Engineering Manager - HS2

Engineering Manager | High Speed Two
High Speed Two Ltd | Client Integrated Project Team | EKFB Main Works Civils
Salary: £85,000 to £92,000 + 12% pen + health + 25 h
Location: Milton Keynes and EKFB project offices along the route | Hybrid working, typically 3 days per week in project offices
Reporting to: Lead Engineering Manager
Career Progression: Lead Engineering Manager, £100,000 - £111,000 + package
Programme: £4.2bn+ EKFB Main Works Civils Contract
Improve Engineering Delivery Across One of the UK's Largest Infrastructure Projects
Are you an experienced Engineering Manager / Senior Project Engineer who enjoys solving complex engineering problems, improving processes and influencing how major infrastructure projects are delivered?
High Speed Two Ltd is looking for an Engineering Manager to join its client side Integrated Project Team overseeing the EKFB Main Works Civils contract.
This is a broader engineering role affecting the whole of the project. You will work alongside EKFB, the main works civils joint venture, to improve engineering processes, resolve recurring technical problems and establish consistent ways of working across approximately 80km of HS2 infrastructure.
Your focus will be on identifying issues that affect multiple sites or structures, taking ownership of finding practical solutions and working with engineering, quality, construction teams to implement improvements across the route.
Whether the challenge involves temporary works, technical assurance, bridge design processes, earthworks, landscape interfaces or recurring engineering issues, you will help turn lessons learned into better ways of working that improve delivery across the entire contract.
The Project
The £4.2bn+ EKFB Main Works Civils contract, delivered by Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM Nuttall, covers approximately 80km of HS2's largely rural railway through Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire.
The scope includes:
* 15 viaducts, including some of the most innovative structures on the route.
* 81 bridges carrying roads, rivers, canals and the new railway.
* 6.9km of green tunnels designed to blend the railway into the landscape.
* Approximately 30 million cubic metres of excavation, forming one of the UK's largest earthworks programmes.
Following the HS2 programme reset, the central section of EKFB forms part of the designated Core Test Area, where HS2 will bring infrastructure together, commence testing and commissioning, and validate the railway as an integrated system. This makes this role very high profile, where high calibre engineers will be noticed and promoted.
With so many structures, engineering disciplines and construction teams operating simultaneously, consistent engineering processes and effective problem solving are essential to successful delivery.
The Role
Working within the client-side Integrated Project Team alongside EKFB, you will focus on engineering performance across the route rather than being responsible for a set number of assets.
You will identify recurring problems, understand their underlying causes and work with the relevant teams to develop and implement solutions. This might involve improving temporary works processes, strengthening technical assurance arrangements, standardising engineering approaches or addressing issues repeatedly arising in the design and construction of bridges, earthworks and other civils assets.
The role requires someone who can move beyond identifying problems and take ownership of getting them resolved. You will need to influence engineers, designers, construction teams and other stakeholders, secure agreement on improved approaches and ensure those improvements are implemented consistently.
You will also support the wider engineering function in maintaining appropriate assurance, managing technical risk and ensuring that engineering requirements are applied consistently across the contract.
What You Will Do
* Identify recurring engineering problems and inefficiencies across the EKFB route and lead the development of practical, sustainable solutions.
* Improve engineering processes, procedures and ways of working that affect multiple sites, structures and delivery teams.
* Work with EKFB to develop and implement consistent approaches to temporary works, technical assurance, bridge engineering, earthworks and other route wide engineering activities.
* Investigate recurring technical issues, identify root causes and ensure lessons learned are translated into improved engineering practice.
* Influence the contractor's engineering teams and wider supply chain to adopt best practice and implement agreed improvements.
* Improve the consistency and effectiveness of design reviews, technical assurance processes and engineering approvals.
* Work with HS2 Subject Matter Experts, designers and construction teams to resolve complex technical issues and interfaces.
* Monitor the effectiveness of improvement initiatives, identify further opportunities and share lessons across the programme.
* Support engineering risk management and assess the implications of technical issues and proposed solutions for safety, cost, quality and programme.
* Contribute to technical change management, including Early Warnings and Compensation Events where engineering issues affect contractual or commercial outcomes.
* Support appropriate engineering governance, assurance and compliance with HS2 requirements.
About You
We are looking for an experienced Engineering Manager or senior engineering professional with a strong background in major civil engineering infrastructure.
You will be comfortable working across disciplines, understanding complex technical problems and influencing others to implement better ways of working.
Your experience could come from rail, highways, tunnelling, bridges, earthworks or another major infrastructure environment. Experience within a main contractor, consultancy or client organisation would be relevant.
Most importantly, you will combine sound engineering judgement with the ability to influence stakeholders, solve problems and deliver improvements across a complex organisation.
Essential Experience
* Significant engineering experience on major civil engineering or infrastructure projects.
* Experience improving engineering processes, procedures or delivery methods across multiple workstreams or project areas.
* Strong understanding of technical assurance, engineering governance and the application of standards and requirements.
* Experience identifying recurring problems, investigating root causes and implementing practical solutions.
* Ability to influence engineering, design and construction teams and secure adoption of improved ways of working.
* Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to challenge established practices constructively.
* Understanding of engineering risk, technical interfaces and the impact of engineering decisions on safety, quality, cost and programme.
* Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical issues and improvements clearly to different audiences.
* Relevant engineering qualification, ideally within civil engineering.
Desirable Experience
* Major rail infrastructure experience, particularly within large Design and Build or joint venture contracts.
* Experience across bridges, viaducts, temporary works, earthworks or other heavy civils disciplines.
* Experience developing standards, processes, guidance or best practice across a major programme.
* Knowledge of NEC contracts, Early Warnings and Compensation Events.
* Chartered Engineer status or working towards chartership.
Why Join HS2?
This is a high-profile role at the heart of one of the UK’s largest infrastructure programmes. The central section sits within the Core Test Area, so the work delivered here is closely watched at senior level and strong performers are noticed. Rather than focusing on a single structure or construction package, you will improve the processes and practices that affect every asset and teams across the EKFB route, working alongside an experienced client side engineering team and a major contractor to solve complex problems and see your improvements adopted programme wide. That visibility brings real career momentum, with a clear progression route to Lead Engineering Manager at around £100,000 to £110,000 plus package, and scope to broaden your experience across the wider HS2 organisation, including future Stations and Rail Systems contracts.
For an experienced engineer who enjoys solving problems and influencing others, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on HS2 and be recognised for it.
Location
Engineering Manager will need to be at HS2 offices or site offices 3 days a week (2 days from home)
Main Base Milton Keynes (Min 1 day a week), then can spend 2 days in any of the EKFB site offices (Milton Keynes, Southam, Banbury, Great Missenden, Aylesbury etc or HS2 main offices in London or Birmingham) - so flexible