Technical Director - Life Sciences (Infrastructure/Engineering)
Sector: Infrastructure/Engineering, Project and Programme Management
Location: South of England (Flexible)
Compensation: £90,000 – £110,000
About the Role
Sentinel is partnering with a globally recognised engineering and professional services consultancy to recruit a Technical Director (or Senior Associate Director) into a growing Life Sciences team, delivering projects and programmes across the UK - primarily across the Golden Triangle (London, Oxford, and Cambridge).
With a strong and expanding pipeline of work across health and life sciences infrastructure, the business is looking to strengthen its project and programme management capability with several senior hires. This is a broad role spanning delivery, work winning, and team leadership, with 5–6 direct reports.
Responsibilities
* Leading and managing complex, multi-stakeholder construction projects throughout all RIBA stages, ensuring delivery within agreed quality, time, and budget objectives
* Building strong client relationships and managing interdependencies across internal and external partners
* Taking a lead role in bid writing, proposals, and business development, contributing directly to the team's growth objectives
* Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure technical assurance, planning, and business case preparation are fully implemented
* Developing and maintaining project plans, setting project controls, managing performance, and reporting progress
* Managing supply chain partners, collating and reporting on key performance measures
* Producing client deliverables including option appraisals, feasibility reports, business cases, and board papers
* Providing effective leadership, mentoring, and management of a growing team
* Managing project profitability and ensuring team utilisation is at target levels
Requirements
* Demonstrated experience in life sciences, healthcare, or wider infrastructure sectors, ideally within a project and programme management consultancy environment
* Comprehensive track record of delivering complex construction infrastructure projects through the entire project lifecycle
* Strong knowledge of governance, assurance, budget management, risk, and change control in a construction project delivery environment
* Experience of contract and commercial management, including NEC3/4 forms of contract
* A strong work-winning mentality - you can write compelling bids and bring commercial awareness to everything you do
* Proven experience managing and developing a high-performing team
* Degree qualified in construction, engineering, or a related discipline
* Chartered or full membership of a relevant professional institution (RICS, APM, CIOB or similar)
Why This Role?
* Join at a pivotal moment of growth within a high-performing life sciences team
* Inherit an established team with ambition to expand
* Work on landmark programmes including major science park developments, research facilities, and long-term infrastructure partnerships with leading names in the sector
* Competitive salary plus a comprehensive benefits package including hybrid working, flexible benefits, and strong professional development support