Lead Design Engineer / Design Manager, Water

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Design Engineer / Design Manager, Water

Company: AECOM

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Engineering Operations / Infrastructure Management

Date Posted: 2026-10-01

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the technical execution and multidisciplinary team management for complex water, wastewater, and flood infrastructure projects.

• Drive design lifecycle management from concept through to handover, ensuring value-added and innovative solutions.

• Oversee project packages, fostering seamless collaboration between AECOM teams, clients, and suppliers.

• Contribute to AECOM's technical capability and thought leadership in the water sector through client engagement and innovative approaches.

• Provide line management and mentorship to junior engineers, supporting their professional development and project contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at a Lead/Manager level, indicating a need for strong technical expertise in water engineering coupled with proven leadership and project management capabilities. The emphasis on multidisciplinary teams and client interaction suggests a strategic operational focus within the engineering function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the technical delivery of water, wastewater, and flood infrastructure projects, ensuring adherence to scope, budget, and timeline.

• Manage multidisciplinary design teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment to achieve project objectives.

• Oversee key work packages from initial concept and feasibility studies through to detailed design, construction, operation, and asset management.

• Act as a primary point of contact for clients and stakeholders, ensuring alignment and buy-in for proposed solutions and technical strategies.

• Perform line management duties, including performance reviews, career development planning, and mentoring for assigned team members.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of AECOM's design processes, methodologies, and technical standards within the Water business line.

• Support business development activities by contributing to proposals, bids, and client relationship management.

• Ensure compliance with all relevant health, safety, environmental, and quality regulations and standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on technical leadership and operational management. The inclusion of "asset management" and "operational" aspects suggests the role extends beyond pure design into the lifecycle performance of infrastructure, a key area for revenue and operational efficiency in engineering consultancies.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant engineering discipline (e.g., Civil, Electrical, Mechanical). Experience:

• Proven experience in managing the technical delivery of water and wastewater engineering projects, including treatment schemes and/or pipeline design.

• Demonstrated experience in leading multidisciplinary design teams.

• Experience within a similar role for a water company, consultancy, or contractor.

• Hands-on experience in designing complex wastewater treatment solutions.

• Experience in undertaking feasibility studies, options appraisal, concept design, and/or outline and detailed design for water company clients and design and build contractors. Required Skills:

• Water & Wastewater Engineering: Deep understanding of potable water and sewage networks, treatment processes, and flood mitigation strategies.

• Project Management: Proficiency in managing project lifecycles, scope, timelines, and resources effectively.

• Team Leadership: Ability to lead, motivate, and develop multidisciplinary engineering teams.

• Design Lifecycle Management: Expertise in all stages of design, from feasibility to detailed design and handover.

• Client & Stakeholder Management: Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration and engagement.

• Technical Documentation: Proficiency in creating and reviewing technical reports, designs, and specifications.

Preferred Skills:

• Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status with a relevant institution (e.g., ICE, CIWEM) or actively working towards it.

• Experience with Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) design and implementation.

• Familiarity with international water infrastructure projects.

• Advanced knowledge of relevant design software and modeling tools.

• Experience in asset management principles and practices within the water sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Chartered/Incorporated status (ICE, CIWEM) emphasizes the need for formal engineering qualifications and professional development. This signals a role where professional accreditation and continuous learning are highly valued, common in mature engineering consultancies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Project Leadership Case Studies: Showcase examples of leading multidisciplinary teams to successfully deliver complex water, wastewater, or flood infrastructure projects from inception to completion.

• Technical Design Excellence: Present detailed examples of complex wastewater treatment solutions or pipeline designs, highlighting problem-solving approaches, innovative techniques, and measurable outcomes.

• Process Optimization Examples: Demonstrate instances where you have improved design processes, workflow efficiencies, or value engineering within project delivery.

• Client & Stakeholder Management: Provide evidence of successful client engagement, stakeholder buy-in, and collaborative problem-solving on past projects.

Process Documentation:

• Design Process Management: Document your approach to managing the entire design lifecycle, including feasibility studies, options appraisal, concept design, and detailed design phases.

