Whether you are building a leadership team or considering your next move, I would welcome the chance to talk. No hard sell. No obligation. Just a direct conversation with someone who understands the sector.
06 Aug 2026
Who is hiring at the top. August 2026
This is where the open director and head-of level vacancies sit right now across UK contractors, consultancies and major programmes.
The live count, by company
Mace leads the market with 41 open senior roles, a remarkable number that reflects both its programme pipeline and its churn. Balfour Beatty follows with 31. Then a step down to Wates on 10, HS2 on 8, NG Bailey on 7, with Costain and Kier on 5 apiece and Taylor Wimpey on 4.
How to read it
Two firms carrying over 70 open senior seats between them is not just growth, it is competition for the same people. When Mace and Balfour Beatty are both hiring associate directors and heads of discipline at this volume, packages move, counter-offers get sharper, and the candidates with live delivery records get choices.
Nothing here is currently stuck past 45 days, which means roles are either filling or being pulled, not lingering. A healthy sign for candidates: offers are being made.
If you are a candidate
The depth is in delivery, commercial and MEP design leadership, concentrated in London and Birmingham. If you have been waiting for the right moment to test the market at director level, this is what a seller's market looks like.
A new count every week. Know of a senior role that should be on this list? Comment below.
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