Principal Civil Engineer
An established engineering consultancy is looking for a Principal Civil Engineer to take a leading role within its Brighton office.
This is a hands‑on technical leadership position for someone who combines strong civil engineering and drainage expertise with practical construction knowledge, project management capability and the confidence to lead both people and projects.
The Brighton office is a small, close‑knit delivery team with a strong culture of working together and staying close to projects on the ground. The team has a growing pipeline and is looking for an experienced engineer who can help turn those opportunities into successfully delivered projects.
The role
You’ll take technical and project leadership responsibility across a varied portfolio of civil engineering, highways and infrastructure schemes, working from inception and detailed design through to construction and completion.
Projects can range from smaller commissions through to major schemes valued in excess of £10m.
Responsibilities
- Leading civil engineering, highways and drainage projects from inception through detailed design and construction
- Providing specialist technical leadership in drainage
- Developing and reviewing detailed design and build packages
- Taking responsibility for technical approvals, design reviews and quality assurance
- Managing project budgets, programmes, resources and technical delivery
- Providing hands‑on engineering input and resolving complex technical challenges
- Working closely with contractors during project delivery
- Managing and developing engineers within the team
- Providing technical direction and mentoring to engineers and technicians
- Building strong relationships with clients and stakeholders
- Preparing fee estimates, proposals, programmes and resource plans
- Supporting tenders and helping secure work through existing and newly awarded frameworks
- Identifying opportunities to grow client relationships and engineering services
- Coordinating delivery across multiple disciplines
- Ensuring projects meet relevant quality, health & safety and CDM requirements
This is not a purely managerial position. You’ll remain close to the engineering and be expected to bring the depth of technical knowledge needed to make decisions, solve problems and support delivery on the ground.
What we’re looking for
You’ll be an experienced civil engineering professional with the technical depth to operate confidently at Principal level.
Strong drainage expertise and NEC4 experience are essential.
You’ll ideally bring:
- Around 10+ years’ relevant civil engineering, infrastructure, construction or consultancy experience
- Extensive detailed design and project delivery experience
- Strong specialist knowledge of drainage design
- Practical NEC4 experience and an understanding of contractual duties
- Experience taking projects through design and into construction
- Strong knowledge of relevant civil engineering and highways design standards, including DMRB
- Significant AutoCAD and Civil 3D experience
- Experience providing technical oversight and approving engineering deliverables
- Project management experience covering programme, budget, resources and quality
- Experience managing, mentoring and developing engineers
- Strong commercial and contractual awareness
- Experience preparing fee estimates, proposals and tender submissions
- An understanding of CDM duties and responsibilities
- A Civil Engineering degree or equivalent professional qualification
- Chartered membership of ICE or CIHT, or demonstrable progress towards Chartered status
A background that has given you direct exposure to contractors and construction delivery would be particularly valuable. This could come from consultancy/professional services or from an earlier contractor or site engineering career.
Why join?
The Brighton office offers something slightly different from a large, remote consultancy environment. It is a close‑knit team where people work together in person, know their projects well and remain involved in delivery.
You’ll join at an important point for the office, with newly secured frameworks creating opportunities across the South and genuine scope to influence how projects are delivered and how the team develops.
The package includes
- 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
- Option to purchase up to five additional days’ holiday
- Healthcare cash plan
- Retail, travel and social discounts
- Cycle‑to‑work and Green Car schemes
- Enhanced maternity and paternity packages, subject to eligibility
- Career development and professional learning opportunities
The role is based in Brighton, with a minimum expectation of 2‑3 days per week in the office. The existing team has a strong office‑based culture, and someone who enjoys being present, collaborating face‑to‑face and being part of the day‑to‑day team will be particularly well‑suited.
If you’re an experienced Civil Engineer with strong drainage and NEC4 knowledge who wants a technically involved Principal role with real influence over projects and people, this is an opportunity to make a tangible impact.
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