Principal Design Engineer

Principal Design Engineer

Are you a highly experienced engineer with a passion for leading complex design solutions, influencing strategic decisions, and delivering critical infrastructure projects that make a real difference?

Were looking for a Principal Design Engineer to provide technical leadership across a portfolio of major capital delivery projects. In this role, youll work closely with operational teams, project managers, contractors, and design partners to develop and assure engineering solutions that are safe, sustainable, and deliver long-term value.

Youll play a key role in driving engineering excellence, supporting project delivery from concept through to construction and commissioning, while helping shape the future of our water and wastewater assets.

What youll be doing
- Leading the development and technical assurance of engineering designs across major capital projects.
- Providing engineering leadership throughout feasibility, concept, outline, and detailed design stages.
- Acting as the principal technical authority for complex engineering solutions and investment schemes.
- Managing and coordinating multidisciplinary design teams including electrical, mechanical, civil, ICA, and process disciplines.
- Reviewing and approving design deliverables to ensure compliance with company, regulatory, and industry standards.
- Identifying opportunities for innovation, standardisation, and whole-life cost optimisation.
- Supporting Design Risk Assessments, HAZOPs, design reviews, and technical governance processes.
- Ensuring designs are buildable, operable, maintainable, and aligned with asset management strategies.
- Supporting project delivery teams during procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover activities.
- Providing technical mentoring and development support to engineers and graduates.
- Working closely with stakeholders to manage engineering risks and resolve technical challenges.
- Contributing to engineering standards, best practice guidance, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Supporting business planning and investment programmes through the production of technical options and business cases.

What were looking for
- Significant experience in engineering design within the water, wastewater, utilities, energy, process, or infrastructure sectors.
- Strong technical expertise in either Electrical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- Proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and complex design projects.
- Strong understanding of engineering governance, technical assurance, and design management principles.
- Experience applying engineering standards, legislation, and industry best practices within a regulated environment.
- Ability to challenge designs constructively and identify opportunities for performance improvement and value creation.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and communicate at all levels.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a practical approach to risk management.
- Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering, Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, or working towards professional registration with a relevant institution such as the IET, IChemE, ICE, or CIWEM.

Why join?
This is an opportunity to play a key role in delivering some of the regions most important infrastructure programmes. Youll influence strategic engineering decisions, drive innovation, and help deliver sustainable solutions that support environmental improvement, operational resilience, and customer service excellence. Working within a collaborative and forward-thinking engineering environment, youll have the opportunity to shape standards, develop future engineering talent, and make a lasting impact on critical assets and services.