Account Lead

Location/s: Peterborough, Brighton, London; UK

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit  
Mott MacDonald’s Advisory and Programme Delivery (APD) unit delivers both project, programme & commercial management (PPCM) services and advisory solutions across the built environment, defence, energy, water, environmental, transportation, health and care sectors.  

We deliver tailored solutions that directly address our clients’ key challenges, combining our world-leading project expertise with unrivalled programme delivery capabilities and advisory services. 

APD delivers services to projects ranging in scale and complexity up to £20bn, through the technical disciplines of programme management, project management, project controls, scheduling, cost management, estimating, infrastructure finance, management consulting, digital consulting and education, health and care management.

Environment & water 
Our multidisciplinary experts help water, wastewater, and government organisations find sustainable, cost-effective solutions to the challenges of climate change, net-zero, water scarcity and environmental protection.   

We work with around half of the UK’s regulated water and wastewater companies, and our work stretches across the entire project lifecycle - from pre-contract cost estimating and benchmarking, to post-contract quantity surveying and commercial assurance.  

For project and programme management, we deliver capital projects on behalf of our clients, both internal and external that range from several hundred thousand pounds in value to major projects and programmes worth over £0.5bn.

Overview of the role

We are looking to hire 3 Account Leads assigned to our clients based in Reading, Falmer and Peterborough. The Account Leader is responsible for building and maintaining strong client relationships, driving account growth, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, commercially successful projects. This role is pivotal in creating a client-centric experience, managing complex stakeholder networks, and positioning Mott MacDonald as a trusted advisor. The focus is on strategic growth, stakeholder engagement, and long-term account development.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Growth & Business Development
  
  • Develop and implement Account Client Engagement Plans aligned with portfolio and sector strategies
  • Identify new opportunities, convert them into prospects, and drive the bidding process to secure projects
  • Maximize opportunities on existing client frameworks and expand service offerings
  • Maintain and update CRM systems with pipeline and contracted work 
  • Support recruitment and team growth to meet account demands
• Stakeholder Management
  
  • Build and sustain robust relationships with client representatives, senior leadership, and internal stakeholders (Sector Leaders, Practice Leaders, Resource Managers, Bid Principals)
  • Act as the primary point of contact for the client, ensuring trust and transparency
  • Facilitate account meetings with client and senior management to address issues and align on strategic goals
  • Collaborate across portfolios and units to manage conflicts of interest and promote integrated solutions
• Operational Excellence
  
  • Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to quality standards
  • Manage risk and commercial performance across all projects within the account
  • Drive effective contractual and financial management to meet organisational targets
  • Ensure compliance with business management and quality assurance processes
• People Leadership
  
  • Lead multi-disciplinary teams, fostering engagement and a strong team culture
  • Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and succession planning within the account team
  • Support staff development and progression aspirations through collaboration with other accounts and units

Candidate specification
Key Competencies & Experience:

• Proven experience in Environment & Water sector
• Strong track record in Project, Programme, and Commercial Management (PPCM) or advisory services
• Demonstrated ability to lead large teams and manage complex frameworks
• Expertise in stakeholder engagement and influencing senior leadership
• Commercial acumen and experience in bidding and contract management
• Professional qualifications with a relevant body

Performance Metrics:

• Account growth (revenue, pipeline, and new opportunities)
• Client satisfaction and stakeholder engagement scores
• Successful delivery of projects (time, cost, quality)
• Team engagement and retention
• Contribution to strategic objectives of the portfolio and unit

Application Timeline

All applications will be reviewed on Monday 8th December 

Interviews will be scheduled for the week commencing 15th December. Please ensure you are available for an MS Teams interview or advise us of any planned leave during this period.

Application Requirements
As part of your application, please provide responses to the following:

• Describe your core competencies and experience relevant to the Account Lead role.
• Outline the opportunities and challenges you foresee in this position.
• Share your motivation for applying for the role.
• Confirm your willingness to travel and which client you are applying for:
  
  • Reading: minimum 3 days per week in the client office
  • Falmer: minimum 2 days per week
  • Peterborough: minimum 1 day per week
• Detail any existing relationships within the client you are applying for, and explain how you would leverage these relationships to support business growth.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working  

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.