Associate Director of Drainage

Overview

In this role you lead drainage design for complex highway and rail projects, shaping sustainable, long‑term solutions. You’ll guide technical decisions, mentor colleagues and extend impact beyond individual bids by developing drainage capability across teams. You’ll work with clients and specialists to ensure practical, high‑quality outcomes, growing Jacobs’ drainage capability and influence across projects. This is a leadership role at scale in critical UK infrastructure, blending technical excellence with team development.

Pay / Benefits

• hybrid working
• flexible working
• well-being benefits
• global giving and volunteering program
• safety and inclusion culture

Responsibilities

• Lead drainage design for highways, rail, and broader transportation schemes
• Provide technical judgement and assurance on complex drainage projects
• Develop designs from feasibility through detailed delivery
• Mentor and develop engineers within the drainage team
• Support bids and project development to grow drainage capability
• Collaborate with clients and multidisciplinary teams to influence design decisions
• Identify improvements in how projects are delivered
• Safely manage design processes and risk considerations

Key requirements

• Extensive drainage engineering experience in highways, rail, or similar infrastructure
• Ability to lead drainage design and provide design assurance
• Experience progressing projects through multiple design and delivery stages
• Knowledge of UK drainage design principles and standards (DMRB and/or rail standards)
• Experience applying SuDS to infrastructure
• Experience with drainage modelling and design tools
• Understanding of health, safety and risk in engineering design
• Experience mentoring other engineers

• leadership
• collaboration
• mentoring
• drainage design for highways and rail
• DMRB and UK rail standards
• SuDS principles

…