Engineering Manager

About us

United Utilities’ (UU) mission is to deliver high-quality water for a more prosperous, greener and healthier North West of England. We are committed to providing our services in a way that respects the environment, supports the economy, and benefits society. We are proud to be ranked #4 in The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List. We promote a workplace culture where our people can grow, excel, and truly be themselves.

We uphold our ethics, values, and business model to fulfil our mission. By setting clear goals and objectives, we create sustainable, long-term value for our colleagues, customers, and communities. Whether you collaborate with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation.

We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll be part of a thriving company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution. These include:

• A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service, in addition to 8 bank holidays
• A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover
• A 20% performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements
• A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme
• A £5,000 car allowance to support your travel needs

At UU, we champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

The Role

Are you an Engineering Manager with a passion for problem-solving, project delivery, and creating sustainable, impactful projects? If so, you might be the perfect fit for our Capital Delivery project teams at United Utilities (UU)! We're seeking visionary Engineering Manager who can bring their expertise to the table, helping us deliver our ambitious plans in Northwest England, UK. Join us and be part of a team dedicated to building a greener, brighter future!

HARP (Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme) is United Utilities largest capital project and involves the replacement of 6 tunnel sections along the length of the aqueduct. This multi-billion pound project seeks to secure drinking water supplies to millions of customers in the North West and will leave a legacy for generations to come.

As the HARP Engineering Manager, you will play a pivotal role in leading all technical aspects of the programme. This position within the HARP Senior Leadership Team involves leadership of the engineering team with significant budget responsibility. The role will interface with all parties responsible for delivering the HARP project including designers, constructors, operations and independent assurers. Key responsibilities will be onboarding the delivery partners, ownership of design development including the Design Review process and Technical Queries, oversight of Ground Engineering assurance outputs, provision of technical support to Compensation Events, and technical leadership during outages and connections. This role demands a strategic leader capable of driving technical excellence and ensuring seamless integration across all engineering facets of the HARP programme.

United Utilities offer dynamic and long-lasting options that will help you grow professionally and personally and you will have the chance to enhance your skill, knowledge and experience in a supportive and collaborative environment. If you are passionate about making a positive difference for the North West of England and want to join us on our journey of transformation, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and become part of the UU family!

To be considered for this position you must have the right to work in the UK.

Key accountabilities

• Responsible for leading the technical delivery of the HARP programme both with defined and undefined ways of working.
• Accountable for the portfolio within the relevant business function, as well as externally representing UU when required.
• Engineering Manager will sit on the HARP area management team and be the point of contact for engineering escalations.
• Actively lead and support the UU Home, Safe and Well initiative, and positively drive new ways of working across the team(s).
• Building and maintaining relationships with key internal and external stakeholders at a senior level.
• Applying risk management to drive the delivery of opportunities or threat reduction, including adequate escalation of issues outside of your control.
• Providing timely management information to drive the HARP project forward.

The HARP Engineering Manager will need to be able to travel to other UU sites to fulfil their duties. This may include line management of teams based elsewhere

Skills & experience

To be successful with your application, you’ll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Significant post graduate experience and Professionally Qualified (or equivalent professional experience).
• Proven experience of leadership of complex change initiatives in a senior management role, including the ability to integrate input from different technical areas and other functions or departments.
• Proven communication skills with an ability to engage with senior stakeholders and colleagues to develop solutions to complex problems.
• Proven experience of schedule, risk, budget and commercial / contract management.
• Hold a current UK/EU driving licence.

It would also be great if you can demonstrate any of the following?desirable?criteria:

• Member of Association for Project Management (APM).
• Chartered Project Professional (APM: ChPP) or tangible plan to achieve within an agreed period.
• Proven post graduate experience within the water industry in a senior management role.