Technical Principal / Technical Director - Materials Engineering

Overview of the role

This is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to join Mott MacDonald's Special Services team, part of our Heavy Civils Infrastructure Division based in Mott MacDonald's Croydon office. As a Technical Principal or Technical Director in Materials Engineering you will help shape the future of the team and share in its success.

Key Responsibilities

• Help to lead and grow the materials engineering workstream through engagement with new and existing clients to win exciting and challenging new projects.
• Raise the profile of the workstream and our wider team within the industry through producing technical papers and articles, attending meetings and conferences, and giving presentations.
• Provide technical direction and leadership to the team, ensuring sound technical approaches are applied, quality assurance processes are in place and followed rigorously.
• Identify opportunities with new and existing clients, develop proposals and bids in response to tenders, and win rewarding new work for the team.
• Ensure the technical and commercial outcomes of projects and the overall workstream, achieving high levels of client satisfaction.
• Produce technical reports and other project deliverables to a high standard; supervise and guide others by reviewing, checking and approving their work.
• Develop the team through line management, mentoring, and selective recruitment.

Qualifications

You are a skilled and experienced professional specialising in construction materials technology with sound knowledge and considerable relevant experience gained in an engineering or materials testing/consultancy context.

Hold academic qualifications (Bachelors or Masters Degree and/or PhD) within Materials, Civil or Structural Engineering and be Chartered through a relevant professional engineering/materials institution (e.g. ICE, IStructE, IMMM, ICT) with evidence of ongoing involvement and activity within the profession.

Key Strengths and Areas of Expertise

• A strong technical knowledge of construction materials commonly used in civil engineering structures, including concrete, steel and preferably others. Includes:
  • Detailed knowledge of concrete performance, specification and durability in service, including low carbon concrete and sustainable construction.
  • Preferably, expertise in steel and other metallics, including corrosion assessment and protection measures including cathodic protection.
  • Significant experience of materials selection, use and specification for major civil engineering projects.
  • Knowledge and experience in the characterisation of construction materials in existing structures using a range of in situ and laboratory testing, including intrusive and non destructive methods, and the interpretation of test results to provide advice on condition, performance, durability and, where necessary, repair.
  • Knowledge of or interest in new materials.
• Evidence of profile and recognition within the industry, publication of your work and the ability to draw upon an extensive professional network across industry and academia/research.
• A track record of being proactive and successful in developing close and sustained working relationships with internal and external clients and in winning and delivering new work.
• Involvement in innovation, research and development gained in industry and/or academia.
• Highly collaborative, personable and positive by nature; willingness and drive to share responsibility for managing, strengthening, promoting and leading our existing team of material technologists/engineers.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others through effective written and verbal communication, including presentations and report writing.
• An interest in guiding and supporting early career professionals as they progress towards chartership and beyond.

About you

You will help to manage and lead a small team of specialist material technologists/engineers delivering a diverse workload ranging from answering materials related technical queries from colleagues and clients to supporting the materials selection, specification and construction stage troubleshooting of large and complex construction projects worldwide.

You will take personal responsibility for the technical and commercial outcomes of a variety of projects and delivering sustainable and cost effective solutions for our internal and external clients.

You will have a remit to strengthen our materials workstream, help guide its technical direction and support its growth and successful technical and commercial performance. This will require you to use your professional knowledge and network to improve our team's profile in the industry, identify opportunities for new work, develop sound technical solutions, produce bids in response to tenders and be successful in winning and delivering new work for yourself and colleagues. You will have line management responsibility for others in the team and be responsible for supporting their development and strengthening the team through targeted recruitment as opportunities allow.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision follows changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK that do not require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route now or in the future.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Benefits Financial Wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and Wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with everyday health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing programme, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years' service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high street retailers.

Enhanced Family and Carers Leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and Development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self development options.

Networks, Communities, and Social Outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability and parents/carers communities.