Project Manager / Senior Project Manager

Are you seeking to play a key role in shaping and delivering critical water infrastructure projects? As MWH Treatment begins an exciting new chapter as one of Northumbrian Water's capital delivery partners under the Living Water Enterprise, we're looking to strengthen our Delivery Team with a Senior Project Manager. Reporting to the Programme Manager, you will be predominantly based in the Essex & Suffolk region (main office near Chelmsford).
About the Role
As Senior Project Manager, you will lead a multidisciplinary team, overseeing the full project lifecycle from concept through design, construction, commissioning, and handover. Your focus will be to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest safety, quality, and regulatory standards. You will champion collaboration and performance across our internal teams, enterprise partners and supply chain, fostering a culture of problem-solving and accountability. Your role will begin in one of our neighbouring regions to embed you within our culture and ways of working. Key Responsibilities As a key member of an integrated design and build team, you will:

• Promote a strong safety culture and uphold quality standards across direct and subcontracted teams
• Foster and maintain excellent relationships with enterprise partners and suppliers
• Lead, inspire and develop a high-performing team, empowering staff across engineering, planning and commercial functions
• Translate programme-level strategy into clear, actionable plans for project teams
• Plan and manage project delivery throughout all stages through design, construction, commissioning and handover; ensuring alignment with scope, schedule, and commercial targets
• Collaborate with Commercial and Planning teams to maintain accurate cost and resource forecasting, and proactively mitigate risks
• Ensure project solutions are safe, commercially viable, and aligned with client requirements
• Drive delivery against key milestones and ensure all contractual and regulatory deliverables are met
• Create an open, approachable and visible team environment which engages across the Living Water Enterprise to promote collaboration and maintain positive relationships.
• Maintain an appropriate practical knowledge and appreciation of all technical disciplines associated with delivering water and waste water design and build projects.
  

We're seeking a proven leader with a strong track record in delivering complex infrastructure projects, ideally within the water sector. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional stakeholder management, a solution-focused mindset, and a passion for building high-performing, engaged teams.
Essential Criteria:

• Project Management experience in managing multi-disciplinary design and construction projects, ideally within the water industry.
• Degree or equivalent qualification in a construction, commercial, or engineering related discipline.
• Project Management Qualification (PMQ) or equivalent.
• Excellent oral and written communicator with the ability to work in close partnership with clients, stakeholders, and end users.
• Must be delivery driven with the ability to set targets and manage and motivate multi-disciplinary teams to deliver to time, cost and quality objectives.
• Extensive experience in project delivery.
• Strategic, operational, technical and management skills.
• Knowledge of Construction Contracts, ideally NEC and/or IChemE, with ability to negotiate and administer.
• Ability to present at MWHT Governance Reviews in a leading capacity.
• Risk & Opportunity Management experience.
• Maintain a positive and solution oriented approach to work, providing open and honest feedback.
• Working knowledge of CDM and construction Health & Safety.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in water and waste water treatment plants.
• Chartered with an engineering, commercial, or construction institution.
• NEC Project Manager Accreditation.
• Working knowledge of CDM and construction Health & Safety.

Technical Competencies:

1. Contract Management
2. Governance
3. Budgeting and cost control
4. Risk, Opportunities and issue management
5. Project Planning (schedule)
6. Digital Delivery
7. Procurement (negotiations and management)
8. Solutions development (pre-construction / design development)
9. Client, stakeholder and conflict management
10. Resource management
11. Change management
12. Quality management

Behavioural competencies:

1. Communication
2. Collaboration
3. Client Focus
4. Striving for Results
5. Integrity, Trust and Respect
6. Coaching and Providing Feedback
7. Leadership