Technical Director - Waste Water Process Engineering (flexible across various locations in UK) in Leeds

Overview

Shape the Future of our cities and environments. AtkinsRéalis’ Design & Advanced Technology (D&AT) Practice is seeking an experienced Technical Director – Wastewater Process to provide technical leadership across our water portfolio and help shape the future of sustainable wastewater treatment. This is an opportunity for a recognised industry leader to combine deep technical expertise with strategic business leadership, influencing major infrastructure programmes and driving growth across the UK and international water markets.

As part of our senior technical leadership team, you will provide strategic direction across complex wastewater treatment and resource recovery projects, supporting clients including Thames Water, Anglian Water, United Utilities, Scottish Water, Welsh Water, the Environment Agency, and others. You will work alongside multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative, resilient and low-carbon solutions that address some of the sector’s most pressing challenges, from treatment performance and regulatory compliance to nutrient removal, net zero and resource recovery.

Working across the full project lifecycle, from strategy and feasibility through design, implementation and commissioning, you will help shape technical excellence within the organisation. You will contribute to business strategy, develop new service offerings, support key client relationships and provide expert guidance on high-profile projects and programmes. Your leadership will strengthen our process engineering capability, influence industry best practice and create lasting value for clients and communities.

You'll benefit from:

• Playing a leading role in delivering some of the UK's most significant and technically challenging water and wastewater programmes.
• Shaping the future of sustainable water infrastructure, including net zero, resource recovery and environmental improvement initiatives.
• Influencing industry-leading technical solutions alongside recognised experts across water, environmental, digital and asset management disciplines.
• Building trusted relationships with major UK and international water sector clients and regulators.
• Opportunities to contribute to strategic business growth, key pursuits and the development of new service offerings.
• Access to exceptional career development opportunities within a globally respected engineering and professional services organisation.

Being a Technical Director with us involves UK wide travel. We offer hybrid working which involves 3 days per week travel/office based. This position can be based at any of our hub offices of Epsom, London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, or Glasgow. It can also be based from one of our regional offices of Peterborough, Cambridge, Cardiff, Swansea, Derby, Exeter, Leeds, Newcastle, Belfast, or Edinburgh, but may require additional travel to main locations as needed.

Your role

As a Technical Director within AtkinsRéalis, the successful candidate would have the following responsibilities:

• Project Leadership & Technical Governance
  • Provide strategic technical leadership and oversight across major wastewater treatment, sludge management, biosolids, and resource recovery programmes, acting as Project Director, Technical Director, Design Lead, or Technical Authority as appropriate.
  • Provide technical assurance, quality oversight, and engineering governance across a portfolio of wastewater treatment and environmental improvement projects.
  • Act as a recognised technical authority for wastewater process engineering, guiding multidisciplinary teams and ensuring compliance with client, regulatory, environmental, and industry requirements.
  • Lead technical decision-making on complex wastewater treatment challenges, supporting the development of innovative, sustainable, and operationally efficient solutions that improve treatment performance, resilience, and environmental outcomes.
• Team Leadership & Capability Growth
  • Provide strategic oversight on resource planning, workload forecasting, and capability development to support the successful delivery of a growing portfolio of wastewater and bioresources projects.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop senior process engineers, strengthening technical capability and building the next generation of industry leaders.
  • Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture that promotes technical excellence, innovation, continuous improvement, and effective knowledge sharing across the water business.
• Client Engagement & Relationship Management
  • Develop and maintain trusted relationships with key clients across the water sector, acting as a trusted advisor to water utilities, regulators, contractors, and technology providers.
  • Represent AtkinsRéalis at senior client, stakeholder, regulatory, and industry forums, providing strategic technical leadership and expert process engineering advice.
  • Enhance AtkinsRéalis' reputation for technical excellence through thought leadership, client engagement, industry participation, and contributions to best practice within the water sector.
• Business Development & Market Growth
  • Play a leading role in identifying, pursuing, and securing opportunities across the wastewater, bioresources, and resource recovery markets.
  • Shape bid strategies, lead technical contributions to major proposals, and support the pursuit of strategic growth opportunities.
  • Contribute to market planning and business development activities, helping to grow the Wastewater Process Engineering capability across the UK and internationally.
  • Support the development of long-term client account plans, strategic partnerships, and opportunity pipelines aligned with AMP8, environmental investment programmes, and future water sector priorities.

About you

The ideal candidate would be a well-rounded and versatile individual who exemplifies the following key skills and attributes:

• Experience & Expertise
  • Degree qualified in Chemical or Process Engineering (or equivalent), with Chartered Engineer status through IChemE, or an equivalent professional institution.
  • Extensive experience in the design, optimisation, and delivery of wastewater treatment, sludge treatment, biosolids, and resource recovery projects, with a strong understanding of UK water industry standards, regulatory requirements, and best practice.
  • Recognised technical authority in wastewater process engineering, with expertise spanning treatment works upgrades, nutrient removal, storm overflow reduction, sludge and biosolids management, decarbonisation, and environmental compliance programmes.
• Leadership & Commercial Skills
  • Proven track record of developing senior client relationships, leading major bids and proposals, securing strategic commissions, and driving growth within the wastewater sector.
  • Strong leadership and influencing skills, with experience developing high-performing teams, setting technical direction, and engaging effectively with senior clients, regulators, contractors, and business leaders.
  • Commercially astute, with the ability to balance technical quality, client outcomes, project risk, and business performance across a portfolio of complex multidisciplinary programmes.
  • Demonstrable experience shaping technical strategies, service offerings, and market initiatives that support long-term business growth and client value.
• Personal Attributes
  • Demonstrates strong technical judgement, accountability, and ownership, providing clear direction on complex engineering challenges within a consultancy environment.
  • Operates effectively at both strategic and technical levels, balancing business objectives and high-quality technical delivery.
  • A collaborative and forward-thinking leader who communicates complex ideas clearly, fosters innovation, and supports continuous improvement.

Meet some but not all of the criteria? We’d still love to hear from you! Please submit your CV along with a cover letter letting us know your motivation for applying and highlighting how your skills and experience align with the role.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Additional information

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.