Associate, Cost Management - (Water / Utilities)

Closing date: 31 December 2026 We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Associate. You will shape and lead major programmes and frameworks for UK water utilities and environmental agencies. This is a senior management role requiring significant industry experience, commercial acumen, and the ability to mentor and develop high-performing teams. The Senior Associate role will support the Associate Partner in leading the team as Operations Lead - to support the effective running, growth and development of our Cost Management service within a consultancy environment. This is a people-focused operational leadership role, responsible for ensuring teams are well supported, appropriately resourced and consistently delivering high-quality cost management services for clients across the built environment and infrastructure sectors. The role can be based from any of our offices in: Cardiff, Bristol, London, Winchester, Reading, Oxford, Cheltenham, Cambridge, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle. What you need to do to be effective in this role Lead, support and develop cost management teams, ensuring individuals have clear objectives, regular feedback, effective workload management and appropriate development plans. Build a positive, inclusive and high-performing team culture where people feel supported, accountable and motivated to deliver excellent client outcomes. Oversee day-to-day operational performance across the cost management service, ensuring work is appropriately prioritised, resourced and delivered to agreed standards. Work with senior leaders to plan team capacity, recruitment needs, succession planning and future skills requirements in line with business growth. Support project and framework delivery by helping teams resolve resourcing, process, quality or performance challenges quickly and constructively. Promote consistent ways of working across cost planning, cost reporting, procurement advice, contract administration support, ch