Head of Civil Engineering

Are you a hands-on civil engineering leader who still enjoys running projects, reviewing designs and working directly with clients?

Caulmert is looking to appoint a Head of Civil Engineering to lead and grow an established service line, strengthening day-to-day delivery, technical oversight, commercial performance and team capability.

The immediate emphasis is on development infrastructure, highways and drainage, water and wastewater, utilities, earthworks and multidisciplinary site development, with the opportunity to influence Caulmert’s wider business and future growth.

Who will I be working with?

Caulmert is a progressive multidisciplinary consultancy. You will work with our civil, structural and geotechnical engineers, environmental and planning specialists, technicians and project managers, alongside clients, contractors, developers, utilities and approving authorities. This is a visible senior appointment with both the expectation and opportunity to coordinate across the wider business, shape the service line and help capable people succeed.

What will the role entail?

Service-line leadership and improvement

• Lead and progressively grow the civil engineering service line, setting clear priorities and improving delivery, technical standards, commercial performance and team capability.
• Provide visible day-to-day leadership to engineers, technicians and project managers, creating clarity around priorities, responsibilities and commitments.
• Lead change and continuous improvement across workflows, design standards, templates, checking, digital delivery and lessons learned.
• Work with Directors and other service leads on workload planning, recruitment, investment priorities and the practical development of the wider business.

Project delivery and technical oversight

• Lead civil and multidisciplinary commissions from feasibility and planning through design, approvals, construction and completion, personally running selected major, complex or strategically important projects.
• Maintain oversight of the live portfolio, supporting project managers and technical leads with priorities, coordination, risk, resourcing and difficult delivery issues.
• Establish clear scopes, programmes, responsibilities, deliverables and review points so projects are properly planned and controlled from the outset.
• Provide senior technical leadership and review across highways, drainage, SuDS, utilities, earthworks and development infrastructure.
• Guide option development, value engineering, approvals and adoption, and provide responsive construction-stage support, including contractor queries, design changes and site issues.
• Coordinate effectively with structural, geotechnical, environmental, planning and digital-delivery colleagues to provide joined-up multidisciplinary solutions.

Commercial, client and business contribution

• Prepare and review scopes, fees, programmes, resources and commercial assumptions, and manage performance, change and risk.
• Maintain appropriate oversight of WIP, invoicing, forecast workload and commercial recovery across the civil engineering portfolio.
• Build trusted relationships with existing and new clients, contractors, developers, utilities and authorities, supporting repeat business, frameworks and focused growth.
• Contribute directly to bids, interviews and client-development activity where civil engineering insight can shape opportunities and strengthen Caulmert’s wider offer.
• Provide practical strategic input on markets, clients, recruitment, capability and service-line growth, without the role becoming predominantly sales led.

Team leadership and capability development

• Set clear priorities, balance resources and delegate work at the right level across engineers, technicians and project managers.
• Provide…