Morgan Sindall, a Tier 1 water sector contractor, partnered with Murray McIntosh to fill a Design Manager vacancy within its engineering team. Based in Avonmouth and supporting Wessex Water and Welsh Water capital programmes, the role had remained unfilled for almost a year before Murray McIntosh was engaged.

Within three months, the position was successfully filled on a permanent basis.

Morgan Sindall needed a Design Manager to support major clean and wastewater programmes across Wessex Water and Welsh Water. The search had already been running for close to a year when Murray McIntosh was engaged, with a combination of specialist technical requirements, location constraints and a highly competitive market limiting hiring progress.

Even when strong candidates emerged, securing a commitment proved difficult. Experienced water-sector professionals were in high demand, and counteroffers repeatedly disrupted the process. Over the course of the search, two accepted offers fell through before a permanent hire was ultimately secured.

Three months after engagement, the vacancy was filled.

Leon Smith, Principal Consultant for the water sector, took on the brief in January and submitted the first CV within days. That candidate was offered the role and accepted, before taking a counteroffer from their existing employer instead. Rather than reopening the search from scratch, Murray McIntosh went back to the market in March with a second round of CVs.

• January: Brief taken on and first CV submitted; candidate offered and accepted, then withdrew for a counteroffer.
• March: Second round of CVs submitted; a further offer was made and accepted, then also lost to a counteroffer.
• April: A third round identified a candidate who accepted the offer and joined on a permanent basis.

Two accepted offers were lost to counteroffers during the search, setbacks that could easily have brought the process to an end. Instead, Murray McIntosh continued to revisit the market, re-engage candidates and rebuild the shortlist until the role was filled. In a sector where experienced water professionals are in short supply and competition for talent is intense, that persistence proved critical.

Beyond filling the vacancy, the placement has been a genuine success for the candidate. Moving from a Tier 2 subcontractor into a Tier 1 contractor was an important career step, and it has been rewarding to see her settle into the role and thrive.

At Murray McIntosh, that's the outcome we're always aiming for: helping organisations secure the people they need while creating opportunities for individuals to progress their careers. Whether we're supporting Tier 1 contractors or organisations in other sectors, our approach remains the same. We stay engaged, work closely with our clients through challenging markets, and remain focused on finding the right long-term fit for both employer and candidate.