Job Description

Job Title: Head of Design
Salary: Competitive with benefits package
Location: Manchester
Contract: Permanent

About IES
IES Utilities Group Ltd is a leading UK utility Provider delivering end-to-end utility solutions. Our teams operate across Power, Gas, Water, Telecoms, District Heating and Renewables, where we provide survey, design, construction, and maintenance services nationwide. With a commitment to innovation, safety, and sustainability, IES supports clients in building and maintaining resilient, future-ready infrastructure networks across the UK. Headquartered in Manchester, IES continues to grow as a trusted partner in the utilities sector.

Our Vision:
To be the leading utility and infrastructure services provider, Known for innovative and sustainable solutions to current and future challenges.

Our Mission:
To enable essential utility networks and infrastructure to achieve exceptional levels of resilience and long-term value

Role Summary
To lead, build, grow, and manage the IES in-house Design Department, ensuring the safe, compliant, and efficient delivery of multi-disciplinary designs including temporary works designs for gas, water, wastewater, power, and telecoms infrastructure. Provide technical leadership, design governance, and client confidence in the company's end-to-end service offering.

Key Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Leadership:

• Establish the Design Department and define its scope, processes, and standards.
• Develop design capability roadmap aligned to business growth.
• Line management of multi-disciplinary design engineers and CAD team.

Design Delivery:

• Oversee all design output (concept, FEED, detailed design, as-builts).
• Ensure compliance with industry standards (IGEM, BS/EN, DWI, NG/ENA specifications, CDM Regs).
• Chair design reviews, HAZOPs, and technical assurance meetings.
• Adopt the role of DI for Temporary Works and support the establishment, implementation and oversight of the company procedures for temporary works.
• Appoint competent individuals into Temporary Works Co-ordinator (TWC) and Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) positions.
• Approve and sign off designs as the lead technical authority.
• Conduct regular design and temporary works design audits.

Governance and Compliance:

• Act as Principal Designer under CDM where required.
• Maintain ISO 9001/19650 design management system.
• Ensure risk assessments and design risk registers are embedded.

Commercial & Client Engagement:

• Support bids and tenders by scoping design solutions and estimating design effort.
• Engage with clients engineering teams to position the company as a trusted design & build provider.
• Manage subcontract design partners where additional expertise is needed.

Pre-Construction Management:

• Support the pre-construction phase on major projects in terms of Design Co-ordination
• Support the business in establishing and deploying effective pre-construction process and controls to ensure projects transition smoothly, safely and efficiently from the pre-construction to the construction phases.
• Build a functioning multi discipline pre-construction Design Co-ordination team for the business as it grows

Resource Development:

• Recruit, mentor, and develop design engineers.
• Manage design budget and forecasting.
• Promote digital engineering/BIM adoption.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Chartered Engineer (or working towards) in Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Process discipline.
• Proven track record in utilities/infrastructure design (gas, water, power).
• Experience delivering design within EPC or D&B project environments.
• Strong leadership, team management, and client-facing skills.
• Familiarity with design assurance processes for safety-critical assets.
• Strong grasp of standards, regulations, and utility / DNO requirements.
• Digital competency (AutoCAD, Revit, 3D modelling).
• Great communication and sales skills capable of developing strong relationships with internal and external customers.
• Strong commercial awareness in both delivering VFM propositions to customers and taking fiscal P&L responsibility for running Design Services.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary
• Supportive team environment
• Career Progression opportunities
• Pension
• Holiday allowance (25 days + Bank holidays)
• Other benefits

How to Apply
If you believe you have the skills and experience were looking for, please submit your CV, including a brief covering note outlining your most relevant contract management or account management experience to recruitment@iesutilities.co.uk. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.