Associate Director

To meet our growth ambitions, we are seeking a high calibre individual to support the Local Transport market in leading Local Authority contracts and/or frameworks within our current portfolio, and helping to develop and win further opportunities. The role will involve engaging with Clients, building on current relationships, leading project delivery, seeking to expand the services we provide and management of the staff delivering the services. The successful applicant will also contribute to our overall growth strategy by working with our key account management teams and framework Managers in supporting the markets to seek out new opportunities, build a network of client relationships and engage with the evolving local authority landscape by mapping on to LEP’s and local devolution agendas.

The role will predominantly cover Local Authority highways and transportation contracts in the North of England, many of which are multi-supplier frameworks offering multi-disciplinary services. Although the role will be based in our Warrington office, there will be a requirement to temporarily work elsewhere in the UK as workload dictates.

Your objectives will be to:

• Develop and maintain long term and durable collaborative partnerships with Local Authority Clients to yield significant benefits for both Clients, Atkins and other involved parties
• Ensure strong commercial and technical performance and innovation in delivery, and continuous improvement
• Lead work winning activity with public and private sector clients
• Manage and develop your delivery teams, embedding a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
You will need to demonstrate that you fulfil the following requirements:
• Appropriate academic and professional qualifications, including Chartered/Licensed Engineer and Member of relevant Professional Institution with solid experience in Highway/Municipal Engineering
• Extensive contract/framework management experience in the Local Authority/Transport Market
• A track record of leading Local Authority and design & build contracts, including expanding scope and services provided
• Strong presenting, negotiating and influencing skills
• Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing
• Strong organisational skills
• Experience of building effective networks both internally and external to the organisation
• Experience of developing strong and sustainable relationships with clients and stakeholders, understanding their requirements and aspirations, and working effectively with them to achieve their objectives

Your responsibilities will be to:

• Lead the preparation of bids and promote Atkins’ capabilities in the Local Authority market, including with design and build contractors
• Understand our clients’ future pipeline of opportunities, ensuring Atkins is well positioned to secure them
• Support the client director, Local Authorities and contract / framework directors in implementing client stakeholder plans and to achieve key objectives and deliverables
• Undertake Framework Director or Framework Manager roles
• Develop growth opportunities outside the current contracts, broadening the base of Client contacts and seeking cross selling opportunities
• Generate new business with current and new customers
• Prepare local and regional bids as a Bid Director, Bid Manager or Contributor
• Provide strategic guidance and high-level support to framework managers and operational teams to deliver clients’ objectives and Atkins targets, including high client satisfaction levels and facilitate growth for Atkins
• Manage senior stakeholders to maintain and develop excellent professional relationships which can secure repeat business
• Develop plans to re-secure key frameworks and to procure other parties through existing Frameworks
• Achieve and, where possible exceed, all performance targets for the contracts, service areas and projects
• Successfully manage a diverse portfolio of projects, including design and build, as project director or project manager at all stages of the development life cycle
• Provide technical guidance and leadership, as project director or project manager or in technical reviewer role
• Be an ambassador for driving the delivery of value, continuous improvement and innovation and sharing knowledge and lessons learnt across the Local Authority market and the wider group
• Be a role model for staff, and proactively be involved in their mentoring and development


As an individual you will need to demonstrate:

• That you are a hardworking and flexible individual, who is a team player, is reliable, proactive and shows initiative whilst able to keep cool under pressure and when working to often demanding deadlines
• Highly developed interpersonal and leadership skills with the proven ability to build and motivate teams
• That you are self-motivated and able to work both independently as well as within a larger multi-discipline team in leading and managing packages of work to completion, within budget and to programme
• A high expectation of performance for yourself and other members of your team
• Customer focus and excellent relationship management skills
• A supportive and encouraging approach to mentoring less experienced members of the team
• Proven excellence in client relationship management, able to influence and build lasting and durable relationships, adding significant value to their agenda
• That you are a role model for delivering technical excellence and innovation
• Sound professional and commercial judgement and the ability to make robust decisions
• That you are a resourceful, articulate and clear communicator who has the ability to influence others through the use of sound judgement and good sense
• Disciplined thinking as an analytical, numerate, problem solver who has strategic judgement and the capacity to think complex issues through and develop effective solutions in a timely fashion
• That you are a proactive decision maker with a confident yet diplomatic operating style and someone who deals easily with cultural diversity

Career development of yourself and others:

Atkins is committed to developing individuals through a portfolio of training and development activities designed to help you make the best of your abilities and talents. There is great potential for you to develop your own career within the Local Authority market and we would also expect the successful candidate to support and help create career opportunities for other, more junior, staff.

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary it will be discussed with you at interview.

If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.