Associate Pre-Construction Engineer

Our client, a leading engineering consultancy operating within the water sector, is seeking an experienced Associate Pre-Construction Engineer to play a key leadership role in the continued growth of their pre-construction team.

Working closely with the Director of Pre-Construction, you will help shape and develop the team’s capabilities, processes, and client relationships, with a particular focus on supporting the Scottish Water Framework and associated infrastructure programmes.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced pre-construction professional to take on a senior leadership position with genuine influence over project delivery, business strategy, and team development.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Director of Pre-Construction in leading and expanding the pre-construction engineering team across Scotland.
• Drive excellence in bid management, early design input, constructability assessments, and value engineering.
• Oversee and coordinate the pre-construction phase of major water infrastructure projects under the Scottish Water Framework.
• Provide technical leadership and strategic input into work-winning activities, feasibility studies, and tender submissions.
• Lead collaboration between internal engineering, commercial, and delivery teams to ensure successful project transition from design to construction.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, and key stakeholders across the water sector.
• Mentor and develop junior team members, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to long-term business planning, pipeline development, and framework delivery strategies.

Key RequirementsEssential:

• A minimum of 15 years’ experience within the UK water industry, with a strong background in pre-construction, design, and/or project engineering.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale infrastructure projects for clients such as Scottish Water, or other UK water utilities.
• Excellent understanding of pre-construction processes, including scope definition, cost planning, risk management, and constructability review.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with clients, partners, and internal teams.
• Demonstrable experience supporting or leading framework delivery and multidisciplinary engineering projects.
• Degree (or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Full right to work in the UK.

Desirable:

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or equivalent professional accreditation.
• Prior experience within design-and-build contracting or consultancy environments.
• Knowledge of Scottish Water’s SR21/SR24 programmes and frameworks.
• Experience contributing to business development, bids, and tendering processes.