At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and optimise support services for engineering design, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
- Company: Join United Utilities, a leader in transforming essential infrastructure.
- Benefits: Enjoy 26-30 days holiday, generous pension, car allowance, and healthcare perks.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on engineering design and drive innovation in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Chartered status or equivalent experience in managing technical support teams.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Ready to shape the specialist services that power one of the UK’s largest engineering design functions? At United Utilities, we’re transforming how we deliver essential infrastructure — and we need a leader who can bring structure, clarity and high‑performance to the federated support functions that underpin our design capability. This is your opportunity to take a pivotal role where your leadership will influence design quality, programme efficiency and the value we deliver for customers and the environment.
Your mission as our Engineering Design Enablement Manager, you’ll lead, develop and optimise the federated support services — including Planning, Ecology, Project Controls and other specialist technical functions — ensuring they deliver consistent, high‑quality and commercially efficient support across engineering design. You’ll directly manage the Ground Engineering function, embedding strong technical standards, effective utilisation and seamless integration with design teams. You’ll drive standardisation, continuous improvement and best‑value performance across all specialist resources, ensuring they are aligned to regulatory, business and programme objectives.
You’ll be doing things like:
- Leading and managing federated support functions such as planning, ecology, project controls and other specialist services, ensuring alignment with programme and corporate priorities.
- Providing direct leadership and operational management of the Ground Engineering discipline, ensuring high‑quality technical support across all programmes.
- Embedding standardised ways of working, templates, governance and reporting across support functions to drive efficiency and quality.
- Ensuring effective resource planning, utilisation and allocation across all specialist teams to meet programme and project delivery needs.
- Supporting the delivery of design outputs by ensuring specialist services are aligned, available and delivering best‑value outcomes.
- Working collaboratively with senior leaders across Asset Strategy, Programme Delivery, Operations and Engineering to integrate support services into business processes.
- Driving innovation, continuous improvement and digital transformation across support functions to enhance capability and performance.
- Supporting risk identification and management by ensuring specialist expertise informs decision‑making and technical assurance.
- Developing and maintaining strong supply chain relationships for specialist technical services, ensuring quality, consistency and commercial value.
- Providing governance and oversight of technical compliance, data quality and assurance processes within federated support functions.
- Leading, mentoring and developing specialist teams to build high‑performing groups capable of meeting current and future business needs.
- Establishing and monitoring KPIs for performance, utilisation, cost‑to‑serve and service quality.
- Embedding through‑life asset management principles into design and project delivery through effective integration of specialist support.
- Representing United Utilities in internal and external working groups, governance forums and discussions relating to specialist support functions.
What We’re Looking For:
- Chartered or working toward Chartered status with a relevant professional institution, or equivalent demonstrable competency.
- Strong leadership and people‑management experience across multi‑disciplinary technical or support service teams.
- Proven experience managing specialist technical functions such as planning, ecology, project controls or ground engineering within a large infrastructure, utility or engineering organisation.
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to operate effectively at senior levels.
- Demonstrable experience managing resources in complex, multi‑project environments with competing priorities.
- Strong commercial awareness, including cost‑to‑serve, risk management, value engineering and programme performance measurement.
- Deep understanding of how support functions integrate into engineering and project delivery processes.
- Experience driving standardisation, continuous improvement and digital transformation within technical teams.
- Resilience to operate in a demanding environment supporting multiple programmes of work.
- Collaborative approach with a track record of building positive internal and external relationships.
What You’ll Get:
- 26–30 days holiday + bank holidays
- Up to 14% employer pension contribution
- £5,000 car allowance
- Up to 20% bonus
- Healthcare, wellbeing benefits, discounts and more
If you’re ready to lead the specialist functions that enable high‑quality engineering design, drive standardisation and deliver best‑value outcomes across our programmes, we’d love to welcome your expertise to United Utilities.
Locations
Design Enablement Manager in Cheshire, Warrington employer: United Utilities
At United Utilities, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. Located in Warrington, our hybrid working model offers flexibility while providing competitive salaries and outstanding benefits, including generous holiday allowances and a substantial pension contribution. We are committed to employee growth, offering opportunities for professional development and leadership within a dynamic environment that values high performance and continuous improvement.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Enablement Manager in Cheshire, Warrington
✨Join Engineering Meetups!
Get yourself along to local engineering meetups or tech conferences. These are great places to connect with like-minded folks and industry leaders who might just have a lead on that full-time Design Enablement Manager role you’re after at United Utilities.
✨Show Off Your Projects!
Don’t be shy about showcasing your engineering projects. Whether it’s a funky app, a mechanical design, or a complex algorithm, having a solid portfolio on platforms like GitHub can really make you stand out. Plus, it gives potential employers at United Utilities a taste of what you can bring to the table!
✨Engage with Online Communities
Dive into engineering forums and online communities, like Reddit or specific engineering Discord channels. Sharing your insights, asking questions, and being active can help you build connections that might lead to job opportunities at United Utilities.
✨Apply Through Company Websites
When you spot a role like Design Enablement Manager at United Utilities, apply directly through their website. Often, this can show your genuine interest in the company and you might just get noticed quicker than via typical job boards.
We think you need these skills to ace Design Enablement Manager in Cheshire, Warrington
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Technical Expertise:When applying for an engineering role like Design Enablement Manager, it’s essential to highlight your technical skills. Include any relevant software or tools you're proficient in on your CV—think CAD software, simulation tools, or programming languages. Don't skimp on any engineering projects you've worked on that demonstrate your ability to solve complex problems.
Focus on Results and Impact:In the engineering world, we love numbers and real-world impact. Quantify your achievements wherever possible—like reducing costs by a certain percentage, improving efficiency, or successfully completing a project ahead of schedule. This gives your future employers at United Utilities a clear picture of the value you can bring.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to express your passion for engineering and explain why you’re drawn to United Utilities specifically. Share what aspects of their work excite you and how your values align with theirs. This is your chance to show a bit of personality while keeping it professional!
Include Relevant Certifications:If you have any engineering certifications, especially ones that are recognised in your field, make sure to feature them prominently on your CV. They demonstrate not just your knowledge, but also your commitment to professional development, which is something we at StudySmarter value highly.
How to prepare for a job interview at United Utilities
✨Brush Up on Core Engineering Principles
Before heading into the interview with United Utilities, make sure you're solid on the fundamental engineering principles relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss concepts such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, or structural analysis, depending on the specifics mentioned in the job description. Don’t skip any hands-on projects or coursework; these can be excellent talking points!
✨Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills
Expect technical questions or case studies during your interview—after all, engineering is all about solving problems! Prepare a few examples of how you've tackled engineering challenges in the past, whether at university or in any practical experience. Practising with mock technical interviews can really help you articulate your thought process and solutions.
✨Relate Your Experience to the Role
In a full-time role, employers like United Utilities want to see that you can adapt and grow within their team. Be ready to discuss how your previous internships, projects, or studies relate directly to the work you'll be doing. Highlight specific experiences that showcase your collaborative skills and how you've successfully worked within a team environment.
✨Know Your Tools and Software
Most engineering roles require familiarity with specific tools and software. Prepare to talk about your proficiency with programmes like AutoCAD, MATLAB, or SolidWorks if they’re relevant to the role. Even better, have examples of projects where you’ve used these tools, as it'll demonstrate your hands-on experience and readiness for the job.
