Wastewater Process Engineering Director in London

Shape the Future of our cities and environments. The Design & Advanced Technology (D&AT) Practice of AtkinsRéalis is seeking a Technical Director for Waste Water Process to join our team in the UK. We are looking for an energetic and experienced Waste Water Process Engineer that can both lead as technical expert in wastewater treatment and drive forward business results. AtkinsRéalis specialise in all aspects of process engineering within the Water Sector, including water, waste water and bioresources in the UK and internationally.

As a key member of our technical leadership team, you’ll play a vital role in shaping and delivering transformational programmes of critical UK infrastructure for our Water market clients – clients like Thames Water, Anglian Water, Environment Agency, Welsh Water, United Utilities, Scottish Water, and more. You’ll be part of and lead in talented, multi-disciplinary teams delivering cutting edge, iconic projects across the water sector at home (UK) and abroad.

By providing technical leadership across the organisation you’ll drive results, by contributing to functional strategy, influencing senior stakeholders, and leading within the process group and multidisciplinary project teams, to deliver measurable outcomes. In this role, you will set direction for complex, high-impact projects and initiatives, anticipate business and regulatory challenges or changes, and develop innovative solutions and offerings that move the business forward.

As a Waste Water Process Technical Director in the D&AT Practice, the successful candidate would have the following responsibilities:

• Provide Technical Leadership within discipline for the national D&AT practice.
• Influence D&AT Practice wide initiatives and recommend best practices to improve internal processes and services.
• Serve as a recognised expert and technical authority in Waste Water Process Engineering across the D&AT Practice and wider AtkinsRéalis business.
• Collaborate with stakeholders at all levels, including internal and external clients, operational staff, project teams, or external stakeholders.
• Recommend and drive improvements to processes, services, and technical practices while ensuring robust engineering governance is consistently upheld.
• Oversee technical input into bid proposals, defining the delivery strategy and working with cross‑functional teams to prepare high‑quality, compliant, competitive submissions.
• Proactively identify opportunities for cross‑selling and business growth, using commercial insight to strengthen and expand client relationships.
• Grow, develop, and manage the Waste Water Process engineering capability within the national practice, supporting talent development and succession planning.
• Provide strategic oversight across multiple complex, multidisciplinary projects, ensuring technical excellence, safe delivery, and alignment with client and practice objectives.

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

• A degree in Chemical Engineering or equivalent (e.g. Environmental, Water Engineering, etc.)
• Chartered Engineer (preferably IChemE or CIWEM).
• Extensive experience in progressively senior technical roles, including significant leadership of complex, high‑risk, cross‑disciplinary projects and programmes.
• Nationally or internationally recognised subject matter expertise in a waste water treatment process and principles.
• Expert understanding of the integrated nature of treatment processes and principles, including: preliminary, primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary treatment, sludge treatment and their impact on emissions, odour, carbon and energy management.
• Experience in the UK Water market is essential.
• Commercially astute, with experience shaping winning proposals and driving practice and business growth.
• Demonstrates strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas with clarity.
• A proactive, highly motivated mindset with a collaborative approach to drive teamwork and shared success across projects.

We offer hybrid working which involves 3 days per week travel/office based. This position can be based at any of our main locations: Epsom, London, Bristol, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, or Glasgow. It can also be based in our other offices but may require additional travel to main locations as needed.

We’re 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.