Principal Engineer / Associate Director

Principal Engineer / Associate Director
Tamworth or London (hybrid)

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of design delivery across a portfolio of water and wastewater projects, ensuring outputs are delivered safely, to programme, and within agreed budgets.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and coordinate civil, mechanical, electrical and process engineering inputs throughout the project lifecycle.
• Develop and manage design programmes, making sure key deliverables align with wider project schedules and delivery milestones.
• Provide technical oversight and assurance, reviewing design outputs and ensuring compliance with relevant standards, specifications and project requirements.
• Act as the main point of contact for design matters with clients and stakeholders, attending design reviews, workshops and progress meetings as required.
• Ensure engineering solutions are practical, buildable and cost-effective while maintaining compliance with industry and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate activities across internal teams, supply chain partners and specialist consultants to ensure a consistent and integrated approach to design delivery.
• Support project teams with design budgets, resource planning and risk management activities.
• Promote quality and health and safety throughout the design process, incorporating lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives where possible.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to engineers and discipline leads, supporting both technical and professional development.
• Contribute to bid submissions, proposals and wider business development activities when required.
• Keep up to date with developments across the UK water sector and apply emerging best practice and innovation to project delivery.
• Foster a collaborative working environment that encourages knowledge sharing, accountability and continuous improvement.

About You

• Degree qualified in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status with a recognised professional institution or actively working towards chartership with clear evidence of progress.
• Significant experience delivering projects within the UK water sector, with a strong understanding of both infrastructure and non-infrastructure schemes.
• Previous experience managing design delivery across multiple projects or programmes within a regulated utility or similar environment.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing multidisciplinary teams and supporting the development of engineers at different stages of their careers.
• Demonstrable experience of programme management, technical governance and resource coordination across complex project portfolios.
• Sound technical knowledge of civil engineering design, including structures, pipelines, hydraulics and construction methodologies relevant to water and wastewater assets.
• Good understanding of UK design standards and legislation, including CDM requirements and relevant industry specifications.
• Experience working closely with mechanical, electrical and process teams to deliver coordinated engineering solutions.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage confidently with clients, contractors and regulators.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of bid processes, framework delivery models and project controls.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to project locations and offices when required.