Design Manager – Energy & Power in Manchester

At Jacobs, we’re helping clients decarbonise, strengthen energy security, and modernise critical infrastructure. From grid connections for offshore wind and BESS, to hydrogen hubs, interconnectors, nuclear new build, and complex refurbishment of substations - our teams deliver the projects that power communities and accelerate net‑zero. Join us to lead multi‑disciplinary teams and drive safe, on‑time, on‑budget delivery across the UK and beyond.

What You Will Be Doing

• You’ll take end‑to‑end ownership of complex projects (or workstreams within major programmes) across transmission & distribution, renewables integration, generation, and emerging low‑carbon technologies.
• Deliver assigned projects through all lifecycle stages (Appraise/FEED/Design/Procure/Construct/Commission/Handover) to agreed scope, schedule, cost, quality, and HSSE targets.
• Plan & control set baselines; develop WBS, schedules, budgets and risk/contingency; manage change control and performance reporting.
• Lead multi‑disciplinary teams (design, consents, environmental, commercial, construction) and coordinate supply chain partners and OEMs.
• Client interface act as primary point of contact; run progress reviews, gateways, and steering groups; ensure stakeholder requirements are captured and met.
• Commercial management administer contracts (NEC3/NEC4/JCT), support procurement, RFIs/RFPs, tender evaluation, and manage compensation events/variations.
• Risk & assurance maintain risk/issue registers, own mitigations, and support independent reviews (HSE/CDM, technical, readiness, and quality audits).
• Regulatory & consents coordinate permits, interface with statutory bodies/DCO requirements, land access, and environmental commitments.
• Construction readiness & delivery drive constructability reviews, commissioning plans, site logistics, and interface management.
• Digital delivery use CDE/BIM and appropriate PM tools (e.g., P6 or MS Project, Power BI) for planning, collaboration and reporting.
• Continuous improvement capture lessons learned, promote best practice, and contribute to bids and portfolio governance.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Relevant degree or equivalent experience (Engineering, PM, Construction).
• Proven experience delivering energy, power, utilities, or major infrastructure projects.
• Strong understanding of the project lifecycle (design → procurement → construction → commissioning → handover).
• Solid skills in project controls scope, schedule, cost, risk, reporting.
• Experience managing stakeholders (clients, designers, contractors, regulators).
• Working knowledge of NEC contracts (especially change management).
• Ability to lead and coordinate multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Competence with PM tools (e.g., MS Project, risk registers, standard PM reporting).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Why Jacobs?

People are Jacobs’ greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent. In addition to the benefits you’d expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family‑friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships.

We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched‑funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations. 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.

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.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. 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.