Senior / Principal Design Engineer
Job Description & Overview
Principal Design Engineers – Electrical, Mechanical, Process & Civil
Location: UK-wide – flexible location
Site Requirement: Approximately 3 days per month on site
Employment Type: Permanent or Freelance – PAYE only
Gearing Recruitment Solutions are working on behalf of our client, an established organisation within the UK water sector, to recruit experienced Principal Design Engineers across Electrical, Mechanical, Process and Civil disciplines.
This is an excellent opportunity for experienced Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Process Engineers and Civil Engineers to take a senior technical leadership role across major water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
Candidates can be based anywhere in the UK, with the flexibility to work remotely and attend project sites approximately 3 days per month.
The Role
As a Principal Design Engineer, you will provide technical leadership within your specialist discipline, working across complex water and wastewater projects from concept and detailed design through to construction, commissioning and handover.
You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, Project Managers, clients, contractors and other stakeholders to develop safe, practical, compliant and commercially effective engineering solutions.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and delivery of complex Electrical, Mechanical, Process or Civil Engineering solutions across water and wastewater projects.
- Provide technical leadership and guidance to multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Produce, review and approve discipline-specific designs, calculations, drawings, specifications and technical documentation.
- Develop practical and cost-effective engineering solutions that meet client, regulatory and operational requirements.
- Coordinate effectively across civil, mechanical, electrical, process and ICA engineering disciplines.
- Provide technical input from concept and feasibility through detailed design, construction and commissioning.
- Undertake technical reviews and provide engineering assurance across projects.
- Identify and manage technical risks and resolve complex engineering challenges.
- Support project strategies, bids and delivery methodologies.
- Work closely with clients, contractors, suppliers and internal teams.
- Mentor and support engineers, helping develop technical capability across the business.
About You
We are looking for experienced Principal Engineers, Senior Engineers or Lead Engineers with a strong design background in one of the following areas:
Electrical | Mechanical | Process | Civil Engineering
You will ideally have:
- A relevant degree or equivalent qualification in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical/Process Engineering, Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
- Significant experience delivering engineering design within the UK water and wastewater sector.
- Strong technical knowledge within your specialist discipline.
- Experience working on water treatment, wastewater treatment or associated infrastructure projects.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering design projects.
- Strong understanding of the interfaces between civil, mechanical, electrical, process and ICA engineering.
- Experience producing and reviewing engineering calculations, designs, drawings, specifications and technical documentation.
- Strong technical judgement and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
- A commitment to health, safety, quality and engineering excellence.
Desirable: CEng or working towards chartership, experience acting as a technical reviewer/approver, and experience mentoring or managing engineering teams.
What's on Offer?
- Senior technical leadership opportunities across Electrical, Mechanical, Process and Civil Engineering.
- Major UK water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
- UK-wide location flexibility.
- Approximately 3 days per month on site.
- Opportunity to work within experienced multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Competitive permanent salary and benefits package.
- Freelance opportunities considered – PAYE only.
- Genuine opportunities for technical and professional development.
Apply
If you're an experienced Electrical, Mechanical, Process or Civil Design Engineer looking to take the next step into a Principal-level role within the water sector, we'd be keen to hear from you.
Apply now or contact Gearing Recruitment Solutions for a confidential discussion
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Key Details
- Date Posted: 28 Sep 2026
- Location: Birmingham, West Midlands (County)
- Employment Type: Permanent, Contract
- Category: Engineering
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