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- Tasks: Lead exciting transport projects and collaborate with diverse teams across the UK.
- Company: Join Mott MacDonald, a global leader in engineering and consultancy.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive pay, and extensive health and wellbeing support.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on communities while advancing your career in project management.
- Qualifications: Experience in highway design and project management; chartership preferred.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Join Mott MacDonald as a Project Director to deliver challenging highway projects across the UK. The role requires strong technical leadership, financial acumen, and the ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships.
Overview of the Role
You will be part of the senior leadership team, overseeing the overall technical, financial and commercial performance of highway projects. Leading Design and Build or contractor‑led projects from tendering to delivery, you will liaise with clients, sponsors and multidisciplinary design teams, approve tender documents, and ensure health, safety and quality standards are met.
Candidate Specification
The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in high‑impact highway design, strong commercial and contractual skills, and a proven track record of leading large multidisciplinary teams.
Essential
- Significant experience leading highway design and build or contractor‑led design projects in a project director or comparable management role
- Attained chartership with a recognised engineering or project management institution
- Demonstrated experience establishing and leading the project team through full contractual life cycle, including NEC contracts
- Experience establishing tender budgets and monitoring budgets throughout delivery, with ability to resolve cost overruns and identify cost reduction measures
- Acted as principal point of contact with the client’s senior leadership teams for all commercial and contractual aspects
- Clear understanding of the Designer’s obligations under CDM Regulations and Health & Safety legislation
- Flexible to travel to client sites or alternative offices when required, possibly for extended periods
Desirable
- Degree in Civil Engineering or related subject
- Project Management Qualification or working towards such a qualification
- Working knowledge of risk management in project delivery
- Experience managing projects through their full life cycle
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.
We Offer Some Fantastic Benefits Including
Health and wellbeing
- Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues
- Health cash plan to support everyday health costs and treatments
- Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues
- A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing programme, including access for you and your family
- Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too
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
- As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes
Lifestyle
- A minimum of 33–35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme
- Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service
- Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high‑street retailers
Enhanced family and carers leave
- Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave
- Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave, meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay
- Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid
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
Networks, communities, and social outcomes
- Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities
- Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes
Locations
Based in the UK, locations include Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, London, Norwich, Bristol, Croydon, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Cambridge, Southampton, and Altrincham.
Recruiter Contact
Madeleine Knight
Contract Type
Permanent
Work Pattern
Full Time
Market
Transport
Discipline
Project programme and commercial management
Job Ref
11917
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Project Director employer: Mott MacDonald
Contact Detail:
Mott MacDonald Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Project Director
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend events, and engage on platforms like LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and recent achievements, especially in transport solutions. This will help you tailor your responses and show you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with the role of Project Director. Highlight your leadership skills and project management successes to demonstrate you’re the perfect fit for their needs.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining Mott MacDonald and contributing to their amazing projects.
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 highway design and build projects, and don’t forget to mention your chartership status. 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 transport solutions and how your leadership experience can contribute to our team. Keep it engaging and relevant to the role.
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to manage projects successfully. Use metrics where possible to quantify your impact – we love numbers that tell a story!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, you’ll find all the info you need about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mott MacDonald
✨Know Your Projects Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the projects you've worked on, especially those related to highway design and build. Be ready to discuss your role, the challenges faced, and how you contributed to the project's success. This will show your depth of experience and commitment to project management.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
As a Project Director, you'll need to showcase your leadership abilities. Prepare examples of how you've established and developed project teams in the past. Highlight your approach to motivating team members and resolving conflicts, as this will be crucial for the role.
✨Understand the Financials
Brush up on your knowledge of tender budgets and financial monitoring. Be prepared to discuss how you've managed budgets in previous projects, including any cost overruns you've successfully resolved. This will demonstrate your commercial acumen and ability to keep projects financially viable.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Since you'll be liaising with multiple stakeholders, practice articulating your communication strategies. Think of specific instances where you've effectively engaged with clients or senior leadership teams. This will highlight your interpersonal skills and ability to manage relationships, which are key for a Project Director.