Location: Rickmansworth
Employment Type: Permanent | Full Time (45 hours/week)
Site Agent / Site Manager
About the Client
Our client is one of the UK’s leading privately owned civil engineering and infrastructure contractors, with over four decades of experience delivering complex, high-value projects across both regulated and non-regulated environments. They operate nationally across major infrastructure frameworks, joint ventures, alliances, and standalone projects, acting as a tier-one delivery partner to blue-chip organisations, public sector bodies, and regulated utility clients.
Their core operations span water infrastructure, transport infrastructure, and wider civil engineering works, including highways, rail interfaces, utilities diversions, and major infrastructure upgrades. They also deliver built environment schemes such as public realm improvements and large-scale development projects, alongside energy and utilities infrastructure.
A key strength of the business is its self-delivery model, supported by a substantial in-house workforce and specialist capability across civil engineering disciplines, temporary and permanent works design, and engineering support functions. The organisation is built on long-standing values and a strong people-first culture, with a clear focus on development, retention, and internal progression. It is also a Gold Investors in People accredited organisation, reflecting its commitment to training, wellbeing, and continuous improvement.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Site Agent / Site Manager with a strong focus on project delivery, commercial awareness, and programme control to lead civil engineering projects within the infrastructure sector. This is not a purely operational site role; it requires someone who operates confidently across cost management, contract administration, programme delivery, and stakeholder coordination alongside site leadership responsibilities.
The successful candidate will take ownership of site-based delivery performance, ensuring works are delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with contractual requirements, while also supporting project leadership teams in achieving commercial and programme objectives. You will act as a key link between site operations, commercial teams, and project management, ensuring alignment across all aspects of delivery.
Key Responsibilities
In terms of project and site delivery, the role involves leading day-to-day site activities for civil engineering works in accordance with programme, specification, and quality requirements. You will be responsible for managing site teams, subcontractors, and suppliers to ensure efficient and coordinated delivery while maintaining compliance with RAMS, temporary works procedures, environmental controls, and quality standards. You will also support the development and ownership of construction programmes and short-term lookahead planning while driving safe, efficient, and buildable delivery solutions in collaboration with engineering and design teams.
From a programme and planning perspective, you will take ownership of programme performance, ensuring progress is actively tracked, reported, and managed. You will identify risks to programme delivery and implement mitigation strategies, while coordinating sequencing of works to optimise productivity and reduce delay.
Commercially, the role requires active involvement in cost control, forecasting, and project financial reporting. You will support subcontractor account management and contribute to change management processes, working closely with commercial teams on NEC contract administration including early warnings and compensation events. You will also identify value engineering opportunities and drive cost efficiency without compromising quality or safety standards.
Stakeholder management is a key part of the role, acting as the main site-based representative for clients and stakeholders. You will be responsible for maintaining strong professional relationships, ensuring expectations are managed and met, and chairing or contributing to site meetings where progress, risks, and actions are clearly communicated.
Reporting and governance responsibilities include producing accurate site reports covering progress, cost, programme, and risk, as well as maintaining robust site records in line with contractual requirements. You will ensure transparent communication across all project teams and stakeholders throughout delivery.
About You
You will be an experienced Site Agent or Senior Site Manager with strong exposure to civil engineering delivery within infrastructure environments, ideally within utilities or regulated sectors. Crucially, you will demonstrate a strong balance between site leadership and project management capability, with proven ability to manage programme, cost, and contract performance rather than purely operational delivery.
You will have a strong understanding of CDM Regulations and civil engineering delivery principles, along with solid experience of NEC contracts including early warnings and compensation events. You will be confident managing cost, forecasting project performance, and supporting commercial outcomes while maintaining strong programme awareness and contributing to planning and delivery sequencing. You will also have experience leading multidisciplinary site teams and subcontractors, supported by excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Qualifications
Applicants should hold a Degree or HNC in Civil Engineering or equivalent experience, along with a valid CSCS card. SMSTS or IOSH Managing Safely certification is required, and a Temporary Works Coordinator qualification is desirable.
Desirable Experience
It would be advantageous to hold Chartered status such as CEng or MICE, along with working knowledge of Primavera P6. Experience operating within major infrastructure frameworks or alliance environments, as well as strong NEC contract administration exposure within tier-one contractor settings, would also be beneficial.
Required Experience
The role requires proven experience delivering civil engineering projects within infrastructure environments, with strong involvement in managing site delivery alongside programme, cost, and contract responsibilities. You will have demonstrable experience working within NEC contract frameworks, including change management and reporting processes, and a strong ability to lead site teams while maintaining commercial and programme focus. Experience coordinating subcontractors, ensuring efficient site delivery performance, and applying quality assurance systems including ITPs and site governance processes is also essential