IES Utilities Group LTD
Head of Design - Gas
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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
- 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.
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Essential Skills & Experience
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- 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 we're 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.
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