Project Director in Wales

Designer Group is a leading international mechanical and electrical provider specialising in the design, supply and installation of complex M&E services. Headquartered in Dublin, we employ more than 1,000 people across the Group and deliver projects across Ireland, the UK, Europe and international markets.

Our continued growth is driven by our people, our technical capability and our ability to deliver safely, efficiently and to the highest standards in demanding project environments. Everything we do is underpinned by our values: Safe | Trust | Respect | Challenge | Deliver.

We are now seeking an experienced Project Director to lead site delivery on Project Camelot, a major utilities and process piping project at an existing chemical facility in Wales.

Project overview:

Project Camelot involves the extension of an existing Ecolab chemical facility producing resin used in the cleaning of pharmaceutical vessels and equipment. While the facility supports the wider pharmaceutical supply chain, this is a chemical/process facility project, not a pharmaceutical project. Designer Group’s scope includes approximately 14,000m of piping, split across clean utilities and black utilities. The package includes clean utility pipework, black utility pipework, inline equipment, valve installation, minor equipment, pressure testing, flushing, chemical cleaning, passivation, testing, commissioning, insulation and cladding.

The programme is aggressive and will require strong site leadership, disciplined planning, subcontractor control, commercial focus and a right-first-time approach to quality. The delivery strategy relies heavily on offsite manufacture, prefabrication, modular pipework, accurate progress tracking and early focus on system completion and turnover.

Role overview:

The Project Director will take senior responsibility for the safe, commercial and operational delivery of Designer Group’s scope on Project Camelot. This is a hands-on, site-based leadership role suited to a senior project leader with strong experience in mechanical, process piping, industrial, chemical, energy, pharmaceutical construction or complex M&E environments.

Key responsibilities:

• Take overall site leadership responsibility for Designer Group’s delivery on Project Camelot.
• Lead the project team across construction, engineering, planning, commercial, QA/QC, safety, commissioning and turnover.
• Maintain clear control of programme, cost, safety, quality, risk and stakeholder performance.
• Drive the planned delivery sequence of bulk zonal install, sectional test/handover, system drops and system completion.
• Ensure site activities are properly planned, resourced, coordinated and controlled.
• Identify constraints early and ensure they are resolved, escalated or commercially protected where required.

OSM, fabrication and subcontractor management:

• Oversee the offsite manufacture, prefabrication and pipe spool/module strategy.
• Ensure OSM, fabrication, logistics and site installation are coordinated against the construction programme.
• Manage subcontractor performance against agreed scope, safety, quality, productivity and programme requirements.
• Support procurement and delivery of piping, valves, supports, inline equipment and specialist subcontract packages.
• Maintain visibility of fabrication progress, NDT, tagging, material readiness and delivery sequencing.

Programme, commercial and stakeholder control:

• Work closely with planning to maintain a realistic and properly resourced construction programme.
• Track progress against installation output, manpower, milestones and system completion dates.
• Work with the Commercial Manager and QS team to protect Designer Group’s commercial position.
• Ensure variations, delays, access issues, design issues and scope changes are identified, recorded and progressed.
• Maintain strong project records, correspondence, meeting minutes and site evidence.
• Represent Designer Group with IPS, Ecolab, the PSCS, consultants, subcontractors and internal stakeholders.

Required experience and qualifications:

• Senior project leadership experience within mechanical, process piping, utilities, industrial, energy, chemical, pharmaceutical construction or complex M&E contracting.
• Experience delivering large-scale, site-based construction projects with significant subcontractor and supply chain involvement.
• Strong understanding of piping installation, fabrication, testing, commissioning, system completion and turnover.
• Experience working on live operational sites, ideally chemical, process, industrial manufacturing, energy or life sciences facilities.
• Strong commercial and contractual awareness, including change control, variations, cost recovery and subcontractor management.
• Experience managing aggressive programmes, constrained sites and complex stakeholder interfaces.
• OSM, modularisation or prefabricated pipework experience would be highly advantageous.
• Mechanical Engineering, Building Services, Process Engineering, Construction Management or related qualification preferred.
• Trade background with significant senior project leadership experience will also be considered.

Person specification:

• A strong, visible site leader with the confidence to take ownership of a high-pressure project.
• Technically credible in mechanical, piping or process-led construction environments.
• Commercially sharp and disciplined around records, notices and change control.
• Highly organised, practical and focused on programme certainty.
• Clear and confident with clients, consultants, subcontractors and internal stakeholders.
• Able to challenge poor performance while maintaining strong working relationships.
• Focused on safety, quality, commercial performance and right-first-time delivery.