Mott MacDonald
Divisional General Manager - Heavy Civil Infrastructure
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Location/s: UK-wide
Recruiter contact: David McFall
Closing date: 24th September at 12pm
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.
We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.
Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.
About the business unit
We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.
About the division
A leader in major civil infrastructure projects both in the UK and internationally, our Heavy Civil Infrastructure (HCI) division specialises in delivering civil engineering solutions to clients across all forms of transportation including high-speed rail, metros, rail, highways, ports and aviation.
HCI is a multidisciplinary business of circa 600 people, bringing together deep technical expertise and project delivery capability across bridges, foundations and geotechnics, information management, special services, and tunnels.
The division combines technical excellence with commercial and project leadership, offering capabilities in design and information management, construction support, integrated delivery, advanced analysis, asset resilience and materials technology.
Overview of the role
The Divisional General Manager (HCI) is a senior leadership role within the Transport Executive Team, accountable for the performance, growth and long-term success of the Heavy Civils and Infrastructure Division, while contributing to the wider success of the Transport Unit and Mott MacDonald.
The role will deliver sustainable profitable growth, strengthen market position, develop future capability and ensure HCI remains a recognised leader in complex infrastructure solutions. Success requires a balance of strategic leadership, commercial performance, organisational development and operational excellence, underpinned by an inclusive, high-performing culture.
The HCI DGM will act first as a member of the Transport Executive Team and second as the leader of HCI. Decisions should optimise outcomes for the wider Transport Unit and Mott MacDonald, while ensuring HCI remains a sustainable, high-performing division. The DGM will make the value created through collaboration, resource sharing and enterprise leadership visible and understood.
Key responsibilities and duties include:
Strategic Leadership and Growth
- Define and deliver a compelling long-term vision for HCI, aligned with Transport and Group strategy
- Develop growth plans that create a resilient, diversified pipeline and translate into sustainable profitability and long-term business resilience
- Anticipate market, client and technology shifts, evolving HCI's capability, operating model and positioning to remain future-fit and competitive
- Champion technical excellence, digital delivery, AI-enabled productivity, innovation and continuous improvement
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Business, Client and Market Leadership
- Deliver agreed financial, commercial and operational outcomes, supported by effective governance, risk management and sound decision-making
- Improve productivity, resource utilisation and project performance through disciplined execution, simplification, digital adoption and innovation
- Build trusted executive-level relationships with clients, contractors, partners and industry stakeholders, strengthening HCI's position in priority markets and major programmes
- Collaborate across Transport and Mott MacDonald to increase client value and pursue opportunities that benefit the wider enterprise, including where the primary commercial benefit sits outside HCI
People and Culture
- Create a high-performing, inclusive and accountable culture in which people feel respected, supported and confident to contribute and speak up
- Attract, retain and develop exceptional talent, building diverse leadership capability and strong succession for critical leadership and technical roles
- Promote engagement, wellbeing, learning and career development, enabling sustained performance through change
- Lead by example in health, safety, ethics and Mott MacDonald's values, code and behaviours
Leadership Expectations
- Authentic, visible and approachable leadership that builds trust through integrity, consistency and active listening
- Accountability for outcomes, with clear expectations, effective delegation and timely, evidence-informed decisions
- Pace and decisiveness, creating momentum while protecting quality, wellbeing and long-term performance
- An enterprise-wide, collaborative mindset, welcoming constructive challenge and integrating different perspectives
- Confidence leading transformation and helping colleagues adapt to change and ambiguity
- Curiosity, learning agility and a strong commitment to technology, AI, innovation and continuous improvement
Measures of Success
- Sustainable revenue growth, profitability, pipeline strength and business resilience
- Stronger strategic client and contractor relationships, market positioning and external reputation
- Improved commercial, operational, project and quality performance
- Growth in technical capability, innovation, digital delivery and AI-enabled productivity
- High employee engagement, inclusive leadership, accountability, trust and succession strength
- Measurable contribution to wider Transport and Group objectives through effective collaboration and value creation
Candidate specification
We recognise that strong candidates may have developed the required capability through different sectors, roles and career paths. Assessment will consider evidence in the round rather than a single conventional route to appointment.
Candidates are likely to demonstrate:
- Leadership of an engineering, infrastructure, professional services or similarly complex multidisciplinary business or major programme
- Delivery of sustainable growth, commercial performance and organisational development at significant scale
- Strong financial and commercial leadership, including accountability for business performance, governance and risk
- Success in building high-performing teams, developing future leaders and strengthening technical capability
- A record of building strategic client, contractor and stakeholder relationships and creating growth opportunities
- Experience leading change, transformation or business improvement in a complex or matrix organisation
This role offers the opportunity to shape a significant infrastructure business at an important point in its development, while influencing the direction of the wider Transport Unit and Mott MacDonald. The successful individual will have the platform to shape strategy and investment, strengthen market position, develop future leaders, accelerate innovation and leave an enduring legacy through sustainable business success and positive organisational impact.
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Application process
In addition to your CV, please provide a written response to all four questions below. Your combined response must not exceed two A4 pages. We are interested in specific examples, evidence, outcomes achieved and your personal contribution.
What do you believe are the most significant opportunities and challenges facing HCI over the next five years, and how would you position the division to create sustainable competitive advantage and growth?
Describe a significant business growth, turnaround or performance improvement initiative that you have personally led. What was the situation, what actions did you take, what measurable outcomes were achieved, and what did you learn from the experience?
Provide an example of where you made a decision or committed resources in a way that benefited the wider organisation, even where the direct benefit to your own business area was limited or not immediately apparent. How did you approach the decision, how did you secure support, and what value was ultimately created?
Describe a leadership challenge that required you to build capability, lead organisational change or improve performance through people. What approach did you take, how did you bring others with you, and what lasting impact was achieved?
We welcome applications from people with different backgrounds, experiences and career paths. Assessment will focus on leadership impact, behaviours, judgement and potential. Candidates are encouraged to discuss any adjustments that would support their full participation in the recruitment process. Practical expectations, including location, travel and ways of working, will be made clear so candidates can make an informed decision.
UK Immigration
Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.
Agile working
At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.
AI Usage
At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.
Accessibility
We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments
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