Senior Programme Director - Nuclear New Build & SMR Expertise in Cheshire, Warrington

At Arcadis we focus on attracting, retaining and developing people who share our passion and commitment to improve quality of life. In return we offer you the opportunity to transform your world and the world around you, that could be through client work, upskilling yourself, championing equality and inclusion or getting involved in charity work, to name just a few. Our people value different perspectives, they care about the sustainability of our planet and dare to shape the future. One of our core values is ‘people first’, and supported by our Lovinklaan foundation, we invest in you for the long term, to ensure you reach your full potential. You’ll have the opportunity to own your career and work on industry-defining projects, finding solutions to real challenges that make a difference to people’s lives. You’re encouraged to have a growth mindset and are given the space to develop personally and professionally, building a flexible career that works for you.

Role description

As New Nuclear Lead, you will define and lead Arcadis’ position in the new nuclear market, with a particular focus on large-scale nuclear new build, small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors, alongside adjacent strategic programme opportunities where Arcadis can create differentiated value for clients. Reporting to the Business Director – Nuclear, you will act as a senior leader within Arcadis’ Nuclear business and provide matrix leadership across account, pursuit, service and commission teams supporting new nuclear opportunities and clients. You will work closely with the Nuclear Growth Director, Account Leads and Client Directors, Commission Leads and Project Directors, Service Leads and capability leaders across the UK and global business, as well as business area and executive sponsors for strategic clients, partnerships and pursuits.

You will provide senior market-facing leadership across client engagement, opportunity shaping, strategic partnerships and internal mobilisation, ensuring we bring the right capabilities, senior attention and delivery credibility to priority opportunities in the UK and selected international markets. This role is focused on market growth, winning the right work, strengthening client trust and aligning cross-business capabilities to support safe, effective and commercially successful outcomes.

Role accountabilities

• Lead Arcadis’ strategic positioning in the new nuclear market, translating business priorities into clear market actions, client focus and growth choices.
• Maintain a strong understanding of market developments across large-scale new build, SMRs, AMRs, licensing, regulation, financing, delivery models, supply chain and programme risk.
• Identify and prioritise target clients, programmes, alliances and routes to market where Arcadis has a credible right to win and grow.
• Champion a clear external and internal market narrative for Arcadis in new nuclear, aligned to our capabilities, partnerships and long-term growth ambition.
• Build trusted senior relationships with priority clients, partners, developers, investors and industry stakeholders across the new nuclear ecosystem.
• Shape early-stage opportunities with clients, helping define need, scope, commercial approach, delivery strategy and Arcadis’ value proposition.
• Lead, sponsor or strategically steer major pursuits and bids for new nuclear opportunities, ensuring strong alignment, differentiated messaging and senior oversight.
• Develop and support strategic partnerships, teaming arrangements and consortium models where multi-organisation delivery is essential to success.
• Translate nuclear strategy into clear growth priorities, pursuit themes and mobilisation plans across Arcadis teams.
• Maintain insight on market, client and sector trends and use this to inform portfolio direction, investment choices and opportunity focus.
• Bring together the right technical, programme, commercial, environmental and advisory capabilities to support priority opportunities and clients.
• Align growth activity with wider Arcadis and business area priorities to deliver a joined-up One Arcadis approach in the market.
• Provide matrix leadership, challenge and support to account, pursuit and commission leads working on new nuclear opportunities and strategic clients.
• Provide senior input to decisions on portfolio focus and prioritisation, client access, pursuit strategy, account planning quality, and progression of strategic growth opportunities and major bids.
• Support teams with prioritisation, access strategies, solution shaping and escalation where senior intervention materially improves outcomes.
• Promote disciplined focus and governance so effort is directed toward the highest-value opportunities and outcomes.
• Facilitate and coordinate executive sponsorship for priority clients, pursuits and strategic growth opportunities.
• Ensure senior engagement is selective, purposeful and outcome-led, with clear value for the client and Arcadis.
• Escalate and help resolve market, portfolio or opportunity risks requiring senior leadership intervention.
• Work closely with commission and project leads so delivery insight informs opportunity shaping, client strategy and future positioning.
• Signal future capability and resource demand to service and business leads based on medium- to long-term pipeline direction and priority pursuits.
• Collaborate across Arcadis to assemble the right capabilities, solutions and leadership support for priority new nuclear opportunities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant experience in new nuclear, major infrastructure, energy transition or similarly complex regulated markets, with clear evidence of senior client and market leadership.
• Strong understanding of the UK and/or international new nuclear landscape, including client drivers, programme lifecycles, regulatory context and delivery challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility and operate effectively with senior client, partner and internal stakeholders up to board level.
• Proven capability in shaping opportunities, leading strategic pursuits and enabling multidisciplinary teams through influence rather than formal authority.
• Strong commercial judgement, strategic thinking, stakeholder awareness and the ability to navigate ambiguity in dynamic market environments.
• Comfortable balancing market growth, governance, risk awareness and practical delivery credibility in a highly regulated environment.
• Preferred but not essential: degree or professional qualification in engineering, science, project management, business or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of consultancy, professional services and complex capital programme environments; chartership or relevant professional accreditation would be advantageous.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.