• Team Workflow & Collaboration: Outline methodologies for organizing and managing multidisciplinary teams, ensuring effective communication and integration of diverse technical inputs.

• Risk Management & Quality Assurance: Detail your strategies for identifying, assessing, and mitigating design risks, and ensuring the quality and compliance of deliverables.

• Mentorship & Development Frameworks: Present your approach to mentoring junior engineers, including performance feedback mechanisms and professional development support.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead Design Engineer/Manager role, a portfolio should clearly demonstrate not only technical proficiency but also leadership, project oversight, and the ability to manage complex operational processes within engineering projects. Emphasis on case studies showcasing problem-solving and outcomes is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on AECOM's standing as a global infrastructure consulting firm and the seniority of a Lead Design Engineer / Design Manager role in Manchester, UK, a competitive salary range is estimated between £60,000 - £85,000 per annum. This estimate considers the experience level (5-10 years), industry benchmarks for specialized engineering management roles in the UK, and the significant responsibilities outlined. Benefits:

• Flexible hybrid working model, offering a balance between office-based collaboration and remote flexibility.

• Comprehensive benefits package, typically including health insurance, life assurance, and pension contributions.

• Career development opportunities, with access to training, professional development programs, and potential for advancement.

• Technical practice networks for knowledge sharing and professional growth within specialized engineering fields.

• AECOM University for structured learning and skill enhancement.

• Paid volunteering days to support community initiatives.

• Opportunities to work on high-profile and impactful infrastructure projects.

• Support for professional institution memberships and chartership progression. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are typically 40 hours per week. The hybrid working model allows for flexibility in how these hours are managed, with expectations for office presence to be discussed and agreed upon.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on industry data for similar roles in major UK cities like Manchester, considering the company's size and reputation. The benefits listed are directly from the job description, highlighting AECOM's commitment to employee well-being and professional growth.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering Services. AECOM operates globally, providing a wide range of services across transportation, buildings, water, new energy, and the environment.

Company Size: Large enterprise (over 50,000 employees globally). This scale offers extensive resources, diverse project opportunities, and structured career paths.

Founded: AECOM was founded in 1910, boasting a long history and significant expertise in delivering complex infrastructure projects worldwide.

Team Structure:

• Water Business Line: This role is within the dedicated Water business line, which comprises approximately 700 experts across the UK & Ireland.

• Reporting Structure: The Lead Design Engineer/Manager will likely report to a Senior Manager or Director within the Water division, with direct management responsibility for a team of engineers and designers.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Close collaboration is expected with other AECOM business lines (e.g., environmental, transportation), project managers, and commercial teams, as well as external clients, contractors, and suppliers.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using data analytics to inform design decisions, optimize performance, and support asset management strategies.

• Innovation & Value Engineering: A culture that encourages creative problem-solving, the adoption of new technologies, and finding value-added solutions for clients.

• Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: AECOM promotes a global, collaborative environment where best practices and technical knowledge are shared across teams and regions.

• Sustainability & ESG Focus: A strong commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance principles, integrated into project planning and delivery.

Company Website: https://www.aecom.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: AECOM's extensive history and global presence suggest a culture that values experience, technical excellence, and a structured approach to project delivery. The size of the Water business line indicates a specialized, yet substantial, internal community for professionals in this field.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant step in an engineering career, moving into a leadership position with both technical oversight and people management responsibilities. It's a 'Lead' or 'Manager' level, often a stepping stone to Senior Management or Director roles within specialized engineering fields like water infrastructure.

Reporting Structure: Typically, this role would report to a Principal Engineer, Technical Director, or Operations Manager within the Water business unit. They would, in turn, manage a team of Design Engineers, Technicians, and potentially Project Engineers.

Operations Impact: The Lead Design Engineer/Manager has a direct impact on the successful delivery of critical infrastructure projects. Their technical decisions, team management, and client engagement influence project outcomes, client satisfaction, AECOM's reputation, and ultimately, the company's revenue and profitability within the Water sector. Effective management of design processes ensures efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality, all crucial for operational success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of water engineering, such as advanced wastewater treatment technologies, complex hydraulic modeling, or sustainable water management.

• Leadership Advancement: Progress to