Surface Water Management Senior Engineer in Exeter

At Jacobs, we’re challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world’s most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

• Shape the future of water management and create places that are safer, greener, and more resilient for generations to come.
• As a senior manager within our water team, you’ll play a pivotal role in tackling some of the UK’s most complex flood risk and drainage challenges. From major infrastructure and regeneration schemes to sustainable communities, your expertise will help deliver innovative solutions that protect people, enhance biodiversity, and support climate resilience.
• This is an opportunity to move beyond design delivery and influence how projects are conceived, developed, and delivered from strategy through to construction and handover.

This isn't just another engineering role. It's a chance to accelerate your career while making a tangible difference.

You’ll benefit from

• The opportunity to spearhead high-profile, impactful projects that shape communities and the environment
• Real career progression pathways, with support toward Chartership if you’re not already chartered
• The chance to mentor and develop emerging talent while growing your own leadership profile
• Flexible and hybrid ways of working that support life both inside and outside of work
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary environment where your ideas are valued and innovation is encouraged
• Access to pioneering industry projects, tools, and technical experts
• The opportunity to help drive sustainable solutions that support the UK’s climate and environmental goals

We Offer

Compensation That Reflects Your Skills And Experience

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• 24 days annual leave plus the option to buy up to 10 additional days
• Enhanced pension contributions of up to 10%
• Private medical cover and Digital GP access
• Family planning and fertility support services
• Enhanced parental leave and family support programmes
• Employee Networks We have a commitment to hiring a diverse workforce and supporting colleagues of different backgrounds
• Life assurance at four times your salary
• Income protection for long-term financial security
• Access to wellbeing support, including Calm and Daily Burn
• Professional memberships funded and ongoing development opportunities
• Paid volunteering time, matched charity funding, and community engagement programmes

About The Opportunity

As a key member of our Surface Water team, you’ll run projects from concept through to construction, bringing technical expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership to every stage of delivery.

Working alongside planners, environmental specialists, civil engineers, and clients, you’ll transform complex flood risk and drainage challenges into practical, real-world solutions.

• Leading the development of surface water drainage strategies and detailed drainage designs
• Delivering innovative SuDS, green infrastructure, and gravity drainage solutions
• Reviewing and approving hydraulic models, calculations, specifications, and technical documentation
• Managing projects through feasibility, outline design, detailed design, construction, and handover
• Undertaking and overseeing hydrological and hydraulic modelling activities
• Embedding climate resilience, environmental enhancement, and biodiversity outcomes into designs
• Promoting technical excellence, innovation, and best practice across project teams
• Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, planning policy, design standards, and environmental regulations
• Providing technical leadership, mentoring colleagues, and helping build team capability

This is a highly visible Associate Director level position offering the opportunity to lead, influence, and make a lasting impact across a diverse portfolio of projects.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Proven experience delivering surface water drainage and flood risk solutions
• Strong expertise in SuDS, drainage strategies, and hydraulic design
• Chartered status with ICE, CIWEM, or a similar professional institution, or actively working towards it
• Proficiency in hydraulic modelling software such as MicroDrainage, InfoDrainage, InfoWorks ICM, or Causeway Flow
• Strong understanding of relevant drainage, planning, and environmental legislation and design standards
• Knowledge of Safety in Design principles and CDM requirements
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and mentoring junior engineers

We’re looking for an experienced surface water professional who can confidently lead projects, inspire teams, and deliver technical excellence at Associate Director level.

Create a Lasting Impact

From tackling flood risk issues to delivering climate‑resilient infrastructure, your expertise can help shape better places for people and the planet.

Jacobs offers hybrid working and a standard 40‑hour working week

Good luck with your application

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well‑being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about ourJacobs Employee Networks here.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https//www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.

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