Head of Design and Engineering

The Vacancy

Head of Design and Engineering

National Role ¦ Senior Leadership ¦ Built Environment / MEP

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Design and Engineering to lead our national design, engineering and digital engineering capability and play a pivotal role on the SES Operations Board.

This is a senior, strategic leadership position with responsibility for shaping and delivering our design and engineering vision across all regions and business units. The role will ensure that our designs deliver best value, meet regulatory and contractual requirements, and support innovation, sustainability and customer excellence across one of the UK’s leading MEP contractors.

The Role

As Head of Design and Engineering, you will provide national leadership for design management, engineering and digital engineering, with accountability for governance, capability, performance and continuous improvement. You will work closely with Operations, Pre-Contract, Commercial, HS&W, Quality and Customer Strategy to ensure design and engineering excellence is embedded across bids, projects and operational delivery.

You will also act as a senior external ambassador, representing the business at industry forums and building strong, productive relationships with designers, consultants, supply chain partners and clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a national design and engineering strategy aligned to wider business objectives
• Lead and manage the national Design & Engineering function, including regional and major project leadership teams
• Provide governance to ensure all designs meet safety, regulatory, quality and sustainability standards
• Drive innovation, including digital engineering, smart technologies and low-carbon solutions
• Oversee design planning, consultant selection, value engineering and performance management
• Establish and maintain robust design, engineering and technical frameworks, standards and processes
• Monitor project performance, identifying risk early and driving continuous improvement
• Build high-performing teams through leadership, mentoring, succession planning and talent development
• Develop and manage design and engineering budgets in collaboration with Pre-Contract and Operations
• Build strong relationships with clients, consultants and industry bodies, promoting technical leadership and best practice

About You

You are a highly credible design and engineering leader with a strong track record in senior roles within a Tier 1 MEP or built environment organisation. You combine strategic thinking with operational excellence and are passionate about innovation, people development and delivering value for customers.

You will bring:

• Extensive experience leading design and engineering functions at senior level
• Strong knowledge of design management, engineering delivery and digital engineering
• Proven experience working in customer-facing, complex project environments
• The ability to influence at Executive and Board level
• A collaborative, resilient leadership style with high standards and accountability

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree (or higher) in Building Services Engineering or a related discipline
• Chartered Engineer status
• Substantial experience in a senior design and engineering leadership role or 5 years in a related executive position

What We Offer

• A nationally influential leadership role with real strategic impact
• The opportunity to shape the future of design, engineering and innovation across a major organisation
• A collaborative, values-driven culture focused on safety, quality and continuous improvement
• Competitive executive remuneration and benefits package

Additional Information

This is a national role requiring regular travel and occasional overnight stays.

Work for Wates

Wates is one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies.  Founded over 125 years ago, we have a proud legacy in the built environment.

We are driven by our purpose, ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our three promises:

• Thriving places – working with customers, partners and communities to create places that are more sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity.
• Thriving planet – protecting nature and taking action on climate change by collaborating and innovating with our partners.
• Thriving people – creating opportunities and relationships so that everyone who works for and with us feels included, invested in and treated with care.

We are proud to be recognised as Gold Investors in People and as a Disability Confident employer.  We also ensure that our recruitment processes do not treat anyone less favourably due to an offending background.