Associate Technical Director - UK Drainage

As an Arcadian, you already help us deliver world leading sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. You are part of our global business comprising 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life.

Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can continue to solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

We are seeking a highly skilled and ambitious Associate Technical Director with a specialized focus on Drainage Engineering to join our expanding team in India. You will work in close collaboration with our UK counterparts, leading technical delivery across major infrastructure projects. The ideal candidate will have an in-depth understanding of UK standards such as DMRB and/or Network Rail, with proven expertise in Design and Build (D&B) environments. Being a Chartered Engineer (ICE or equivalent recognized body) is highly desirable.

As a Technical Lead, you will play a pivotal role in the delivery of major multidisciplinary projects and influence technical excellence across Global Engineering Centers (GECs). Your strong technical background and leadership capabilities will drive successful project execution, particularly in the area of drainage design and implementation for large-scale highways and infrastructure projects.

Role description:
As a Design Manager (Highway Drainage), you will utilize your experience and technical knowledge of design and engineering as well as familiarity with UK/US/Australia/Canada project development processes to deliver project success for Arcadis and our clients. You will have the opportunity to coordinate all aspects of project design with various disciplines and will work closely with the Project and/or Program Managers as well as other members of the Project Management Team to ensure the successful completion of the projects within the established budget, schedule, quality, and safety parameters.

Role accountabilities:

• Client Management - Actively engages in client communications, identifying and addressing client interests while cultivating new opportunities. Manages these interactions by translating client scope into actionable delivery plans, ensuring satisfaction. Additionally, oversee technical coordination with all stakeholders to maintain seamless project execution.
• Technical Knowledge, scope and contractual aspect management - Demonstrated experience as a Design Manager for medium-sized multi-discipline projects or Area Manager for larger ones, responsible for technical coordination and design integration across at least five disciplines. Defines project tasks and scope, identifies and implements contractual aspects related to project delivery, and collaborates with the Project Manager to confirm project budget status. Provides input on project programs, resource management, and budgets, ensuring delivery according to schedule. Monitors and challenges discipline budgets, manages design changes, and provides technical support for claims.
• People Management & Development - Serves as an internal leader for technical solutions and innovations on projects. Manages project teams of around 10 or more people, coordinating resources, defining task scopes, and planning as part of a multi-disciplinary design team. Establish clear goals and objectives for the team, actively manages performance, and contributes to communication planning.
• Project Delivery & Quality Management - Demonstrates innovative and complex problem-solving skills, driving consistency in design approach and quality of deliverables. Understands, and implements project review and verification processes, and manages design compliance, maintaining records of all client-consulted design decisions. Ensures a seamless interface between design disciplines, identifying and promoting the best digital solutions to support the design process. Translates client scope into a comprehensive delivery plan that considers safety, external inputs, model development, sustainability, compliance, review processes, scope changes, and delivery timelines. Ultimately accountable for the successful delivery of the project.
• Effective Communication - Effectively communicates with colleagues on tasks and projects including the client. Provides clear direction and delegates tasks efficiently, leveraging strong written and verbal communication skills for technical reports and presentations. Prepares and maintains delivery plans, processes, and guidelines to ensure the successful execution of technical scopes. Additionally, negotiates effectively with clients and stakeholders to achieve project goals.
• Knowledge Management and Digital Engineering - Building on the competencies of a Foundational Design Manager, possesses the ability to write or guide the development of high-quality content related to best practices, lessons learned, or project highlights. Ensures adherence to processes for knowledge tools and document management principles, including version control, regulatory compliance, records retention, information classification, and security, to mitigate risk effectively.
• Risk Management - Leads design risk identification, communication, and control processes. Manages design issues, ensuring clear communication of details, and actively participates in lessons learned sessions throughout the project. Contributes to risk management by proactively seeking to mitigate risks with the client and the project team. Understands and executes the commercial aspects of design delivery, such as adhering to timelines for notifying clients of changes and issuing Notices of Delays (NODs).
• Safety, Health, Environment & Sustainability - Actively contributes to and promotes health and safety (H&S) in the workplace by implementing and monitoring H&S practices and providing necessary training. Understands, promotes, and monitors the use of sustainable solutions.
• Work closely with ATD/TD.
• Flexible to adopt new work /challenging work as per business requirement.
• Should be a part of committees that drives the global initiatives e.g Base camp, Arcadis Way Task Manager Training
• You will have substantial postgraduate (or equivalent) experience and either have been awarded Professionally recognised (PE, CEng, MICE, MIHT or MCIWEM), or equivalent international qualification.

Qualifications & Experience:

• B.E / BTech in Civil Engineering with master’s in Transportation/Highway Engineering/Water Resources Engineering/ Environmental Engineer (Desirable)
• Minimum 14+ years of experience in Design Consulting Environment as of May 30th, 2025.
• Should have achieved Chartered Engineer Status/ progressed significantly (application submitted for professional review).
• For internal candidates, currently should be at Arcadis Level 8 and designated as “Technical Discipline Lead”. For external candidates, the candidate should be designated as Principal Engineer or equivalent.
• Minimum of 8 years of working experience for International Design Projects for Highway Drainage and minimum of 6 years of working experience for UK (desirable) projects in delivering various design and modelling tasks for Highway. Having work experience on Design & Build Projects is added advantage.
• Should have handled minimum of 3 major design projects (overseas) with multi-disciplinary coordination preferably for UK in Infrastructure Business. Must be conversant with DMRB specifications and standards.
• Significant experience using various design tools (Civil 3D, Micro drainage, Storm CAD) pertaining to drainage analysis and design.

Continue your career journey as an Arcadian.

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You do meaningful work, and no matter where your next role in Arcadis takes you, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark; on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why equality and inclusion is at the forefront of all our activities. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity employer; women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, caste, creed, colour, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.