Lead Design Engineer / Design Manager, Water
Added 3 Mar · still live
Likely
Sponsorship likelihood
This employer has issued visas recently
Not disclosed
Salary
Not disclosed by employer
£50,400
Going rate
Skilled Worker going rate
This role likely qualifies for a Skilled Worker visa
SOC 2121 (70% match) is an eligible occupation, with a going rate of £50,400, and AECOM is a licensed sponsor. That is our reading of the rules. Whether they issue a Certificate of Sponsorship is still their call.
This could also be SOC 2127 (Engineering project managers and project engineers). We read the code off the advert, so it is our best guess, not the employer's.
Your salary route
New graduate or PhD holder? Pick one of the lower rates.
What each route needs for this job
| Occupation code | New entrant 70% of going rate | STEM PhD 80% of going rate | Relevant PhD 90% of going rate | Standard rate 100% of going rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2121 Civil engineers Most likely code | £35,200 | £40,300 | £45,300 | £50,400 |
2127 Engineering project managers and project engineers Also possible | £36,300 | £41,500 | £46,700 | £51,900 |
We use the lowest threshold across the plausible codes. Likelihood is Possible at most when the pay clears only a lower rate, or only under a less likely code. How the Home Office picks the code
About the role
Company Description
Work with Us. Change the World.
At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.
There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.
We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.
Job Description
Start here. Grow here.
Ready to lead a multidisciplinary design team and shape the future of water infrastructure?
Join our dynamic Water team as a Lead Design Engineer / Design Manager , based in our North & Midlands offices (Manchester, Leeds, Chesterfield & Birmingham), with the benefit of our flexible hybrid working model.
At AECOM, we’re at the forefront of delivering exceptional water programmes and projects through long-term partnerships with leading clients, including Wessex Water, Thames Water, Welsh Water, Severn Trent Water, South West Water, and international contractors.
In this role, you’ll work on high-impact projects ranging from potable water and sewage networks to treatment works and flood mitigation schemes, covering all stages of design and delivery—from feasibility to construction, operation, maintenance, and asset management.
Local and High-Profile Projects
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Our North & Midlands team is engaged in some of the UK’s most high-profile, industry-leading infrastructure projects, as well as international programmes. Recent projects include:
- Wanlip Sewage Treatment Works (Leicestershire): Major upgrade delivering improved water quality.
- Mansfield Strategic Flood Resilience Project (£76m): Largest Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) retrofit in the UK.
- Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme: Technical advisor providing protection to over 1,000 homes and 470 businesses.
- M54–M6 Link Road (Staffordshire): Flood risk and drainage consultancy.
- Scottish Water Primary Designer 2027–2033: Leading water and wastewater infrastructure projects nationally.
- International Flood Mitigation Works: Projects including Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.
Here’s what you’ll do:
- Lead: Drive technical delivery of water, wastewater, and flood infrastructure projects, managing multidisciplinary teams to deliver innovative, value-added solutions throughout the design lifecycle.
- Manage: Oversee key packages of work from concept to handover, interfacing with AECOM teams, clients, and suppliers to create seamless technical solutions.
- Collaborate: Work closely with clients and AECOM partners to ensure stakeholder buy-in for solutions, contributing to AECOM’s wider technical capability and innovative approach.
- Develop: Perform line manager duties and support the development of junior team members, managing their input to projects and mentoring them.
Come & Grow with Us.
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Become part of our dynamic Water business, which boasts around 700 experts across the UK & Ireland. Collaborate with top-tier engineers and consultants to deliver a variety of captivating projects, from small initiatives to large-scale ventures, all the way from concept to completion.
Why Join Us:
- Be part of a dynamic team that tackles challenging and impactful water projects.
- Work alongside industry-leading professionals and thought leaders.
- Engage in a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
- Access to continuous learning and development opportunities.
- Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
- Enjoy the flexibility to work in a way that fits your lifestyle while supporting a healthy work–life balance.
Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?
Here’s what we’re looking for:
- Experience in managing the technical delivery of water and wastewater engineering projects with multi-disciplinary knowledge, ideally including treatment schemes and/or pipeline design. You will also have experience leading multi-disciplinary design teams.
- Relevant experience in a similar role for a water company, consultancy or contractor.
- Hands on experience, designing complex wastewater treatment solutions.
- A degree or equivalent in a related engineering subject (e.g. civil, electrical, mechanical) and/or equivalent experience.
- Chartered or Incorporated with a relevant institution e.g. ICE, CIWEM or working towards it.
- Experience of undertaking feasibility studies, options appraisal and concept design, and/or outline and detailed design for water company clients and design and build contractors.
If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you!
Additional Information
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Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!
At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.
About AECOM
AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.
Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity
You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.
You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.
AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.
Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [email protected] if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
ReqID:
J10146563
Business Line: Water
Business Group: DCS
Strategic Business Unit: Europe & India
Career Area: Engineering
Work Location Model: Hybrid
Business Line: Water
Business Group: DCS
Strategic Business Unit: Europe & India
Career Area: Engineering
Work Location Model: Hybrid
This description is the source posting as it read when we added it. We are not affiliated with AECOM, so check their own site for the current details.
Where this offer sits in the market
Civil engineers (SOC 2121) · UK · ONS ASHE 2025 · basic pay · ~65k in sampleSOC 2121
- Middle half £38,896–64,792
- Median £48,828
- Going rate £50,400
- Threshold £41,700
- New entrant £35,200–45,300
Similar sponsored roles
See all UK visa jobsNo close matches live right now.
Browse more sponsored jobs at AECOMAbout sponsorship for this role
Does this job guarantee visa sponsorship?
Not necessarily. AECOM holds a sponsor licence, but sponsorship for a specific hire is always the employer's decision. Be upfront in your application that you'll require it.
What salary is needed for this role to be eligible?
The offer must clear both the general threshold and the SOC 2121 going rate of £50,400. New-entrant and shortage discounts can lower it.