Associate Director: Project Design and Engineering - Ports & Maritime

Associate Director: Project Design and Engineering - Ports & Maritime Shape the future of maritime infrastructure.

This is more than a leadership role. It's an opportunity to influence some of the most complex and high-profile port, coastal and marine projects across the UK and around the world.

Joining our growing Ports & Maritime team, you'll help clients tackle some of today's biggest obstacles, from decarbonisation and climate resilience to the modernisation of critical infrastructure. Your expertise will directly support the movement of goods, the security of nations, the transition to cleaner energy, and the long-term sustainability of coastal communities.

As a recognised technical specialist, you'll help define solutions, develop talent, strengthen client partnerships, and shape the future direction of our maritime business.

What's In It For You

We're committed to creating an environment where talented people can do their best work and build exceptional careers.

You'll benefit from:

The opportunity to lead major UK and international maritime programmes with industry-pioneering clients

A clear pathway to further senior management and development opportunities within a globally recognised consultancy

Access to a worldwide network of 750+ maritime specialists and technical experts

The chance to influence business growth, strategy and capability development

Flexible and hybrid working options that support work-life balance

Exposure to complex, technically taxing projects that will stretch and develop your expertise

A culture that values collaboration, innovation, mentoring and continuous learning

The opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to sustainable infrastructure and net-zero objectives

We Offer

Compensation that reflects your skills and experience

Flexible and hybrid working arrangements

24 days annual leave plus the option to buy up to 10 additional days

Enhanced pension contributions of up to 10%

Private medical cover and Digital GP access

Family planning and fertility support services

Enhanced parental leave and family support programmes

Employee Networks: We have a commitment to hiring a diverse workforce and supporting colleagues of different backgrounds

Life assurance at four times your salary

Income protection for long-term financial security

Access to wellbeing support, including Calm and Daily Burn

Professional memberships funded and ongoing development opportunities

Paid volunteering time, matched charity funding, and community engagement programmes

About the Opportunity

Our UK Ports & Maritime team comprises more than 100 specialists and forms part of a global network delivering innovative engineering solutions across ports, bulk terminals, naval facilities, coastal defences, marine infrastructure, dredging and reclamation projects.

Due to continued investment and strong growth, we're expanding our leadership team and looking for an experienced maritime professional who can help drive the next phase of our success.

In this role, you'll provide technical and programme stewardship across multidisciplinary projects, guiding teams from concept and FEED through design, procurement, construction and asset support.

You'll:

Lead the delivery of complex maritime engineering programmes

Provide expert technical guidance and act as a trusted advisor to clients and project teams

Manage multidisciplinary and multi-office teams to deliver quality outcomes safely, on time and within budget

Build strong client relationships and identify opportunities to create additional value

Champion innovation, digital delivery and collaborative working practices

Drive effective risk, change and programme management

Mentor and develop future leaders within the business

Promote a strong safety culture across every stage of project delivery

This is a unique opportunity to combine technical excellence, strategic leadership and business influence within one of the industry's most respected maritime teams. We're looking for an established maritime leader who brings:

Chartered Engineer status

Significant experience spearheading complex maritime engineering projects and programmes

A successful track record managing multidisciplinary teams across multiple locations

Experience delivering projects through the full lifecycle, from FEED and design through to construction and operational support

Strong stakeholder and client relationship management skills

Commercial awareness, including financial, contractual and change management expertise

A passion for developing people through mentoring, coaching and knowledge sharing

Ready to Leave Your Mark?

If you're looking for a role where your leadership will shape major infrastructure, influence pioneering projects, and create lasting impact across the maritime sector, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help deliver the next generation of ports, coastal infrastructure and maritime solutions that will serve communities, industries and future generations for decades to come.

Apply today and be part of what's next.

Jacobs offers hybrid working and a standard 40-hour working week

Good luck with your application

London Greater London United Kingdom Reading Berkshire United Kingdom Edinburgh East Lothian United Kingdom Glasgow Lanarkshire United Kingdom Exeter Devon United Kingdom Bristol Bristol City United Kingdom Northminster Peterborough United Kingdom Leeds West Yorkshire United Kingdom Reading Berkshire United Kingdom Civil and Structural Water

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we've gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You'll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well-being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you'll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals - all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs .

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we're more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging. Find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here .

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As a disability confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we're keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support .