Design Manager - Water

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager - Water

Company: AtkinsRéalis

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom (with flexibility for Leeds, Glasgow, Belfast)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Engineering & Design Management (Water Sector)

Date Posted: May 26, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office/site per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and manage multi-disciplinary engineering design teams focused on the Water market, ensuring high-quality delivery of technical solutions.

• Drive the production and review of critical technical deliverables, including reports, drawings, and scopes of work, adhering to national and project-specific standards.

• Collaborate closely with project management to ensure successful delivery of complex infrastructure projects within defined timeframes and budgets.

• Mentor and develop less experienced engineers, fostering technical growth and capability within the local team.

• Act as a key technical contributor and delivery support for bid proposals, leveraging expertise in water infrastructure design and delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Design Manager within the Water sector, emphasizing technical leadership, project delivery, and team management. It requires a blend of technical engineering expertise in water infrastructure and strong project execution skills, aligning with a mid-to-senior level professional who can operate with significant autonomy.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage engineering design delivery teams for multi-disciplinary water projects, ensuring adherence to national and project-specific codes and standards.

• Oversee the production and review of technical deliverables such as design reports, calculations, drawings, and scopes of work, maintaining consistency and quality.

• Drive technical input for complex multi-disciplinary projects, working with project management to manage timelines and budgets effectively against key project milestones.

• Foster collaboration with clients, operational teams, project managers, and other AtkinsRéalis teams to deliver integrated design solutions.

• Provide technical and delivery support for bid proposals, contributing to the growth and success of the business development efforts.

• Mentor junior engineers, nurturing their technical skills and contributing to the overall engineering capability development within the local practice.

• Exercise independent judgment to solve complex design problems and provide guidance to junior team members.

• Adhere to and promote quality assurance standards in design, including performing and reviewing checks and critiques of engineering work.

• Work collaboratively with UK and overseas multi-disciplinary teams to deliver integrated and innovative design solutions.

• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards, including CDM Regulations, Eurocodes, and water utility-specific standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on management role that requires deep technical understanding of water infrastructure, coupled with strong project execution and team leadership capabilities. The emphasis on mentoring and bid support suggests a role that contributes to both project