Unispace Life Sciences
MEP Preconstruction Manager Mechanical
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Unispace Life Sciences
Unispace Life Sciences is one of the leading engineering design and project management firms in the industry. We deliver process and utility facility as well as laboratory and workspace design and construction projects for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, advanced therapeutics, medical device, and other life sciences companies. Part of Unispace Group, our award-winning and multi-disciplinary engineering, design, and construction project teams design and build complex process-driven life sciences facilities, labs, and workplaces for the world’s top bio-pharma companies. We promote a culture of integrity, professional excellence, and teamwork that informs everything we do. If you're interested in joining our Centre of Excellence and working with top biopharma clients around the world, we'd love to hear from you.
Role summary
The MEP Pre-Construction Manager - Mechanical will lead the discipline-specific technical development of MEP packages from initial opportunity review through to project award and contract handover. The role provides technical expertise, commercial support, design coordination, technical scoping, constructability review, and compliance assurance before projects enter delivery.
The successful candidate will work closely with Technical Commercial Managers, estimators, consultants, designers, contractors, and delivery teams to ensure coordinated, buildable, and commercially robust solutions.
The role will also be involved in the growth of the business, and assist with implementation and management of robust procedures as the department grows.
Key responsibilities
- Provide discipline-specific leadership across mechanical MEP packages while maintaining awareness of the full coordinated MEP strategy.
- Review designs, drawings, schedules, specifications, and employer requirements for technical correctness, statutory compliance, and buildability.
- Identify technical risks, scope gaps, assumptions, and exclusions early enough to influence tender, pricing, and contractual position.
- Lead the review and development of the MEP strategy during bid, feasibility, design development, and contractor engagement stages.
- Support Technical Commercial Managers and estimators with technical interpretation, tender queries, contractor qualifications, and pricing risk review.
- Review HVAC strategy, heat gains and losses, ventilation rates, plant location, controls strategy, public health, drainage, and domestic services.
- Review LEV, fume cupboards, specialist gases, gas detection, sprinkler interfaces, humidification/dehumidification, and laboratory resilience requirements.
- Attend early surveys and client briefings to understand existing services, building constraints, operational requirements, and project risks.
- Capture discipline-specific survey records suitable for design development, scope production, and tender clarification.
- Work with appointed contractors to progress technical design development and close outstanding tender qualifications before contract.
- Review drawing updates, technical submittals, design calculations, and contractor schedules with detailed scrutiny before acceptance.
- Update MEP scope documents, assumptions, exclusions, and employer requirement mark-ups as the design evolves.
- Produce a concise pre-contract handover pack covering design intent, contractor appointments, risks, IRS status, outstanding design actions, and long-lead technical items.
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Candidate profile
- Strong mechanical building services background with fit-out, refurbishment, or life-science project experience preferred.
- Ability to read, challenge, and mark up drawings, specifications, employer requirements, contractor proposals, calculations, schedules, and technical submittals.
- Commercial awareness and ability to translate technical risk into scope, pricing, assumptions, exclusions, and tender qualifications.
- Strong working knowledge of UK building regulations, statutory compliance, industry standards, and discipline-specific best practice.
- Confident communicator with consultants, subcontractors, clients, estimators, quantity surveyors, preconstruction, and construction teams.
- High standard of written technical communication, document control, version management, and audit trail discipline.
- Competent user of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. Autodesk Forma training will be provided. Power BI or structured reporting experience beneficial but not required.
- Full, clean UK driving licence and own vehicle.
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The statements in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person(s) assigned to this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required.
We encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply, and we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities, allowing them to perform essential job functions as determined on a case-by-case basis.
Inclusion and Diversity Commitment
At Unispace, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We proudly embrace equal opportunity hiring and will evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, colour, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, marital status, medical condition (as defined by state law), physical or mental disability, military service, veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
We are proud that our leadership reflects this commitment, with persons of colour, women, LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse individuals playing pivotal roles in shaping the future of our organization. Their unique perspectives and experiences drive innovation and help us create a truly inclusive culture. We are dedicated to ensuring that every voice is heard and that our workplace is a space where diversity is not only celebrated but is integral to our success.
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