Mechanical Design Manager

About Dalkia UK At Dalkia, we're driven by a shared purpose: tackling climate change and building a better, more sustainable future. We bring together talented people who share knowledge, challenge each other and grow together. Backed by EDF, Britain's biggest generator of low carbon electricity, we're a people-first culture. With 5,000 employees and £600m turnover, we combine the strength of a major group with a great culture, innovative mindset and inclusive values making Dalkia a great place to work and grow your career.

Job Purpose To lead and manage the Mechanical Design function in support of front-end, pre-construction, installation, maintenance, and lifecycle business operations. The role is responsible for providing technical leadership, design governance, innovation, and risk management to ensure the successful delivery of high-quality, compliant, and commercially viable mechanical engineering solutions. The Mechanical Design Manager will drive excellence across the design team, support business growth, and ensure alignment between design development and operational delivery.

Aims and Objectives Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Operations and Design team's. Drive a culture of technical excellence, innovation, continuous improvement, and accountability. De-risk projects through robust design review, technical assurance, and effective stakeholder engagement. Support business growth by contributing to work-winning strategies aligned with company objectives. Ensure the efficient allocation and management of design resources to meet business demands.

Maximise tender success through innovative engineering solutions, value engineering, and commercially focused design development. Foster strong collaboration between Design, Commercial, Operational, and Business Development teams. Promote and implement best practice design management processes throughout the project lifecycle. Develop and mentor team members to enhance capability, succession planning, and employee engagement.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities Leadership & Management Lead, manage, and develop designs to ensure effective delivery of project and business objectives. Establish clear performance expectations and support team members through mentoring, coaching, and professional development. Manage team workload, resource planning, and prioritisation to ensure optimum utilisation and project delivery. Champion a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. Support recruitment, succession planning, and talent development within the department.

Technical Leadership Provide technical oversight and governance across all mechanical and public health engineering activities. Review, approve, and sign off design solutions in accordance with company procedures and industry standards. Ensure all designs both internally and our supply chain partners comply with relevant legislation, regulations, British Standards, and client specifications. Lead technical reviews and design risk assessments to identify and mitigate project risks.

Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, industry developments, and sustainable engineering practices. Business Development & Pre-Construction Work closely with Business Development and Estimating teams to identify, assess, and develop new opportunities. Support bid strategies through innovative design solutions, value engineering initiatives, and technical differentiation. Provide technical leadership during tender submissions, presentations, and client engagements. Assist estimating teams in achieving true net cost positions through efficient system selection and design optimisation.

Support order conversion objectives through proactive engagement with clients, consultants, and key stakeholders. Design Management Manage the design development process from concept through to project handover. Ensure effective coordination with consultants, contractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders. Drive the implementation of standardised design procedures and quality assurance processes. Oversee the "Design to Operations Handover" process to ensure seamless project delivery. Monitor design progress, programme compliance, and deliverable quality across all projects.

Operational Support Collaborate with Operational and Commercial teams throughout project delivery to resolve technical challenges and maximise project performance. Attend project reviews, pre-start meetings, client meetings, and design workshops as required. Conduct site surveys and technical inspections to support design validation and project development. Provide technical support during installation, commissioning, and project close-out stages. Innovation & Continuous Improvement Lead the evaluation and implementation of new products, technologies, and engineering solutions.

Identify opportunities for process improvement, standardisation, and increased operational efficiency. Promote digital engineering…