Associate Director


Company:	Hays Specialist Recruitment
Salary:	£70,000 to £80,000 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Manchester, M1 4BT
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	10 Nov 2026
Closing date:	10 Dec 2026

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Summary

£70,000 - £80,000 + benefits | Flexible location across the Northwest

Reached Associate / Associate Director level, but starting to wonder what the next step actually is?

I'm working confidentially with an established multidisciplinary engineering consultancy looking for a Chartered Structural Engineer to take a leading role in developing its presence across the North West and North Wales.

This isn't about stepping into an existing office and maintaining the status quo. The opportunity is to build something of your own, backed by an established consultancy, existing workload and an engineering team already in place.

Initially, you'll take the lead of an existing team and project workload in North Wales, while building relationships and developing a stronger presence across the North West. Longer term, the intention is to establish and grow a new regional office, with you at the centre of it.

The role

It's deliberately broad. You'll still be an engineer, not simply a manager.

You'll be involved in:

Leading structural projects from early advice through design and delivery

Remaining hands-on with surveys, technical work and site involvement

Delivering both new-build and refurbishment projects

Leading and developing existing engineers, then growing the team as workload increases

Managing project commercials, fees, resources and client relationships

Developing existing relationships and using your own network to generate further opportunities

Helping shape the location, direction and growth of a future North West office

There's no expectation to spend your week cold calling for work. What is important is that you're commercially minded, comfortable in front of clients and interested in converting relationships into opportunities.

What they're looking for

You'll need to be a Chartered Structural Engineer through IStructE or ICE, with strong consultancy experience and the credibility to lead clients, projects and people.

You're likely already operating at Associate or Associate Director level, perhaps somewhere you've progressed well but can see a ceiling above you.

You don't need to arrive with a ready-made order book, but an established network across the North West would naturally be attractive.

Longer term

This is probably where the opportunity becomes particularly interesting.

There is a clear route for this person to progress beyond Associate Director into a Technical Director-level position, rather than simply waiting for somebody above them to move on. With changes to the ownership structure planned over the coming years, there is also the potential for equity to become part of that longer-term conversation.

So, if you've thought about standing on your own two feet, building a team and creating something you can genuinely influence, but don't necessarily want the risk of setting up alone, this could be a very interesting middle ground.

£70,000 - £80,000, with flexibility for somebody bringing a particularly strong commercial network. Initially the position can be largely remote across the North West, with travel into North Wales as required, before moving towards a hybrid setup as the regional office develops.

All conversations are completely confidential.

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.

If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.

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