Advanced Solutions Lead

To continue with our growth plans for 2025 and beyond we are searching for an Advanced Solutions/Standardised Solutions Lead to join our central Proposals team in our Pre-Construction space/department, based in the Central team for all current Water Frameworks.

Reporting to the Business Development Director/Advanced Solutions Director and forming part of the Pre-Construction Leadership Team, you will lead the Advanced Solutions effort, comprising multidisciplinary teams working on the development of standardised, sustainable, innovative solutions backed by sound commercial data, supply chain technologies and sound delivery strategies, to respond to client drivers both current and future.  This effort will focus on complex, First of a Kind and larger/major projects. 

These solutions will form the bedrock of MWHT’s approach to entering agreeable contracts for potable water treatment, sewage treatment and bioresources projects.  The standardised solutions will draw upon current best practice from across our Regional Frameworks and be ORC governed, as benchmarks, from which future innovations and advancements can be measured as advancement.  They will incorporate standard designs/components, being developed in parallel by Engineering where appropriate.

The standardised solutions will consider delivery methodology including interface management, Modern Methods of Construction, Off Site Construction (DfMA), Digital Modelling/Rehearsals, sustainability, carbon footprint and optimum and competitive solutions on both Capex/Totex costs basis.  They will be safe, operable and maintainable.

As Advanced Solutions Lead you will interact frequently with Enterprise/Framework Regional Advanced Solutions/Engineering/Pre-Construction Leads, garnering the best optioneering and triage processes, and outcomes, that can be reused to help pre-construction teams work through responses to client Needs Statements influencing our Standardised Solutions where we can. 

As part of developing Standardised Solutions, you will interact closely with Northern and Southern Divisional Pre-Construction Leads, to ensure efforts are prioritised, and hand in hand with the Central Proposals Management/Head of Pre-construction and Estimating Leadership Team Members.  This will enable coordinated efforts around rapid production of accurate design solutions for tenders and estimates and ensure the most efficient use of valued resources, doing more with less and building the solutions into the overall tender process.

As part of developing the Standardised Solutions you will be expected to work closely with the Procurement Leadership to ensure supply chain engagement, and Business Excellence/Innovation Leadership, as well as Engineering functional leads both at Divisional level and Region/Framework level to ensure consistency and adoption/embedment of the Standardised Solution and its associated delivery strategy and triage/optioneering processes. 

Furthermore, development of the interface management and costings will involve consistent engagement with Central Proposals Lead/Head of Pre-Construction and Estimating.  This will ensure risks and client expectations are managed.

You will act as Technical Leadership in the Pre-construction arena. 

Your role will involve:

Client Management:

• Foster and develop positive client working relationships in the Triage and Optioneering space, that enable efficient identification of optimised standard solutions leading to successful contract agreement.
• Manage Client and stakeholder expectations in relation to time, cost and quality of the production of standard solutions and Advanced Solution activities and subsequent proposals produced by the Central Team, mostly through Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) delivery.
• Accountability for the successful delivery and fulfilment of standardised solutions and Advanced Solutions input into ECI orders, working closely with other departments and the client to communicate progress and facilitate acceptance of proposed solutions.
• Drive effective package negotiations with supply chain and clients, around standardised solutions that meet the technical and organisational governance requirements, as well as having an acceptable risk profile, approved by the business in a timely manner.
• Attendance to sites and client offices as required in relation to the development of solutions on projects.
• Obtain client feedback and integrate lessons learned to future projects.

Develop Solutions as part of the Tenders/Proposals:

• Identify, confirm and assist our proposals teams to document and communicate the client needs in relation to the solution to enable alignment during development stages.
• Input into resource management and prioritisation through engagement with a managed CRM tool for a divisional programming of work, to ensure resource is allocated in a timely manner.
• Actively lead technical input and delivery strategy development, with our Central Proposals Team and other functional and operational multidisciplinary teams to provide compelling solutions to Client’s Needs.
• Ensure solution options address affordability, design, planning, sustainability, construction, enabling factors, procurement, and operations.  Including an efficient delivery strategy.
• Assess the value and impact of acquiring additional data if gaps or deficiencies are identified.
• Coordinate engagement from the regional Engineering, Estimating, Operations, Planning, Procurement and SHEQ teams to assure the viability and deliverability of solutions.
• Accountability for technical and commercial governance and quality assurance requirements around delivery strategy/standardised solutions, supporting our Central Proposals Team.
• Developing proposals and estimating staff to enable growth in Advanced Solutions thinking, as part of a coordinated Leadership Team effort for succession planning and talent management.

Support Department development and administration:

• Collaborate with the Pre-Construction Head to identify, plan and acquire the departmental resources needed for the Standardised Solution/Advanced Solutions development and proposals preparation to meet demands of the Divisional Frameworks portfolio of work.
• Contribute to the outperformance of the department cost and budget reporting, through paid engagements for Advanced Solutions/Standardised Solutions.
• Assist with department performance reviews and identifying areas of improvement.
• Collaborate with the Pre-Construction Head and others in the team to identify innovative ways of working to drive higher standards, better accuracy or more efficiency.
• Obtain and communicate business feedback from project delivery in relation to performance of standardised solution delivery against strategy, budget, programme and process performance.
• Support continuous improvement of the Advanced Solutions process and team.
• Integrate innovations and lessons learned to realise efficiencies in projects and in team performance.

You are a natural leader, providing line management for the team, and can confidentially manage activities to achieve efficient outputs to ensure quality procedures are followed, mitigating risk where necessary.

Essential:

• Degree in an Engineering Discipline (Mechanical/Civil/Chemical/Environmental/Process) or equivalent qualifications; or Project Management qualifications.
• Experience working and managing under NEC4 Conditions of contract.
• UK Water Industry experience leading projects in design and/or delivery of water treatment, wastewater treatment or bioresources projects, sufficient to influence the design and buildability of a project, choice of materials and be able to contribute to optioneering.
• Experience in the processes, equipment and services that are used within the water industry.
• Experience in the development of project programmes.
• Experience in risk management techniques.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and team working skills.
• Self-starter, self-motivated, flexible and reliable with good problem-solving skills.
• Ability to think clearly under pressure.
• You will have a strong client service focus.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to multi-task.
• Excellent computer skills and a good understanding of Microsoft Office.

Desirable:

• Membership of a professional institution.
• Leadership experience and qualifications (e.g. APM and/or ILM based).
• Experience in tendering or managing medium to large projects within the water industry (capital value >£10M), or batches of projects, or design only projects.
• Full UK driving license.