Discipline Head - MEP

Discipline Head - MEP

As the leading provider of architectural and engineering design services to the built environment, Atkins is committed to design excellence in the delivery of first-class solutions which combine, innovation, imagination and best practice.

Discipline Head MEP will have an overarching responsibility of developing and nurturing technical excellence within the MEP discipline groups across all Business verticals within the GDC. In aggregation, this requires taking accountability of discipline-based staff development and deployment on projects, which will ensure –

• Trained and competent resource to be available within the MEP discipline in line with project or pipeline requirements.
• Better technical assurance for MEP aspects of project delivery.
• Advancement of technical career paths through a pro-active learning and development process

It is expected that the Discipline Head will continue to perform their ‘primary’ role within a GDC business, within which their direct line management both to their line managers and their reportees will lie.

Responsibilities: 

Accountable for the operations of the MEP teams across all business verticals in the GDC including:

• Recruitment of staff to planned headcount
• Deployment of competent resource on to projects
• Utilization of staff, including utilization during times of lower workload (bench management) on discipline activities like technical training, up-skilling, cross-skilling
  Preparing and implementing discipline-based training plans, which will also encourage cross-skilling of staff across different market domains.
• Promote and encourage professional development of staff with a target to have all senior staff professionally qualified.
• Aim to have junior staff cross-skilled across different market domains to improve utilization on projects.
• Develop and implement a technical competency framework which will enable appropriately qualified staff being deployed on projects.
• Lead on adoption of digital technology and the Global Design Framework (GDF).
• Pro-actively identify high potential staff within the discipline and develop, retain and mentor the high potential staff.
• Encourage diversity
• Ensure lessons learnt are recorded and knowledge is appropriately stored to be easily accessible and re-used.
• The discipline head will also be expected to promote and strengthen technical career paths within the GDC.
• Work towards meeting GDC business objectives by working collaboratively with other disciplines.
• Liaise with workshare and business RMS champions to review pipeline and plan for resources accordingly. 
• Conducting staff appraisals and managing performance of direct reportees and contribute as a co-planner to appraisals of discipline leads in other business verticals.
• Contribute to implementing action plans coming out of VOX survey or other employee engagement initiatives.
• Contribute to implementing employee reward and recognition schemes across MEP disciplines in all business verticals in the GDC.
• Staff engagement, integration and extra-curricular activities, Collaborate Closely with the Project Teams to make sure right resources are deployed on projects and project quality requirements are met.
   

Requirements:

• Minimum 20 years post graduate experience in a Design Group core MEP discipline 
  Member of a Chartered institution (CIBSE/IET/IMechE/ASHRAE or equivalent) 
  Broad experience and understanding of all MEP systems, with a specialisation in HVAC, PHE, Fire or electrical engineering 
• Relevant and appropriate experience as a designer within building services with experience of computer-based design tools, experience in Revit and successfully delivered projects using BIM skills
• Understand and apply British / European, ME and Atkins standards.
• Proven ability to manage and deliver technical excellence 
• Excellent team management and communication skills 
• Commercial awareness and knowledge of the Commercial Systems; 
• In depth knowledge of the Quality systems and protocols
• Be a competent user of IT tools in particular Word, Excel, Outlook and design tools;
• Technical Team Leader/Specialist with an increasing reputation internally and externally within their field and responsible for managing a team of engineers
• Experience in delivering projects via an outsourcing centre 
• A passion for staff development and mentoring including organising learning and development activities and training programmes, mentoring staff for professional qualifications etc.

Behaviours:

• Participates in all aspects of workload delivery, regardless of task; setting an example of effective team working 
• Collaborative and able to work across regional and business boundaries; integrates with other Design Groups and disciplines 
• Ability to nurture and develop technical, commercial and operational excellence in individuals and across the team
• Commitment to maximising project delivery through GDC, including driving technical excellence through training and mentoring 
• Customer focused, passionate about exceeding the requirements of internal and external stakeholders 
• A confident presenter of concept designs 
• Demonstrate excellent planning and time management skills 
• Adaptive influencing skills, demonstrating tact, diplomacy, persuasion and the courage to challenge 
• Willingness to represent the discipline in inter-department meetings and workshops