A large employee-owned engineering, management and development consultancy, formed by a 1989 merger of two long-established UK firms, working on transport, water, energy, buildings and more.
Mott MacDonald describes itself as a leading engineering, management and development consultancy. It works in six markets: buildings, defence and security, energy, environment and society, transport, and water. Projects named in the sources include Heathrow Terminal 5 foundations, Manchester Civil Justice Centre, HS2 and the Elizabeth Line. It also notes more than a century of water management experience. Its early work included designing the Tyne Bridge in the 1920s, and its roots go back to engineering in Egypt and to London Underground work.
The firm says it wants to "support, empower and trust brilliant people to take on tomorrow's biggest challenges", and that "our business succeeds when our people succeed". Its chief executive, James Harris, has said: "Our values are shared. Our purpose matters even more." The firm traces its history to two partnerships. Mott & Hay, founded in 1902 by Basil Mott and David Hay, grew into Mott, Hay and Anderson and worked on London's Underground. Sir M MacDonald & Partners grew from British water and irrigation work in Egypt. They merged in 1989 to form Mott MacDonald.
Mott MacDonald lists the United Kingdom as one of its three regions, alongside the rest of the world and North America. Wikipedia places its headquarters in the City of London, and job listings from the company mention Croydon, Reading, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, among others. The sources we read did not give a full UK office list or a UK headcount. Worldwide it has over 19,500 people in about 150 countries according to Wikipedia (2026 figure), and an employee-ownership case study speaks of about 20,000.
It calls itself one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world. A 2025 case study from the Employee Ownership Association says the firm created a hybrid model in which staff receive bonus units and senior staff can buy shares, with a forum called Our Voice to bring employee views to senior leaders. The firm says it invests in training, wellbeing and safety and an inclusive environment, and lists Glassdoor Best Places to Work awards for 2023, 2024 and 2026 and an FT Best Employers UK 2025 listing. These are the firm's own claims and listings, not checked by us.
The jobs here cover civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical and environmental engineering, plus land consultants, ecologists, planners, project managers, economists and digital specialists. The company's job listings include roles such as assistant land consultant, civil engineer and principal ecologist, which shows the mix of engineering and environmental work. If you like water, transport, energy, nature or large public projects, there are many routes into the business.
Website: www.mottmac.com
PURPOSE helps school and university students explore 62 sectors and over 1,000 entry-level careers in the UK, then connects them directly with employers.
Explore PURPOSE