At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage complex engineering projects, ensuring quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
- Company: Established engineering and construction firm with a commitment to excellence and innovation.
- Benefits: 41 days holiday, early finish Fridays, private medical, bonuses, and wellbeing initiatives.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth in a supportive and evolving environment.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team driving progress in engineering and construction with real impact.
- Qualifications: Proven project delivery experience and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 € per year.
Dowds is an established, multidisciplinary engineering and construction Building Services Engineering company headquartered in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1978, our expertise spans the full lifecycle of complex-built environments from initial design and systems integration through to installation, commissioning, and handover. Across specific sectors: life science, commercial, education and healthcare. Operating at a gold standard for best-managed company and investors in people, our vision is to set the standard for excellence, driving progress, responsibility, and lasting impact while keeping our clients and our people at the heart of what we do.
We're seeking a Project Director to join our delivery team, where you will have full accountability for programme, cost, quality and safety. Dowds is evolving through growth and transformation, strategically partnering with our clients to deliver MEP across various locations. This opportunity will suit a driven individual who can lead, manage and develop projects, staff and relationships.
What you’ll be responsible for:
- Provide strategic leadership and governance across assigned MEP programmes, embedding Dowds Group values, ensuring effective reporting, escalation, and board-level assurance.
- Take full accountability for programme delivery, including safety, quality, cost, and schedule performance, driving design certainty, planning excellence, and critical path control.
- Own commercial and financial performance, protecting margin through robust CVR forecasting, cost control, and proactive risk and opportunity management.
- Lead a strong safety-first culture, ensuring full statutory and contractual H&S compliance and clear assurance reporting to senior leadership and the Board.
- Provide technical and quality oversight across all MEP disciplines, ensuring compliant design, commissioning, testing, handover, and delivery of digital O&M and asset data.
- Act as the senior client-facing representative, leading key governance forums, managing senior stakeholder relationships, and progressing modern methods of construction (MMC), BIM, and digital delivery to improve productivity and outcomes.
What we are looking for:
Essential:
- Proven ability to deliver complex projects of comparable size, value and sector, with full accountability for programme, cost, quality and safety.
- Strong knowledge and understanding of UK construction and engineering statutory requirements, delivery methods, and governance processes.
- Demonstrable knowledge of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) systems of work and a visible safety-first leadership approach.
- Evident leadership and management capability, able to set direction, lead multidisciplinary teams, and model behaviours aligned to company values and brand.
- Strong commercial awareness, with experience managing cost control, forecasting, margin protection, and contractual risk at programme level.
- Excellent analytical, reporting and communication skills, with experience using project controls, document management and reporting systems (e.g. document control platforms, cost and programme tools, Excel).
Desirable:
- Building services/MEP HNC/HND/Degree qualified.
- Professional membership of a relevant body (e.g. CIBSE, IET, CIOB) or working towards chartership.
- IOSH Managing Safely, SMSTS or equivalent senior health & safety qualification.
- Broad technical qualification or background enabling effective challenge and assurance across MEP disciplines.
- Experience working within an SME or high-growth environment, demonstrating a broad commercial and operational mindset.
- Experience using a wider range of digital delivery and reporting systems (e.g. SharePoint, Dynamics, Asta Powerproject, Anaplan, or equivalent).
- Experience operating at board or executive stakeholder level, including governance forums, assurance reporting, and senior client engagement.
- Formal M&E or Project Management qualification (e.g. APMP, PRINCE2, MSP, or equivalent).
Why Join Dowds:
- 41 Days Holiday
- Early Finish Fridays
- Private Medical
- Bonus
- Wellbeing Initiatives
- Pension
- Work from home
- Plus, many more
Dowds is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
Project Director employer: J.F. & H. DOWDS LTD t/a DOWDS
At Dowds, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth. With 41 days of holiday, early finish Fridays, and a commitment to health and safety, we empower our Project Directors to lead impactful projects while enjoying a supportive environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. Join us in London, where your expertise will contribute to shaping the future of engineering and construction across vital sectors.
Contact Detail:
J.F. & H. DOWDS LTD t/a DOWDS Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Project Director
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry professionals on LinkedIn or at local events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can land you that Project Director role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by researching the company inside out. Understand Dowds' values and projects, and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. We want to see you shine and show us why you're the perfect fit!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Run through common interview questions with a friend or in front of the mirror. We want you to feel confident when discussing your leadership skills and project management experience.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. We’re excited to see your passion for driving progress and excellence in action!
We think you need these skills to ace Project Director
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Project Director role. Highlight your experience in managing complex projects, focusing on programme delivery, cost control, and safety. We want to see how your skills align with our values and the specific requirements of the job.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're the perfect fit for Dowds. Share your leadership style, your approach to stakeholder management, and how you’ve driven success in previous roles. Keep it engaging and relevant!
Showcase Your Achievements:When detailing your experience, don’t just list your responsibilities—show us your achievements! Use metrics and examples to demonstrate how you've successfully delivered projects, managed costs, and ensured quality and safety. We love numbers that tell a story!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application directly and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at J.F. & H. DOWDS LTD t/a DOWDS
✨Know Your Projects Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand your past projects, especially those that align with the role of Project Director. Be ready to discuss specific challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and the outcomes. This will show your depth of experience and ability to lead complex projects.
✨Demonstrate Your Leadership Style
As a Project Director, your leadership style is crucial. Prepare examples that showcase how you've led multidisciplinary teams, managed conflicts, and fostered a safety-first culture. Highlight your approach to setting direction and aligning team behaviours with company values.
✨Showcase Your Commercial Acumen
Be prepared to discuss your experience with cost control, margin protection, and risk management. Bring examples of how you've successfully forecasted costs and managed financial performance in previous roles. This will demonstrate your strong commercial awareness, which is essential for the position.
✨Engage with Stakeholder Management
Since you'll be acting as a senior client-facing representative, think about how you've built and maintained relationships with stakeholders in the past. Prepare to discuss your experience in governance forums and how you've effectively communicated project updates to senior leadership.
