Project Director - Cost Manager Infrastructure

A leading consultancy is seeking an experienced Project Director - Cost Management to play a pivotal leadership role on one of the UK’s largest and most significant infrastructure programmes. The business is widely recognised for its collaborative culture, technical excellence, and ability to embed senior leaders within major client organisations to drive successful project outcomes. With a strong UK presence and international backing, they combine the agility of a specialist consultancy with the scale to deliver major complex infrastructure programmes across energy, utilities, transport, defence, ports & marine, highways and regeneration sectors.

This is a career-defining opportunity to join a growing infrastructure leadership team supporting the delivery of nationally critical projects across London, Chelmsford, Norwich, Tilbury, and Ipswich. This role will sit at the heart of the National Grid Great Grid Upgrade programme, one of the most ambitious electricity transmission investment programmes in the UK, with an estimated value exceeding £60–70 billion+, critical to delivering the UK’s net zero targets and enabling large-scale renewable energy integration.

Within this, you will be leading key packages across major strategic infrastructure corridors including:

• Tilbury / Kent corridor - major reinforcement works and new transmission infrastructure supporting increased capacity into the South East and interconnector resilience.
• Norwich to Tilbury reinforcement - a critical east coast energy transmission upgrade enabling offshore wind integration and strengthening grid connectivity between East Anglia and London.
• Waltham Cross works - key substation and reinforcement schemes supporting increased demand into Greater London and surrounding networks.

These programmes form part of a nationally significant infrastructure upgrade involving overhead lines, substations, cable routes, and complex civils works across highly regulated and environmentally sensitive corridors.

The Opportunity

This is a key strategic hire within a rapidly growing infrastructure division. Acting as a trusted partner to senior client leadership, you will operate as the right hand to programme stakeholders, leading commercial and project delivery across large-scale energy infrastructure schemes. The role requires a hands-on leader capable of balancing strategic oversight with operational delivery - someone who can lead teams, manage client relationships, drive commercial performance, and support long-term regional growth.

A key aspect of this role is supporting business development beyond the existing energy and National Grid portfolio, helping the business diversify into new infrastructure sectors, broaden client relationships, and support strategic expansion across transport, utilities, defence, and wider capital programmes. You will be instrumental in developing teams, strengthening client partnerships, and helping shape the future direction of the business across the East and South East regions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead cost and commercial management across major National Grid Great Grid Upgrade programmes.
• Act as a senior advisor and trusted partner to key client leadership teams.
• Drive successful delivery across complex infrastructure projects and packages.
• Lead, mentor, and develop regional commercial teams.
• Manage stakeholder relationships across clients, contractors, and delivery partners.
• Support business development through diversification into new infrastructure sectors and client bases.
• Identify and develop opportunities across wider infrastructure markets beyond energy and utilities.
• Ensure robust commercial governance, reporting, and risk management.
• Operate within NEC contract environments and support best practice delivery.
• Contribute to winning and developing future opportunities across the infrastructure sector.

About You

We are looking for an established infrastructure leader with experience delivering within major programmes and complex regulated environments. You will ideally have:

• Significant experience within infrastructure, utilities, energy, civils, or major capital programmes.
• Proven leadership experience managing teams and client relationships.
• Strong commercial and project delivery capability.
• Extensive NEC contract experience.
• MRICS qualification.
• Experience operating in consultancy or client-side advisory environments.
• Strong business development capability, particularly in developing new sector relationships and markets.
• Ability to lead from the front in both delivery and growth.

This Opportunity Offers

• A senior leadership role on one of the UK’s most significant infrastructure programmes.
• Long-term pipeline secured through the National Grid Great Grid Upgrade.
• The chance to shape and grow regional teams.
• Opportunity to diversify into new infrastructure sectors and markets.
• Exposure to nationally critical energy transition infrastructure.
• A collaborative and supportive leadership culture.
• Clear progression into wider strategic leadership opportunities.

This is more than just another leadership role - it is an opportunity to become part of a major growth story within a consultancy that values its people as much as its projects.