About this role
Peter Duffy Limited is part of United Infrastructure, a dynamic and rapidly expanding business delivering critical infrastructure projects across the UK.
With a strong heritage and reputation built over decades, Peter Duffy Limited specialises in civil engineering, utility, and infrastructure services. Our teams deliver high-quality, safe, and innovative solutions for clients across water, wastewater, and broader utility networks.
As part of United Infrastructure, Peter Duffy Limited combines local expertise and trusted delivery with the scale, resources, and investment of a national group. Together, we are strengthening communities, supporting the UK’s critical infrastructure, and building a skilled workforce for the future. Design Manager
Peter Duffy Limited | Part of United Infrastructure At Peter Duffy, we're more than civil engineers. We're building the infrastructure that supports everyday life.
Peter Duffy Limited is part of United Infrastructure, a dynamic and growing business delivering essential infrastructure projects across the UK. With a proud heritage and a reputation built over decades, Peter Duffy Limited specialises in civil engineering, utilities and infrastructure services. Our teams play a vital role in delivering safe, sustainable and innovative solutions across the water, wastewater and wider utilities sectors. As part of United Infrastructure, we combine the expertise, relationships and trusted delivery of an established regional business with the strength, resources and opportunities of a national infrastructure group. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in creating an environment where talented individuals can develop, collaborate and make a real difference. Through technical excellence, innovation and a commitment to safety, we are helping to shape the future of the UK's critical infrastructure.
We are now looking for an experienced Design Manager to join our team and play a key role in developing our in-house design capability and supporting the successful delivery of our projects.
The Role We are seeking an experienced and motivated Design Manager to lead and develop our in-house design team, taking responsibility for the management, coordination and delivery of high-quality civil engineering and infrastructure design solutions. This is a key leadership position within the business, providing the opportunity to influence how we approach design, strengthen our technical capabilities and ensure our projects are delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest standards. Working closely with our Engineering Director, Framework Managers, Project Managers and wider operational teams, you will ensure that design activities are effectively planned, coordinated and delivered in line with client requirements, programme commitments and commercial objectives. You will also play an important role in promoting innovation, developing our people and embedding a collaborative approach to design across the business.
Key Responsibilities Design Leadership and Delivery
• Lead and manage the in-house design team, ensuring the successful delivery of technically robust, practical and commercially effective design solutions across civil engineering, water, wastewater and infrastructure projects. • Oversee the preparation, coordination and review of designs, drawings, technical reports, specifications and estimates throughout the project lifecycle. • Ensure design activities are delivered in accordance with client specifications, relevant engineering standards, regulatory requirements and company quality procedures. • Coordinate multidisciplinary design inputs, working collaboratively with internal teams, external consultants, clients and delivery partners to ensure fully integrated design solutions. • Provide technical leadership and guidance, resolving design challenges and ensuring engineering solutions are safe, buildable, maintainable and appropriate for their intended purpose. Design Management and Commercial Performance
• Plan, programme and manage design activities, ensuring deliverables are achieved within agreed timescales, budgets and quality requirements. • Manage design team workloads, resources and priorities across multiple projects and frameworks, ensuring effective allocation of internal and external design resources. • Work closely with Project Managers, Framework Managers and commercial teams to manage design costs, technical risks, programme constraints and change control. • Monitor design performance and provide regular progress, resource and workload updates to the Engineering Director and relevant Framework Managers. • Support project reviews, technical audits and governance processes, ensuring design documentation and assurance requirements are maintained. Health, Safety and Compliance
• Undertake and manage Principal Designer duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, where appointed, ensuring the effective coordination of health and safety throughout the design process. • Champion a proactive approach to Health & Safety and Safety in Design, ensuring foreseeable risks are identified, eliminated or reduced wherever reasonably practicable. • Promote a strong culture of safety, quality and environmental responsibility, leading by example and ensuring compliance with company policies and procedures. • Maintain design quality and environmental management processes in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 requirements. • Ensure all design activities reflect our commitment to protecting our people, the public, the environment and the communities in which we work. People Leadership and Development
• Lead, support and develop a high-performing design team, creating a positive, collaborative and accountable working environment. • Provide coaching, mentoring and technical guidance to engineers, technicians, apprentices and other members of the team. • Identify training and development opportunities, supporting professional development and strengthening the technical capability of the business. • Promote continuous improvement, innovation and the adoption of new technologies, design processes and industry best practices. • Encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration across teams to improve efficiency, consistency and project outcomes. Client and Stakeholder Engagement
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, framework partners, external design consultants and other key stakeholders. • Act as a senior technical point of contact, representing the business professionally and supporting the development of trusted, long-term relationships. • Maintain effective communication with Project Managers and operational teams, ensuring design requirements, risks and opportunities are understood throughout the project lifecycle. • Work collaboratively with construction and delivery teams to ensure designs support safe, efficient and successful project execution. • Represent and promote the values of Peter Duffy Limited and United Infrastructure in all interactions with clients, colleagues and the wider community. Requirements Essential
• Proven experience in a Design Manager, Senior Design Engineer or equivalent technical leadership role within civil engineering, water, wastewater, utilities or a similar infrastructure environment. • Strong technical understanding of civil engineering and infrastructure design principles, standards and construction methodologies. • Demonstrable experience managing and coordinating multidisciplinary design activities and project deliverables. • Experience leading, mentoring or managing engineering design teams. • Good working knowledge of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, including design risk management and Principal Designer responsibilities. • Strong understanding of design assurance, quality management, technical risk and change control processes. • Experience managing design programmes, resources and budgets across multiple projects. • Excellent communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills. • A proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused approach, with the ability to balance technical, commercial and operational priorities. Desirable
• Experience delivering design solutions within the UK water and wastewater sector, including projects undertaken through regulated water industry frameworks. • Degree or equivalent qualification in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline. • Chartered Engineer status, Incorporated Engineer status or working towards professional registration with a relevant institution. • Experience working with industry-standard design software, such as AutoCAD, Civil 3D or other relevant engineering design applications. • Familiarity with project planning tools such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6. • Experience working within a contractor-led design environment, including design and build projects. • Experience developing and improving design management processes, technical standards and engineering procedures.
Why Join Peter Duffy Limited? At Peter Duffy Limited, we recognise that our success is built on the knowledge, commitment and expertise of our people. We are proud of our established reputation and the long-standing relationships we have developed across the infrastructure sector. As part of United Infrastructure, we are building on that heritage and creating new opportunities for our people and our business. Joining us means becoming part of a team that values safety, collaboration, technical excellence and continuous improvement. You'll have the opportunity to take ownership of a key business function, influence the development of our design capability and contribute to projects that make a meaningful difference to communities across the UK. We are committed to supporting our people in developing their skills, progressing their careers and achieving their ambitions within a growing infrastructure group.
This is an opportunity to do more than manage design. It's an opportunity to lead people, shape how we deliver projects and help build the future of our business.
Benefits As part of United Infrastructure, we aim to provide a supportive working environment where our people are recognised, valued and encouraged to develop.
The company benefits package and specific contractual arrangements will be confirmed as part of the recruitment process.
Join Our Team If you are an experienced engineering professional with a passion for technical excellence, developing people and delivering successful infrastructure projects, we'd like to hear from you.
Join Peter Duffy Limited and help us deliver the infrastructure that makes a difference.
Join us at Peter Duffy Limited and be part of our mission to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the complex infrastructure needs of the UK.