At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex life sciences projects, ensuring quality delivery and strong client relationships.
- Company: Globally recognised engineering consultancy with a focus on life sciences.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, flexible benefits, and professional development support.
- Other info: Opportunity to lead a high-performing team and drive significant growth.
- Why this job: Join a growing team and work on landmark projects in the life sciences sector.
- Qualifications: Experience in life sciences project management and a degree in construction or engineering.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
Sector: Infrastructure/Engineering, Project and Programme Management
Location: South of England (Flexible)
About the Role
Sentinel is partnering with a globally recognised engineering and professional services consultancy to recruit a Technical Director (or Senior Associate Director) into a growing Life Sciences team, delivering projects and programmes across the UK - primarily across the Golden Triangle (London, Oxford, and Cambridge). With a strong and expanding pipeline of work across health and life sciences infrastructure, the business is looking to strengthen its project and programme management capability with several senior hires. This is a broad role spanning delivery, work winning, and team leadership, with 5–6 direct reports.
Responsibilities
- Leading and managing complex, multi-stakeholder construction projects throughout all RIBA stages, ensuring delivery within agreed quality, time, and budget objectives
- Building strong client relationships and managing interdependencies across internal and external partners
- Taking a lead role in bid writing, proposals, and business development, contributing directly to the team's growth objectives
- Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure technical assurance, planning, and business case preparation are fully implemented
- Developing and maintaining project plans, setting project controls, managing performance, and reporting progress
- Managing supply chain partners, collating and reporting on key performance measures
- Producing client deliverables including option appraisals, feasibility reports, business cases, and board papers
- Providing effective leadership, mentoring, and management of a growing team
- Managing project profitability and ensuring team utilisation is at target levels
Requirements
- Demonstrated experience in life sciences, healthcare, or wider infrastructure sectors, ideally within a project and programme management consultancy environment
- Comprehensive track record of delivering complex construction infrastructure projects through the entire project lifecycle
- Strong knowledge of governance, assurance, budget management, risk, and change control in a construction project delivery environment
- Experience of contract and commercial management, including NEC3/4 forms of contract
- A strong work-winning mentality - you can write compelling bids and bring commercial awareness to everything you do
- Proven experience managing and developing a high-performing team
- Degree qualified in construction, engineering, or a related discipline
- Chartered or full membership of a relevant professional institution (RICS, APM, CIOB or similar)
Why This Role?
- Join at a pivotal moment of growth within a high-performing life sciences team
- Inherit an established team with ambition to expand
- Work on landmark programmes including major science park developments, research facilities, and long-term infrastructure partnerships with leading names in the sector
- Competitive salary plus a comprehensive benefits package including hybrid working, flexible benefits, and strong professional development support
Technical Director - Life Sciences (Infrastructure/Engineering) in London employer: Sentinel
As a Technical Director in the Life Sciences team, you will be part of a globally recognised engineering consultancy that prioritises employee growth and development. With a strong focus on collaboration and innovation, the company offers a competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and a comprehensive benefits package, making it an excellent employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the life sciences sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Director - Life Sciences (Infrastructure/Engineering) in London
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the life sciences and engineering sectors. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know!
✨Showcase Your Expertise
When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to highlight your experience in managing complex projects and building client relationships. We want to see how you can bring your skills to the table and contribute to their growth objectives.
✨Prepare for Interviews
Do your homework on the company and its projects before the interview. Be ready to discuss how your background in life sciences and project management aligns with their needs. We recommend practising common interview questions and preparing some insightful questions of your own!
✨Apply Through Our Website
Don’t forget to check out our website for the latest job openings! Applying directly through us not only shows your interest but also gives you a better chance of being noticed. We’re here to help you land that dream role!
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Director - Life Sciences (Infrastructure/Engineering) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Technical Director in Life Sciences. Highlight your experience in managing complex projects and your knowledge of the life sciences sector. 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 the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of your work-winning mentality and how you've successfully led teams in the past. Keep it engaging and relevant!
Showcase Your Achievements:When detailing your experience, focus on your achievements rather than just responsibilities. Use metrics where possible to demonstrate your impact on project delivery and team performance. We love seeing quantifiable success!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sentinel
✨Know Your Projects Inside Out
Make sure you’re familiar with the projects you've worked on, especially those related to life sciences and infrastructure. Be ready to discuss specific challenges you faced, how you managed multi-stakeholder environments, and the outcomes of your projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Technical Director, you'll be leading a team. Prepare examples that highlight your leadership style, how you mentor others, and how you manage performance. Think about times when you’ve successfully developed a high-performing team.
✨Demonstrate Your Work-Winning Mentality
Since this role involves bid writing and business development, come prepared with examples of successful bids you've contributed to. Discuss your approach to creating compelling proposals and how you ensure commercial awareness in your work.
✨Understand the Technical and Commercial Aspects
Brush up on your knowledge of governance, risk management, and contract management, particularly NEC3/4 forms. Be ready to discuss how you’ve applied these in past projects and how they relate to the role you're applying for.
