At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex building projects from start to finish, ensuring quality and safety.
- Company: Join Mott MacDonald, a global leader in engineering and consultancy.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive salary, and comprehensive health benefits.
- Other info: Be part of an employee-owned company that values diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on communities while advancing your career in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Degree in Engineering or related field with significant project leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.
About The Business Unit
The Buildings Unit (BLD) has a major presence in Mott MacDonald’s regional offices throughout the UK and mainland Europe and focuses on the delivery of complex buildings projects across a range of sectors. Our work spans health, defence, education, justice, aviation, commercial and mixed-use developments, as well as major and complex buildings programmes within cities and communities. We provide both local delivery and technical leadership across the Group’s buildings portfolio.
Overview Of The Role
The Project Principal is a senior leadership role providing single-point accountability for the successful bidding, mobilisation and delivery of complex, multidisciplinary buildings projects across multiple sectors. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the role sets delivery strategy, assures performance and provides senior oversight across the full project lifecycle. The Project Principal acts as the senior authority on assigned commissions, intervening where necessary to protect programme, commercial, safety and quality outcomes.
Key responsibilities and duties include:
- Provide end-to-end leadership and accountability for complex buildings projects, from bid stage through mobilisation, delivery and close-out.
- Set and approve the overall project delivery strategy, including scope, programme, resources, budget, risk profile and governance arrangements.
- Lead projects delivered in Design & Build, framework and contractor-led environments, ensuring appropriate oversight of design development, interfaces and delivery risk.
- Act as the senior escalation point for delivery, commercial, safety, quality or reputational issues, intervening decisively where outcomes are threatened.
- Provide senior commercial oversight, including fee strategy, forecasting, change management and contract administration, ensuring projects remain financially robust and contractually compliant.
- Lead and assure multidisciplinary teams, providing challenge and guidance to project managers and technical leads to maintain high standards of design quality and delivery performance.
- Sponsor and chair key project reviews at critical stages, ensuring risks are understood, controlled and appropriately escalated.
- Ensure that projects are resourced with appropriately skilled and competent teams and that effective assurance arrangements are in place.
- Maintain oversight of health, safety and wellbeing risks, ensuring safe systems of work and compliance with relevant legislation and standards.
- Act as a trusted senior advisor to clients, contractors and delivery partners, building strong relationships and managing expectations at an executive level.
- Mentor and support senior project leaders, contributing to capability development and continuous improvement across project delivery.
Candidate specification
Essential:
- Degree (or equivalent) in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or a related discipline.
- Significant experience delivering complex, multidisciplinary buildings projects within a consultancy or professional services environment.
- Proven track record operating in a senior project leadership role (e.g. Project Principal, Project Director or equivalent), with accountability for delivery outcomes.
- Demonstrable experience working in Design & Build and/or contractor-led delivery models, including managing design risk and interfaces.
- Strong commercial acumen, including experience of contract management, forecasting, change control and risk management.
- Sound working knowledge of collaborative contract forms (e.g. NEC or equivalent).
- Experience leading and influencing multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders.
- Ability to operate with authority, sound judgement and autonomy in complex delivery environments.
- Strong client-facing capability, including managing senior client and contractor relationships.
Desirable:
- Experience across multiple buildings sectors (e.g. healthcare, education, defence, aviation, infrastructure-related buildings).
- Experience supporting or leading bids and early project shaping activities.
- Chartered status (e.g. APM, ICE, CIOB, RICS or equivalent).
- Experience operating in regulated or security-conscious environments.
- Security clearance or eligibility to obtain clearance (subject to project requirements).
Agile working
At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.
Accessibility
We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us and we will talk to you about how we can support you.
We offer some fantastic benefits including:
- Financial wellbeing: We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%. Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary. Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury. Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
- Employee Ownership: Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success. Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
- Health and wellbeing: Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues. Health cash plan to support you with everyday health costs and treatments. Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
- Lifestyle: A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
- Enhanced family and carers leave: Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
- Learning and development: Primary annual professional institution subscription. A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.
Location(s): Birmingham, GB; Southampton, GB; Manchester, GB; Cambridge, GB; Glasgow, GB; London, GB; Liverpool, GB; Edinburgh, GB; Croydon, GB; Newcastle Upon Tyne, GB.
Contract Type: Permanent
Work Pattern: Full Time
Market: Buildings
Discipline: Project programme and commercial management
Job Ref: 14581
Senior Project Principal — Complex Buildings Leader in Birmingham employer: Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that prioritises employee empowerment and inclusivity. With a strong focus on professional growth, employees benefit from extensive learning opportunities and the chance to collaborate with global specialists on impactful projects across various sectors. The company's employee ownership model fosters a sense of shared success, ensuring that every team member's contributions are recognised and rewarded, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in complex buildings leadership.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Project Principal — Complex Buildings Leader in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend events, and engage on platforms like LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can land you that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Mott MacDonald and understand their projects, values, and culture. We want to see you shine, so practice common interview questions and think about how your experience aligns with the role of Senior Project Principal.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your expertise! Bring a portfolio or examples of your past projects to the interview. We love seeing how you’ve tackled complex buildings projects and your approach to leadership and delivery.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After your interview, send a thank-you email to express your appreciation for the opportunity. It’s a great way to keep the conversation going and show your enthusiasm for the role. And remember, apply through our website for the best chance!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Project Principal — Complex Buildings Leader in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Project Principal role. Highlight your experience in delivering complex buildings projects and any relevant leadership roles you've held. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you the perfect fit. Don't forget to mention your experience in Design & Build environments, as that's key for us.
Showcase Your Achievements:When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage complex projects. Numbers and outcomes speak volumes, so let us know how you've made an impact in your previous roles!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about our company culture and values!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mott MacDonald
✨Know Your Projects Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into Mott MacDonald's recent projects, especially in complex buildings. Familiarise yourself with their approach to Design & Build environments and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their project delivery strategies.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Senior Project Principal, you'll need to demonstrate strong leadership. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led multidisciplinary teams and managed complex projects. Highlight your ability to intervene decisively when challenges arise.
✨Understand the Commercial Landscape
Brush up on your commercial acumen, particularly around contract management and change control. Be prepared to discuss how you've ensured projects remain financially robust and compliant, as this will be crucial for the role.
✨Build Rapport with Interviewers
Mott MacDonald values strong client relationships. During the interview, focus on building rapport with your interviewers. Share stories that illustrate your client-facing capabilities and how you've managed expectations at an executive level.
