Technical Director - Civil Structures

Overview

Shape the Future of our cities and environments. The Design & Advanced Technology (D&AT) Practice of Atkins

Réalis is seeking a Civil Engineering Structures Technical Director to join our team in the UK. We are looking for an energetic and experienced Civil Structures Engineer that can lead as a technical expert in the design of heavy civil structures and drive forward business results.

Atkins

Réalis specialises in all aspects of civil structures engineering within the Energy, Defence, and Nuclear sectors in the UK and internationally. We are committed to providing industry‑leading engineering solutions throughout the project lifecycle from feasibility to commissioning, adding value through client‑side support and construction‑phase involvement.

As a key member of our technical leadership team, you will shape and deliver transformational programmes for critical UK infrastructure, with opportunities to work on landmark engineering projects such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, EPR2, Ministry of Defence programmes, and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). You will provide technical leadership across the organisation, contributing to functional strategy, influencing senior stakeholders, and leading the heavy civil structures group and multidisciplinary project teams to deliver measurable outcomes.

We foster a diverse and inclusive environment where every voice matters. We value the different perspectives our people bring, recognise everyone for their contributions equally, and support you with whatever you need.

This position requires UK‑wide travel and offers hybrid working (3 days per week travel/office based). It can be based at any of our key locations:
Epsom, London, Bristol, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle or Glasgow.

• Provide technical leadership within the discipline for the national D&AT practice.
• Influence D&AT practice‑wide initiatives and recommend best practices to improve internal processes and services.
• Serve as the recognised expert and technical authority in civil structural engineering of nuclear‑related structures across Atkins
  
  Réalis.
• Provide visible representation of Atkins
  
  Réalis’ civil structural engineering expertise to current and prospective clients.
• Collaborate with stakeholders at all levels, including internal and external clients, operational staff, project teams, or external stakeholders.
• Recommend and drive improvements to processes, services, and technical practices while ensuring robust engineering governance is consistently upheld.
• Oversee technical input into bid proposals, defining the delivery strategy and working with cross‑functional teams to prepare high‑quality, compliant, competitive submissions.
• Proactively identify opportunities for cross‑selling and business growth, using commercial insight to strengthen and expand client relationships and sell our value proposition to clients.
• Grow, develop, and manage the civil structures engineering capability, particularly in nuclear energy and defence markets, within the national practice, supporting talent development and succession planning.
• Anticipate emerging business, regulatory, and technology challenges, identifying risks and opportunities early and advising senior leadership.
• Provide strategic oversight across multiple complex, multidisciplinary projects, ensuring technical excellence, safe delivery, and alignment with client and practice objectives.
• Work independently, even in the most challenging situations, acting as the point of escalation for the most complex technical matters and exercising personal judgement to find solutions.

• A degree in Civil or Structural Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered Civil or Structural Engineer.
• Extensive experience in progressively senior technical roles, including significant leadership of complex, high‑risk, cross‑disciplinary projects and programmes.
• Nationally or internationally recognised subject‑matter expertise in your discipline(s).
• Experience in the nuclear industry is essential.
• Proven nuclear‑sector leadership experience in the analysis and design of nuclear safety‑related civil engineering structures.
• Takes a broad perspective to identify innovative…