At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead digital engineering strategy and integrate cutting-edge technologies into design processes.
- Company: Join United Utilities, a FTSE-listed utility at the forefront of digital transformation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 26-30 days holiday, up to 14% pension contribution, and a £5,000 car allowance.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for innovation, growth, and industry thought leadership.
- Why this job: Shape the future of digital engineering and make a real impact in the water sector.
- Qualifications: Degree-level qualification and extensive experience in digital engineering and team leadership.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
Ready to redefine how a FTSE‑listed utility designs, models and delivers complex infrastructure? At United Utilities, we’re accelerating our digital transformation — and we need a visionary digital engineering leader who can turn cutting‑edge technology into real‑world performance, efficiency and design excellence. This is your opportunity to shape the digital toolchain that underpins our entire engineering capability, from BIM and automation to drones, digital twins and immersive modelling environments.
Your mission as our Digital Engineering Lead is to own and drive the organisation’s digital engineering strategy — expanding today’s Digital Design (CAD) capability into a fully integrated, future‑ready digital ecosystem. You’ll lead a team of specialists, govern the full suite of digital tools, and embed data‑rich, automated and standardised workflows across the internal design function. You’ll champion innovation, ensure digital tools are robust and well‑governed, and position United Utilities at the forefront of digital engineering within the water sector and beyond.
You’ll be doing things like:
- Leading the Digital Engineering Strategy, unifying CAD, BIM, 3D/4D modelling, drones and emerging technologies into a single coherent vision.
- Defining and delivering the roadmap for digital transformation, including AI‑supported modelling, automation, immersive environments and digital twins.
- Embedding digital workflows that improve design quality, coordination, efficiency and predictability.
- Overseeing the governance, performance and evolution of all digital engineering applications — CAD, BIM platforms, 3D/4D tools, intelligent P&IDs, drone systems and model‑based engineering.
- Leading upgrade strategies to ensure tools remain secure, resilient and aligned to industry best practice.
- Ensuring seamless integration between design tools, CDEs, information management workflows and emerging digital platforms.
- Developing processes for automated data capture (drone surveys, LiDAR, photogrammetry) and embedding this data into design workflows.
- Owning governance for drone‑enabled surveys, ensuring safe, compliant and value‑adding use across the business.
- Integrating drone‑derived imagery, scans and models into digital engineering outputs to enhance design intelligence.
- Leading the development of digital engineering standards — CAD, BIM, naming conventions, modelling rules and information requirements.
- Driving a consistent, standardised approach to digital engineering across the design community.
- Managing and developing the digital engineering team, ensuring capability, capacity and continuous professional growth.
- Designing and delivering training programmes to uplift digital fluency across the engineering function.
- Building a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and digital confidence.
- Working closely with Technology Services, Information Management, Discipline Leads and Project Delivery Teams to ensure digital outputs support reliable, efficient design delivery.
- Influencing software vendors and industry partners to keep UU at the forefront of digital capability.
- Managing performance, budgets and cost‑to‑serve for digital engineering activities.
- Producing productivity norms, forecasts and performance insights to drive efficiency and automation.
- Representing UU at industry forums and contributing to digital engineering thought leadership.
- Providing expert advice to senior leaders and stakeholders on digital engineering matters.
- Leading the development and improvement of UU’s engineering Digital Design standards and procedures.
- Ensuring robust training and development frameworks are in place for all digital engineering users.
What We’re Looking For:
- Relevant degree‑level qualification or equivalent experience.
- Strong leadership and coaching capability with experience managing technical teams.
- Extensive experience across digital engineering — CAD, BIM, 3D/4D modelling and emerging technologies such as drones and AI.
- Knowledge of drone platforms, digital surveying technologies and integration of drone data into engineering workflows.
- Demonstrable ability to drive adoption of new digital tools and data‑centric processes.
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills.
- Strong technical knowledge of CAD, BIM and intelligent modelling technologies.
- Deep understanding of the project lifecycle, engineering assurance, asset coding and information management.
- Experience supporting complex capital projects within the water sector or similar infrastructure environments.
- Understanding of UK and international BIM standards and digital engineering best practice.
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 next wave of digital engineering innovation, transform how we design and deliver assets, and position United Utilities as a digital leader in the sector, we’d love to welcome your expertise.
Digital Engineering Lead in Warrington employer: United Utilities
At United Utilities, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions innovation and professional growth. Located in Warrington, our hybrid work culture fosters collaboration and creativity, while offering competitive salaries and outstanding benefits, including generous holiday allowances and a substantial pension contribution. Join us to lead the digital transformation in the water sector, where your expertise will be valued and your career can flourish in a supportive environment focused on continuous improvement.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Digital Engineering Lead in Warrington
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks on LinkedIn or at local meetups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your digital engineering projects, especially those involving CAD, BIM, and drones. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s digital transformation goals. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their vision and how you can help them lead the charge in digital engineering.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Digital Engineering Lead in Warrington
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with digital engineering, CAD, and BIM. We want to see how your skills align with our vision for transforming the water sector!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a Digital Engineering Lead, you'll be managing a team. So, don’t forget to include examples of your leadership and coaching experiences. We love seeing how you’ve developed others in your previous roles!
Be Specific About Your Experience:When detailing your past projects, focus on specific technologies you've used, like drones or AI. We’re keen to know how you’ve integrated these into workflows and improved design quality.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at United Utilities!
How to prepare for a job interview at United Utilities
✨Know Your Digital Engineering Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of CAD, BIM, and the latest digital tools. Be ready to discuss how you've used these technologies in past projects and how they can be integrated into a cohesive strategy.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Digital Engineering Lead, you'll need to demonstrate strong leadership capabilities. Prepare examples of how you've managed teams, driven innovation, and fostered a culture of continuous improvement in previous roles.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect to face technical questions about digital engineering processes and tools. Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in AI, drones, and digital twins, and be ready to explain how these can enhance design quality and efficiency.
✨Align with Their Vision
Research United Utilities' digital transformation goals and think about how your vision aligns with theirs. Be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to their mission of becoming a leader in digital engineering within the water sector.
