Technical Director Tunnels

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

5/21/2025

Location: Birmingham

Recruiter contact: Ainsley Anstess

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to bebrilliant.

About The Business Unit

We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

Job Description

Our Tunnels team is one of the global leaders in tunnel planning, design and construction in all conditions from soft ground to hard rock. Having planned and designed numerous road, rail, metro, water and service tunnels across the globe including HS2, London’s Thames Tideway East Tunnel, Northern Line Extension and Crossrail, we continue to be involved in many of the most challenging civil/structural and tunnel, sub-terrain, underground works and hydro-electric engineering projects.

We're currently looking to recruit a Technical Director within the tunnels industry to join our Birmingham office to reinforce and grow our regional capability as an important addition to our UK and Global Tunneling Team.

You will lead the Birmingham Tunnel in coordination with our Tunnel Leadership team in the pursuit and delivery of underground infrastructure projects across multiple markets. A significant proportion of the work is expected to be with design-and-build contractors. The portfolio of projects will include design of both transportation and utility tunnels.

Similar roles can be expected on future projects and leadership opportunities within our broader civil and transportation teams are also available.

As an important addition to the tunnel and civil/structural design team in Birmingham, you will have opportunity to work on global major projects. As a key team member with a strong technical background, you will be able to lead and secure projects while focused on effective and reliable delivery.

You will provide design and integration with other engineering disciplines including structural, geotechnical, environmental, mechanical and electrical engineers covering a range of project requirements from new build to modification, asset maintenance or refurbishment.

Your responsibilities will also include the mentoring and guiding the Birmingham team.

Required For The Position Of Technical Director - Tunnels

Prime requirement is extensive experience of the design of tunnels and similar underground structures, especially for linings constructed behind large diameter TBMs.

Candidate Specification

• Extensive experience of delivering major design projects
• Proven track record in leadership and delivery of underground infrastructure projects.
• Proven business development and marketing skills with demonstrable experience of writing winning proposals.
• Ability to deliver to demanding schedules and targets.
• Possession of strong problem-solving and inter-personal skills.
• Previous experience of Design-and-Build projects preferred
• High level of accountability and independent decision making
• Close collaborative working with colleagues, client, and delivery partners
• Knowledge of relevant tunnel specifications and standards
• Excellent communication skills to be able to communicate targets, and priorities to staff, clients and partners.
• BEng / BSc civil engineering (or related subject).
• Chartered Engineer (or equivalent).
• Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (or equivalent).
  
  

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the 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 as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

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 [email protected] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We Offer Some Fantastic Benefits Including

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day 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 program, 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.
  
  

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x 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.
  
  

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 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.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.
  
  

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.

Location(s):

Birmingham, GB

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Transport

Discipline: Tunnels

Job Ref: 8941

Recruiter Contact: Ainsley Anstess