At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead major nuclear infrastructure projects and ensure successful delivery across multiple civil engineering programmes.
- Company: Join a leading Tier 1 contractor in the nuclear sector.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, car allowance, and excellent long-term career opportunities.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with professional development and genuine career progression.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on significant infrastructure projects while working with industry experts.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing complex civil engineering projects within regulated environments.
The predicted salary is between 51750 - 63250 £ per year.
- Programme Manager - Civil Engineering
- Workington, Cumbria | Full‑Time | Permanent
- Competitive Salary + Car Allowance + Excellent Benefits
- Lead the Delivery of Major Nuclear Infrastructure Projects
About the role
Westlakes Recruit is supporting a leading Tier 1 contractor in the appointment of an experienced
Programme Manager to oversee the delivery of a portfolio of complex civil engineering projects across one of the UK's largest and most significant nuclear infrastructure programmes.
This is a senior leadership opportunity where you'll provide strategic direction across multiple concurrent projects, ensuring safe, efficient and commercially successful delivery throughout the full project lifecycle.
Working within a highly regulated environment, you'll collaborate with senior stakeholders, multidisciplinary delivery teams and supply chain partners to drive programme performance while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality and technical excellence.
The Role
Reporting to the Head of Projects, you'll lead the coordination and delivery of multiple civil engineering projects from early client engagement and pre-construction through to construction, commissioning and final handover.
Projects include
- Major civil engineering and infrastructure works
- Reinforced concrete structures
- Earthworks and enabling works
- Drainage and utilities
- Structural alterations
- Infrastructure upgrades
- Complex construction within a regulated nuclear environment
Key Responsibilities
- Programme Leadership
- Lead the successful delivery of multiple civil engineering projects across a major infrastructure framework.
- Provide programme‑level oversight of scope, budget, programme, quality and risk.
- Coordinate design, procurement, construction and commissioning activities to achieve successful project outcomes.
- Monitor programme performance against key milestones and KPIs, implementing corrective actions where required.
- Drive collaborative working across project teams and stakeholders.
- Project & Engineering Delivery
- Oversee delivery of technically complex civils packages including reinforced concrete, infrastructure, drainage, groundworks and structural works.
- Ensure engineering solutions comply with client specifications, nuclear regulations and industry standards.
- Support project teams throughout planning, delivery and project handover.
- Promote innovation, efficiency and continuous improvement across programme delivery.
- Governance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with all health, safety, environmental and quality requirements.
- Manage programme‑level risks, opportunities and mitigation strategies.
- Prepare progress reports, programme updates and financial forecasts for senior leadership.
- Support assurance reviews, audits and stage gate governance processes.
- Commercial & Stakeholder Management
- Monitor programme budgets, commercial performance and financial forecasts.
- Support change management, compensation events and commercial negotiations.
- Act as a senior interface between the client, project teams, regulators and supply chain partners.
- Build strong working relationships across all stakeholders to ensure successful programme delivery.
- Leadership & Team Development
- Provide leadership, mentoring and guidance to Project Managers, Engineers and multidisciplinary delivery teams.
- Foster a collaborative culture focused on safety, quality and continuous improvement.
- Support recruitment, employee engagement and the ongoing development of engineering and project teams.
- Champion best practice and promote high performance across the programme.
About You
You'll be an experienced Programme Manager or Senior Project Manager with a strong civil engineering background and proven experience delivering complex infrastructure projects within regulated environments.
You'll ideally have
- Significant experience managing major civil engineering or infrastructure programmes.
- Strong understanding of construction delivery, programme management and commercial controls.
- Experience delivering projects within highly regulated sectors such as nuclear, defence, rail, utilities or energy.
- Excellent leadership and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong understanding of project governance, risk management and programme reporting.
- Experience managing multidisciplinary teams across multiple concurrent projects.
- Commercial awareness with knowledge of NEC contracts and change management processes.
- Ability to build strong client relationships and lead collaborative project delivery.
Desirable Experience
- Previous Sellafield or nuclear project experience.
- Experience delivering projects within alliance or framework environments.
- Understanding of nuclear governance and regulatory requirements.
- Degree qualified in Civil Engineering, Construction Management or a related discipline.
- Chartered or working towards professional accreditation.
Why Join?
This is an opportunity to take a leading role on one of the UK's most significant infrastructure programmes, delivering projects that support the future of the nuclear sector while working alongside some of the industry's most experienced engineering and construction professionals.
You'll benefit from
- Competitive salary and car allowance.
- Long‑term career opportunities within a major Tier 1 contractor.
- Exposure to nationally significant civil engineering and infrastructure programmes.
- Collaborative and supportive working environment.
- Professional development and genuine career progression.
- The opportunity to influence the successful delivery of critical infrastructure projects across the Sellafield programme.
If you’re an experienced Programme Manager looking to lead complex civil engineering programmes within a highly regulated environment, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply today or contact Westlakes Recruit for a confidential discussion.
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Programme Manager - Civils - Nuclear Decommissioning in Workington employer: westlakesrecruit
As a leading consultancy in the nuclear sector, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and innovative work culture that empowers our employees to excel. With opportunities for professional growth and development, our hybrid working model between Blackburn and Warrington allows for a balanced work-life integration while engaging in technically challenging projects alongside industry experts. Join us to be part of a team that values safety, creativity, and excellence in engineering.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Programme Manager - Civils - Nuclear Decommissioning in Workington
✨Join Construction Networks
Get yourself involved in local construction networks or industry events. They often have job boards, and networking can lead to unadvertised positions. Plus, it’s a great way to meet potential future colleagues!
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If you’ve done any hands-on work, whether it's through internships or personal projects, make sure you can showcase it. Consider volunteering for local construction projects or getting involved in community build days; it’s a solid way to demonstrate your skills and build connections.
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We think you need these skills to ace Programme Manager - Civils - Nuclear Decommissioning in Workington
Some tips for your application 🫡
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Include Certifications and Qualifications:Don’t forget to list any certifications relevant to construction, like CSCS cards or other safety qualifications. These can really set you apart from other candidates and show that you’re serious about health and safety on-site.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Construction:When writing your cover letter for a construction role, focus on your problem-solving capabilities and teamwork. Construction relies heavily on collaboration, so mention how you’ve worked successfully with others to complete projects on time and within budget.
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How to prepare for a job interview at westlakesrecruit
✨Brush Up on Technical Knowledge
For a construction role, it's crucial we have a solid grasp of industry standards, safety protocols, and specific tools used on-site. Make sure you're familiar with relevant regulations and can talk confidently about them, as these often come up in interviews.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Since this is a full-time position, be ready to discuss any previous construction projects you've worked on. Bring a portfolio or have detailed descriptions that highlight your role, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them—this’ll show you’re not just book-smart but also practically savvy.
✨Understand the Team Dynamics
Construction is all about teamwork, so prepare to discuss how you interact with different stakeholders like architects, engineers, and contractors. Maybe think of examples from past experiences to illustrate your ability to communicate and collaborate effectively.
✨Prepare for On-the-Spot Problem Solving
Be ready for some practical questions or scenarios where you'll need to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Interviewers might present you with a hypothetical construction issue to solve, so practice articulating your thought process clearly and logically—this could really set you apart!
