Senior / Principal Mechanical Engineer

Overview

As a Senior/Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, you lead technically across water and wastewater projects, shaping safe, compliant and cost-effective designs. You collaborate with discipline leads, project teams and clients to deliver high-quality solutions and robust governance. The role centers on technical leadership, risk-managed design delivery, and mentoring engineers to raise capability across the business. This is a chance to influence critical UK water infrastructure with innovative, sustainable approaches.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate delivery of complex mechanical designs in water and wastewater projects
• Provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams
• Develop innovative, practical, and risk-balanced engineering solutions
• Ensure designs are safe, sustainable, compliant, buildable and commercially effective
• Produce, review and approve mechanical design calculations, specifications, reports, drawings and documentation
• Support major project bids and contribute to delivery strategies
• Act as technical reviewer and maintain governance and QA standards
• Manage technical delivery from briefs, balancing programme, cost, quality and resources
• Identify and manage technical risks and escalate issues as needed
• Liaise with clients, contractors, suppliers and stakeholders for successful outcomes
• Support and mentor engineers to strengthen technical capability
• Promote continuous improvement, safety and customer focus

Key requirements

• Degree qualified in Mechanical Engineering (BEng, MEng or equivalent)
• Significant experience delivering mechanical designs in UK water and wastewater sector
• Strong understanding of water and sewage treatment processes and associated systems
• Experience leading multidisciplinary design projects
• Knowledge of pumping systems, pipework design, valves, treatment equipment, sludge handling systems
• Ability to develop practical and economical engineering designs and plant layouts
• Understanding of civil, electrical, process engineering and project management
• Strong technical judgement and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent communication skills for presenting technical proposals
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to programme
• Commitment to health and safety, quality and engineering excellence

• leadership
• communication
• stakeholder management
• pumping systems
• pipework design
• valves

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