Contract Engineering Manager (CEM) – Electrification & Plant (E&P)

Location: Manchester or Birmingham (Hybrid – North West & West Midlands projects)
Salary: £75,000 – £90,000 + Car/Allowance + Pension + Healthcare + Travel

Join a Respected Rail & Civil Engineering Contractor Shaping the Future of Electrified Rail

Are you a Contract Engineering Manager or a Design CRE ready to step up into a leadership role on Network Rail E&P rail projects? If you're passionate about engineering assurance, delivering innovative electrification solutions, and developing high-performing teams, this is your opportunity to lead from the front on some of the UK's most significant rail power upgrade programmes.

Our client is a long-established Tier 1 Rail & Infrastructure Contractor with a proven track record of successfully delivering complex Network Rail frameworks. With continued investment and growth across their rail electrification portfolio, they're looking for a Contract Engineering Manager (CEM) to lead the engineering assurance function across their CP7 E&P Framework along the West Coast Mainline.

Projects range in value from £10m to £50m and include multiple £30m+ multidisciplinary schemes focused on increasing electrical capacity to support high-speed and freight rail growth across the NR network. This includes works across 11kV & 33kV substations, HV cabling & troughing, OLE infrastructure, and associated civils and power systems. Projects are currently in ECI and early design stages, giving the successful candidate influence at a formative phase.

The Role

As Contract Engineering Manager, you’ll work closely with the Framework Director, leading engineering assurance and governance for all E&P projects across the North West and Midlands regions. You’ll be responsible for developing design solutions in collaboration with clients, managing design consultants, ensuring all works are technically sound, safe, and compliant with NR standards (including NR/L2/RSE/02009).

You’ll play a key role in building the internal E&P capability, mentoring and growing a team of CREs and Engineers, and helping shape the company’s long-term electrification strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as Contract Engineering Manager (CEM) across a portfolio of E&P projects along the West Coast Mainline.
• Collaborate with the Framework Director to grow and evolve the E&P business offering across the region.
• Ensure compliance with Network Rail’s engineering management standards (e.g. NR/L2/RSE/02009).
• Oversee the implementation of Engineering Management Plans, driving technical assurance and consistency across projects.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance and design assurance for 11kV/33kV substations, HV cabling, OLE, and associated civils works.
• Lead, support, and develop a growing team of CREs, Engineers, and Technical Leads.
• Support business and client audits, ensuring compliance and continuous improvement in engineering delivery.
• Act as a technical mentor and trusted advisor during all stages of project development, from concept through to commissioning.

What We're Looking For

• Experience as a Contract Engineering Manager or CRE/Design Manager on Network Rail E&P projects (Design & Build).
• Proven background in multi-disciplinary rail infrastructure delivery (Power, OLE, Civils, HV systems).
• Strong technical understanding of electrification systems, power distribution (11kV/33kV), and electrical infrastructure standards.
• Experience working within a Tier 1 contractor environment on major frameworks.
• Chartered Engineer status (or working towards), ideally in Electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering.
• Familiarity with temporary works, engineering governance, and technical assurance processes.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to lead, influence, and grow high-performing engineering teams.

Why Join?

• Influence Major Rail Infrastructure Projects – Shape the delivery of complex E&P schemes in early design stages.
• Career Growth – Real opportunity to progress to Framework Engineering Lead / Director level.
• Strong Pipeline – Secure, long-term CP7 work bank backed by major frameworks and acquisitions.
• Forward-Thinking Employer – Modern, collaborative, and engineering-focused culture with recent strategic acquisitions in the HV design consultancy space to strengthen internal capability.

Package

• Salary: £75,000 – £90,000 DOE
• Benefits: Car/Allowance + Healthcare + 6% Pension + 25 Days Leave + Travel
• Base: Manchester or Birmingham (Projects across WCML – North West & West Midlands)