Associate Director - Rail and Highways Engineering

Associate Director - Survey & Engineering

Department: Rail, Monitoring & Engineering

Location: Any Survey Solutions nationwide office. Hybrid working options are also available.

Reporting to: Operation Director

Hours of work: 40 hours per week (usually 9.00 – 5.30)

Benefits: 24 days holiday + bank holidays, company car, overtime, discretionary Christmas bonus.

About Us

JWG Survey & Engineering work on rail & highways projects across the UK, specialising in surveying, engineering, monitoring and site engineering. We support clients throughout the project lifecycle, from early survey work through to construction and completion.

Now part of the Survey Solutions Group – the UK's largest engineering surveyors specialising in land, measured building and underground utility surveys as well as monitoring and site engineering schemes. With a network of twelve offices across the UK, we have over 160 surveyors and engineers working on some of the UK's major construction and infrastructure developments.

Role Overview

The role of the Associate Director is to oversee all operations and drive strategic growth within a key division of the business. With an annual revenue responsibility this role is critical in delivering high-quality services to clients across multiple sectors including infrastructure, utilities, environmental services, and government, with work delivery undertaken primarily within the rail environment.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team of rail, infrastructure, engineering and monitoring professionals and your remit will include business development, project delivery oversight, financial performance, client relationship management, and department team leadership.

The manager must have professional and effective communication skills and will seek to develop their own personal profile within industry client bases. The associate director will be presentable and represent the company in a professional manner, ensuring the implementation of JWG's working practices and company values are promoted. The post holder will be predominantly office based, but may also be required to undertake operational projects, travel to other office locations, site and management meetings when required. There will be an expectation to work outside of the contracted hours when required.

Main Duties/Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Team Management: Oversee operations across the divisional to ensure technical excellence, timely delivery, and client satisfaction.
• Process Standardisation and Measurement: Oversee the implementation of standardized operational procedures, ensuring consistent measurement and evaluation across all offices.
• Lead: Work with the sales and marketing team on tendering and proposal development efforts.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Financial: Manage the department P&L, ensuring revenue growth, cost control, and profitability targets are met or exceeded.
• Productivity and Utilization: Focus on increasing productivity and utilization rates across the company to maximize operational efficiency.
• Reporting: Key financial figures and performance metrics to senior leadership, providing insight on people, project, and operational risks.

Strategic Development

• Strategy: Implement a regional growth strategy developed by the Rail Director aligned with company goals, including identifying new market opportunities and expanding existing accounts.
• Technical Development: Keep abreast of the latest developments of equipment/software so ROI-driven tech and asset investments can be made.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, partners, and stakeholders.
• Represent the company at client meetings, industry events, and professional forums within the industry sectors.
• Liaise with clients to understand project requirements and provide accurate quotations and briefings for rail monitoring and rail engineering projects.

Team Leadership & Development

• Development: Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing department team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Leadership: Effectively guide, develop, and inspire teams to deliver exceptional results while maintaining the highest professional standards and promoting a positive, collaborative working environment.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Compliance: Ensure department compliance with all relevant regulations, licensing requirements, and health & safety procedures.
• QA: Uphold the company's commitment to data integrity, environmental responsibility, diversity, equality, bullying, staff welfare, brand awareness and ethical business practices.