Associate Director of Drainage

London

Industry

Transportation

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Your drainage expertise will help shape how some of the UK’s most important transport infrastructure is designed and delivered.

You’ll bring technical leadership to complex highway and rail projects, helping teams solve difficult drainage challenges, make sound engineering decisions and deliver designs that are practical, sustainable and built around long-term performance.

Just as importantly, your impact will extend beyond individual projects. You’ll help develop engineers around you, strengthen technical capability across the drainage discipline and give clients confidence that they have experienced leadership behind the decisions that matter.

This is an opportunity to use your experience at a broader level: influencing technical direction, improving how projects are delivered and helping develop the people who will become the next generation of drainage specialists.

About the Opportunity

You’ll take a leading role in shaping and delivering drainage solutions across complex highway, rail and wider transportation projects, working with major UK infrastructure clients. From early feasibility and optioneering through to detailed design and delivery, you’ll provide the technical judgement and leadership needed to solve challenging drainage problems, influence multidisciplinary design decisions and ensure projects deliver practical, sustainable and high-quality outcomes.

Beyond individual projects, you’ll have the opportunity to make a wider impact across the drainage team. You’ll work closely with clients and technical specialists, provide assurance on complex designs, develop and mentor engineers, and help identify better ways of delivering our work. You’ll also contribute to future opportunities through bids and project development, giving you the chance to influence not just how projects are delivered, but how the drainage capability grows.

Here's what you'll need

  • Strong professional experience in drainage engineering, particularly within highways, rail or comparable infrastructure environments.
  • The technical judgement to lead drainage design and provide assurance on complex projects.
  • Experience taking drainage projects or packages through multiple stages of design and delivery.
  • Practical knowledge of relevant UK drainage design principles and standards, including DMRB and/or applicable UK rail standards.
  • Experience applying SuDS principles to infrastructure projects.
  • Experience using, reviewing or technically overseeing appropriate drainage modelling and design tools.
  • An understanding of health, safety and risk within engineering design.
  • Experience supporting the development of other engineers.

#Drainage #Transportation #LI-DC1

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well-being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs .

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging. Find out more about our  Jacobs Employee Networks here .

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support .

Locations

City State Country
Manchester Greater Manchester United Kingdom
Birmingham West Midlands United Kingdom
Warrington Cheshire United Kingdom
Leeds West Yorkshire United Kingdom
Posted 2026-09-18

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