Associate Director

Overview

In this senior role you will lead the delivery of multidisciplinary highway, traffic, active travel and public realm projects across the UK, balancing technical excellence with commercial delivery. You’ll manage a small engineering team, cultivate long-term client relationships and drive revenue growth for an expanding Highway Design Practice. The role combines hands-on project leadership with strategic input to shape service offerings and market approach. This is an opportunity to influence major infrastructure projects within a collaborative, results-driven environment.

Pay / Benefits

• flexible / hybrid working

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of multidisciplinary highway projects from concept to detailed design and implementation
• Manage diverse projects including traffic, active travel and public realm works
• Act as Project Manager on complex schemes ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery and quality
• Oversee risk, resources, programmes and stakeholder expectations across the lifecycle
• Ensure compliance with legislation, standards, and quality procedures; maintain client satisfaction and profitable performance
• Provide technical guidance, review outputs for standards compliance and drive innovative design solutions
• Support development of new services and capabilities in response to market needs
• Lead or contribute to bids, tenders, framework submissions and fee proposals
• Maintain strong client relationships and represent the business at meetings and events
• Mentor and develop engineers; foster a collaborative, high-performing culture
• Contribute to strategic planning and service development
• Champion best practice in delivery, health & safety, and technical excellence

Key requirements

• Extensive experience delivering highway engineering, traffic, active travel and public realm projects through concept to detailed design
• Proven leadership of highway and infrastructure design in urban/development-led environments
• Strong understanding of UK highway design standards, guidance, and approval processes
• Experience with Section 278 and Section 38 submissions for permanent and temporary works
• Experience in active travel and road-space reallocation schemes
• Strong BIM understanding and use of Common Data Environments (CDEs)
• Proficiency with AutoCAD and Civil 3D
• Ability to manage projects to programme, budget and quality targets
• Demonstrable leadership and people development capabilities
• Strong commercial acumen and experience securing new business (bids, proposals)
• Excellent stakeholder management and client relation skills
• Outstanding written and verbal communication; strong technical report writing and presentations
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline (essential)
• Desirable: Chartered Engineer (CEng) or working towards chartership
• Desirable: postgrad qualification

• leadership and people development
• stakeholder management
• excellent communication
• Highway design software: AutoCAD, Civil 3D
• BIM and digital project delivery
• Common Data Environments (CDEs)

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