About the Client:
Our client is a leading integrated design and build business delivering decarbonisation solutions across commercial and public sector environments throughout the UK and Ireland. With a strong track record in energy centres and large-scale district heating schemes, they work as long-term partners with their clients on the journey to net zero.
The Role:
Our client is looking for a Head of Design to lead their in-house multidisciplinary design team and take ownership of decarbonisation solution delivery across a growing and varied project portfolio.
What You’ll Be Doing:
As Head of Design, you will provide technical and strategic leadership across net zero building services design — ensuring all solutions are commercially viable, fully compliant, and buildable. You will drive design quality, develop the team, and ensure outputs are aligned with client, regulatory, and funding requirements across a diverse range of meaningful projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead MEP design strategy across decarbonisation projects from opportunity assessment through to detailed design on large commercial estates.
- Build, manage, and mentor a multidisciplinary design team covering mechanical, electrical, controls, and energy modelling.
- Oversee whole-building decarbonisation solutions including heat pumps, district heating, electrification of heat, PV, storage, and demand management.
- Ensure full compliance with UK and Irish building regulations, CIBSE guides, Part L, and relevant Irish equivalents.
- Own design governance including briefs, reviews, technical sign-off, and change control across all projects.
- Collaborate with delivery, commercial, and operations teams to ensure designs are buildable and optimised for whole-life performance and cost.
- Provide senior technical input to bids, business cases, and funding applications.
- Monitor design function KPIs and drive continuous improvement across the team.
- Act as the senior technical escalation point for complex engineering challenges and client queries.
- Represent the business as a subject matter expert at client meetings and industry events.
Requirements
Experience & Qualifications:
- Extensive MEP design experience with a strong track record on decarbonisation, low-carbon, or net zero projects for large commercial or public sector buildings.
- Proven ability to build and lead multidisciplinary design teams within a consultancy, ESCO, or design-and-build environment.
- Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Building Services Engineering; chartered status (CEng) with CIBSE, IMechE, or IET strongly preferred.
- Deep understanding of UK and Irish net zero policy and how it translates into project-level requirements.
- Hands-on experience with energy modelling and dynamic simulation tools such as IES, TAS, or eQuest.
- Full project lifecycle experience from feasibility and business case through to commissioning and post-occupancy evaluation.
Skills & Behaviours:
- Strategic thinker with the ability to connect policy, business objectives, and technical solutions into coherent decarbonisation programmes.
- Strong leader with a track record of developing engineers and building high-performing teams.
- Excellent communicator — able to translate complex technical detail into clear, commercially relevant language for non-technical audiences.
- Commercially aware and comfortable working with capex/opex trade-offs, funding constraints, and whole-life value assessments.
- Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple design programmes simultaneously in a fast-moving environment.
What’s great in the job?
- Competitive pension scheme
- Auto enrollment to our Income protection scheme (75% salary for 3yrs if unable to work)
- 35 days annual leave increasing with length of service
- Life assurance scheme
- Health cash plan
- Free annual health check during working hours
- Social events organised for all employees throughout the year via our Health and Wellbeing committee.
- Secure, free onsite parking
- Free Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Tea, and Fruit provided daily.
- Friendly and supportive working environment in state-of-the-art facilities
Get in touch
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