resources, and drive standardisation and innovation across projects.
Innovation:
Challenge existing standards, promote continuous improvement, and adopt best practices from the industry to drive efficiency and innovation, including the use of digital design tools.
Financial & Commercial Management:
Deliver cost-effective solutions while working closely with project managers to track budgets and design costs. Ensure the lowest whole-life cost solutions are delivered, outperforming project budgets.
Programme Management:
Ensure design programmes are achievable and designs are delivered on time. Provide early warnings of any potential delays.
Customer Focus:
Ensure designs meet customer and regulatory expectations, and represent the company at industry conferences.
About You
Professional Membership: Member of an appropriate professional institute (Chartered or working towards).
Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of H&S standards, water/wastewater regulations, and project/contract management.
Desirable Qualifications:
MEng/BEng/BSc or HND/HNC in Engineering, Environmental, or a related science field.
APM Project Professional Qualification
Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner Certification
NEC for Project Managers Certification
Package
This role will be full time Monday to Friday 37 hours a week.
Southern Water operate a hybrid approach to working between our Falmer office and home.
We are offering a salary starting from £51,700 per annum depending on skills and experience as well as other benefits including:
• Company and performance-related bonus
• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance equal to 4x salary
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)
• Health Cash Plan
• Full funded eye tests
• Two paid volunteering days a year
• Occupational health service
• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
• Digital GP service
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
• Cycle to work scheme
Privacy Statement:
Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.
All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g. a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered