Independent Expertise in Infrastructure Delivery

When complexity demands clarity.Engineering leadership makes the difference.

Senior engineering leadership and independent technical oversight for major infrastructure, nuclear and transport projects and programmes.

30+Years of experience
£20bn+Programme value delivered
4Regulated sectors
CEngChartered engineering leadership
How We Help

What we do for your projects and programmes

Technical Leadership

Supporting projects that need improvement in assurance and delivery confidence. We provide experienced leadership to overcome technical challenges, strengthen governance and improve delivery outcomes.

Independent Technical Review

Objective, evidence-based oversight at every stage, giving clients, sponsors and regulators confidence that what is being built is right.

Scope and Brief Definition

Getting the brief right before major commitments are made. Clearly defining what needs to be built, to what standard, and how success will be measured.

Programme Delivery Support

Hands-on support across cost, schedule and technical performance, embedded alongside your team from contract award through to handover.

Standards and Regulatory Navigation

Guiding delivery teams through complex regulatory requirements and industry standards so projects stay compliant without losing momentum.

Engineering Integration

Connecting disciplines, contractors and clients across complex multi-party projects, eliminating the gaps where major programmes most often fail.

Bid and Tender Support

Building compelling, evidence-based bids and tender responses. We bring technical credibility, structured requirements understanding and delivery track record to your submissions.

Client Procurement Support

Helping clients specify not just the deliverable but the evidence required to close it out. If the specification is wrong, the programme will be too.

Compliance Evidence and Progressive Assurance

Mapping delivery against compliance standards so evidence matures with the work. In rail, the CENELEC EN 5012X suite defines what needs to exist and when.

Where We Work

Sectors

TRANSPORT

Rail — United Kingdom

HS2, Transport for London and Transpennine Route Upgrade

Rail — International

Ottawa Confederation Line and TransLink Vancouver

Ports and Marine Infrastructure

Port development and construction works in complex operating environments

NATURAL RESOURCES

Nuclear

New build, decommissioning and operational safety — Sizewell C and Sellafield

Water and Utilities

Regulated water capital delivery — Yorkshire Water AMP7 and United Utilities

Operating inside your sector, not looking in from outside.

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Track Record

Clients and Partners

Government and Public Sector
Department for Transport
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Environment Agency
Infrastructure Owners
Network Rail
Transport for London
Yorkshire Water
United Utilities
Programme Delivery Organisations
HS2 Ltd
Sizewell C Ltd
Sellafield Ltd
TransLink Vancouver
Ottawa Confederation Line
Delivery Partners
Alstom Transportation
Kier Group
Cavendish Nuclear
Shell
Sector Detail

Project and Programme Experience

01 · Nuclear

New build, decommissioning and operational safety

Technical direction, design, engineering and independent oversight across the full nuclear lifecycle in regulated UK environments.

Sellafield Silos Maintenance Facility (£560m)Decontamination cell design, HAZID/HAZOP leadership and safety case development
Sellafield Design Services AllianceTechnical delivery across mechanical, CE&I, process and systems disciplines
Sellafield THORP and Magnox RecertificationHigh-energy testing demonstrating continued safe use of radioactive waste storage cans
Sellafield AGV ReplacementRequirements-driven delivery on safety-critical replacement, industry innovation award
Dounreay Glovebox Remote HandlingDecommissioning works — regulatory compliance and specialist nuclear logistics
Nuclear — Advisory and Assurance

Technical oversight and independent review

Independent technical oversight, safety case support and assurance on the UK's most complex and sensitive nuclear programmes.

Sizewell C (£38bn programme)Technical direction, requirements, V&V and progressive assurance for Civil Works Alliance
AWE MENSAIndependent reverse assurance on safety-critical defence nuclear infrastructure
Cavendish Nuclear — Capital ProjectsEngineering and design delivery across multiple Sellafield capital projects and upgrades
02 · Rail — United Kingdom

HS2, TfL and national rail programmes

Technical leadership, governance and independent assurance across the UK's most significant rail projects and programmes.

HS2 South Civil JV (£1.8bn)SE lead — L3 Roadmap, risk-targeted assurance approach, saved c.£15m in programme costs
Transport for LondonSystems engineering and programme delivery support across TfL projects and programmes
Transpennine Route UpgradeTechnical governance and independent assurance on national rail enhancement programme
03 · Rail — International

Canada and North American transit

Technical direction, systems integration and independent assurance on major regulated transit programmes in Canada.

Ottawa Confederation Line, Belfast Yard ($349m CA)Technical Director — resolved CA$30m/yr deadlock, directed certification and handover
TransLink Vancouver OCC4Technical assurance and engineering oversight on Canadian transit programme
04 · Major Infrastructure

Water, ports and regulated sectors

Large-scale infrastructure transformation in regulated environments where technical governance, stakeholder management and delivery discipline matter most.

Yorkshire Water AMP7 (£4.2bn)Systems thinking and digital lead — Project 13 delivery model and digital maturity
United Utilities — Regulated Water InfrastructureCapital delivery advisory — requirements definition and regulatory compliance
Port and Marine InfrastructureMajor port development and construction works in complex operating environments
Shell Global Standards Digitisation (£1.2m)Infrastructure standards digital framework — structured conversion and global rollout
Advisory and Technical Support

Standards, training and procurement

Independent technical advisory, training and procurement support across regulated infrastructure sectors.

DfT — Euston Delivery Company (E&DP)Technical review of procurement scope and Stage 1 Technical Envelope for the E&DP
Kier Group — RE and V&V TrainingRequirements Engineering and Verification and Validation training for Kier Design Managers
MoD Multi-Domain IntegrationCo-Chair — cross-domain integration advisory across defence and critical national infrastructure
About Ackor

Why clients choose us

What you actually get

You get an experienced person who has done this before. Not an adviser looking in from the outside, but someone who has been the technical director, led the team, resolved the crisis and stood behind the decision.

We build capability around us as well as bringing it. We have rebuilt failing delivery teams from scratch and shaped national engineering practices.

Clients trust us to deliver the outcomes that matter: systems that work, services that open, programmes that close out. Not reports. Results.

Someone who has done this before

Technical Director roles on the programmes that define UK infrastructure. Sizewell C. HS2. Ottawa. Sellafield. Not academic knowledge. Operational.

We build and lead the teams around us

Rebuilt a Sellafield delivery team from 3 to 20. Created a national systems engineering practice from inception. We create capability, not just bring it.

Trusted to bring services into operation

Ottawa Confederation Line into passenger service. Sellafield safety-critical facilities into operation. Our track record is outcomes delivered, not reports that circulate.

Recognised across the profession

Recognised industry leadership shaping infrastructure delivery through standards, thought leadership and academia, including co-authoring the ICE Systems Approach to Infrastructure Delivery and guest lecturing at Imperial College London, University College London and the University of Southampton.

When clients appoint Ackor, they gain access to proven experience, leadership and credibility.

Get in Touch
Principal

Paul Eastwood

PE
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
CEngCMgrFCMIMIETINCOSE

Paul Eastwood

Technical Director  |  paul.eastwood@ackor.co.uk
BACKGROUND

Technical Director with over 30 years leading multidisciplinary engineering teams on the UK's most complex regulated projects and programmes. Former Technical Director and executive board member. Has held full technical, governance and commercial accountability across nuclear, transport and water sectors, with international delivery experience in Canada.

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
  • Sizewell C: led requirements, V&V and progressive assurance for the £38bn Civil Works Alliance programme
  • HS2 South (£1.8bn): established SE&A — L3 Roadmap, best-in-class assurance audit ranking, saved c.£15m in programme costs
  • Ottawa Confederation Line: resolved CA$30m/year political and commercial deadlock, directed Belfast Yard depot certification
  • Sellafield: THORP and Magnox recertification, SMF design and engineering, AGV replacement (innovation award)
  • Co-chaired MoD Multi-Domain Integration programme across all five operational domains
Get in Touch

Contact Us

Let's talk about your project or programme

Whether you have an immediate requirement or are exploring what senior technical support might look like on a future project, we are happy to have an initial conversation with no obligation.

PE
Paul Eastwood  CEng CMgr FCMI Technical Director paul.eastwood@ackor.co.uk
Lancashire  ·  Available UK-wide and internationally

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