At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and mentor design teams, ensuring effective collaboration across disciplines for innovative building projects.
- Company: Join WSP, a global leader in engineering and design with a culture of curiosity and innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible work locations, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team with over 60 engineers and excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on landmark projects at Heathrow Airport while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in design management within building services and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
Description
What if you could do the kind of work the world needs?
At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life.
You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives.
You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.
To find out more about our Property and Buildings business click on the following link and discover what awaits you at WSP:
- Property and Buildings | WSP
- A little more about your role…
You will be central to the highly collaborative Services South team; based across the Heathrow office primarily.
Your role will be at the heart of our high performing team, using your skills and expertise to help us continue driving forward in terms of both technical quality and service efficiency; whilst leading the teams senior engineers in their day to day project management activities.
What you’ll be doing
- Leadership: Leading and mentoring design team members, ensuring effective communication and coordination across multidisciplinary design teams.
Driving collaboration between MEP, structural and architectural disciplines to deliver coordinated, compliant and technically robust design solutions aligned with programme, budget and quality expectations.
- Design
Management: Developing and managing design delivery plans, including design programmes, deliverables, and review stages.
Leading the setup and coordination of design scopes, managing design inputs within Task 99 structures, and ensuring appropriate allocation of time and resources across design activities and deliverables.
- Technical & Design
Performance: Supporting the monitoring of design effort against programme and budget, working closely with project and commercial teams to track design progress, resource utilisation, and alignment with cost constraints.
Contributing to monthly project reviews with a focus on design performance and risks.
- Business
Development: Supporting tender bids from a technical and design management perspective, including development of design methodologies, programmes, and resourcing strategies.
Collaborating with wider WSP teams to bring in specialist capability and support integrated design solutions across opportunities.
- Client
Relations: Building and maintaining relationships with client technical teams, contractors, and stakeholders.
Communicating design intent clearly, responding to technical queries, and aligning design outputs with client requirements to support effective and coordinated delivery.
- Compliance & Assurance: Supporting design governance processes, including design reviews, coordination checks, and stage gate requirements.
Contributing to compliance with relevant standards, Heathrow requirements, and internal quality processes, while maintaining clear documentation of design decisions and changes.
- Your Team
- Our team is comprised of approximately 60 engineers working across the Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health specialisms
- Our team is split across our Brighton, Southampton, Heathrow, Basingstoke and Guildford offices giving the flexibility or work in either location on any given day.
Many of our team choose to alternate the office they work in to suit personal and client needs.
- As part of our team, you would be working on some of our major projects predominantly at Heathrow Airport.
This will be as part of a multi-disciplinary offering and so experience in building services, structural and civil engineering disciplines will be an advantage.
- You will be reporting to our Director that manages the various Frameworks at London Heathrow.
- You will be able to utilise graduate, assistant, senior and principal engineers in supporting roles around you, as well as dedicated BIM and Sustainability specialists to contribute to the successful delivery of your projects.
- What we will be looking for you to demonstrate…
- Extensive experience in design management within the Building Services sector, within aviation or similarly complex, regulated environments.
- Experience in leading and coordinating multidisciplinary design teams, including management of design programmes, deliverables, and interfaces across MEP, structural, and architectural disciplines.
- Demonstrable capability in managing design processes, tools, and systems (including BIM, digital design platforms, and coordination tools), ensuring alignment with project and programme requirements.
- Understanding of design risk, technical assurance, and compliance, including the ability to manage design reviews, approvals, and governance processes in line with client and regulatory standards.
- Proven ability to lead design teams both independently and collaboratively, providing clear direction while fostering a coordinated, high-performing environment.
- Experience in managing technically complex Building Services designs within property and buildings, ensuring integration with wider project constraints such as operational environments and phased delivery.
- Able to represent WSP in technical discussions with clients, contractors, and stakeholders, while translating client requirements into practical, coordinated engineering design solutions.
- Recent, demonstrable experience in delivering coordinated Building Services design across multiple stages of project delivery, including managing change, resolving technical challenges, and supporting successful project outcomes.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the planning, management, and coordination of Building Services design with other disciplines, across all project stages within Heathrow programmes
- Ensure that design deliverables are technically sound, fully coordinated, and aligned with project requirements and constraints
- Act as the central point of integration between MEP disciplines, architectural, structural, and specialist systems
- Drive a “right-first-time” approach, reducing rework and improving overall design efficiency
- Design Programme & Deliverables
- Develop and manage detailed design programmes aligned with overall project milestones and delivery strategy
- Ensure design outputs are delivered in a timely manner, supporting procurement, construction, and commissioning activities
- Monitor progress against design deliverables and take early action where slippage or risk is identified
- Maintain clarity on design scope and deliverables, particularly where changes or additional requirements emerge
- Technical Assurance & Compliance
- Lead design reviews and assurance processes, ensuring alignment with Heathrow standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practice
- Provide oversight of technical compliance, including safety, performance, and sustainability requirements
- Ensure that design decisions are justified, recorded, and traceable through appropriate documentation
- Support the resolution of technical challenges through structured problem-solving and expert input
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Interface with client technical authorities, contractors, and supply chain partners to communicate design intent and resolve issues
- Lead technical workshops and coordination meetings, ensuring productive outcomes and clear actions
- Translate complex technical information into clear, concise updates for non-technical stakeholders where required
- Change & Risk Management
- Manage design change processes, ensuring impacts on cost, programme, and risk are understood and communicated
- Identify design-related risks early and coordinate mitigation strategies across disciplines
- Maintain visibility of key technical risks and ensure alignment with project risk management processes
- Team Leadership & Capability
- Provide leadership and mentoring to design engineers and coordinators
- Promote collaboration across disciplines, encouraging integrated design solutions
- Support development of technical capability and knowledge sharing within the team
Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply, and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities within the team.
Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.
Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact.
Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.
With us, you can. Apply today.
#LI-CH1
Senior Project Manager (Building Services) in Guildford employer: WSP
WSP is an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Leeds that fosters professional growth and development through initiatives like the Land Academy. With a strong emphasis on hybrid working arrangements, employees enjoy a healthy work-life balance while engaging in meaningful projects that shape urban and rural landscapes across the UK and Ireland.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Project Manager (Building Services) in Guildford
✨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!
✨Show Off Your Skills on Site
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.
✨Utilise Construction Job Sites
Don't just rely on the big job boards. Look at niche construction job sites—many companies prioritise these for full-time roles. Apply through these sites, but don’t forget to reach out directly to companies you admire, like WSP, to express your interest!
✨Tailor Your Application for Full-Time Roles
Make your application stand out by tailoring it specifically for full-time positions. Highlight how your previous projects align with the company's work. At StudySmarter, we encourage you to demonstrate your commitment and long-term interest in the industry when applying for roles like Senior Project Manager (Building Services) at WSP.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Project Manager (Building Services) in Guildford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:In the construction industry, it's essential to highlight any hands-on experience you have. Whether it’s past projects you've worked on or specific roles you've held, make sure your CV emphasises your practical skills and contributions to construction sites.
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.
Adapt Your CV Format to the Field:Ensure your CV is clear and easy to read, with sections dedicated to skills such as project management, technical abilities, and site supervision. Construction roles often require a blend of technical know-how and soft skills, so make sure both are highlighted effectively.
How to prepare for a job interview at WSP
✨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!
