Principal Engineering Manager - water/wastewater

Water and Utilities Engineering

We are recruiting a Principal Engineering Manager to provide strategic technical leadership across complex civil engineering design projects in the water and utilities sector.

The opportunity

You will lead multidisciplinary design teams and act as a technical authority for high-value and high-risk engineering decisions.

Alongside technical assurance, you will align design delivery with programme, commercial and client objectives, develop engineering capability and champion safe, buildable and sustainable solutions.

* Set the technical direction for discipline-specific and multidisciplinary design delivery.

* Approve and assure designs, calculations, specifications, technical reports and design risk assessments.

* Act as the technical authority and escalation point for complex or high-risk engineering decisions.

* Support project teams with design planning, sequencing, resource allocation and multidisciplinary coordination.

* Ensure engineering disciplines are properly integrated to produce coordinated and buildable designs.

* Ensure solutions meet agreed programme, budget, quality and client requirements.

* Maintain technical quality and compliance with UK legislation, engineering standards, client specifications and CDM 2015.

* Lead technical assurance activities, including design reviews, HAZID, HAZOP and risk-management processes.

* Promote safe-by-design principles and ensure engineering risks are identified and managed effectively.

* Coach and mentor engineers at all career stages.

* Contribute to capability planning, succession planning and knowledge management.

* Drive digital engineering, automation, low-carbon design, innovation and knowledge sharing.

The role provides the scope to influence technical strategy, improve design assurance and commercial outcomes, and raise engineering standards across major water and utilities programmes.