Principal Engineer (North West or London Regions)

Job description

Civil Engineering Recruitment is acting as the recruitment partner for this role. This position is with a leading UK civil engineering contractor, not an internal role within Civil Engineering Recruitment.

Company Description

Civil Engineering Recruitment was founded and is led by a Chartered Civil Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, bringing over 20 years of hands‑on industry experience to specialist recruitment. We focus on sourcing high‑calibre professionals across the UK construction and infrastructure sectors, combining technical understanding with a people‑focused, results‑driven approach.

With deep insight into engineering, commercial, and operational delivery, we align candidates with both project requirements and organisational goals.

We are currently supporting our client with recruitment for the following role:

Principal Engineer - Permanent · Full‑time / North West or London Regions

An excellent opportunity for a Principal Civil/Structural Engineer to take a leading role in the delivery of permanent works design across major UK infrastructure projects. This position provides technical leadership across multiple concurrent schemes, ensuring high‑quality, buildable and safe engineering solutions from early design through to delivery.

This position offers long‑term programme security, genuine technical ownership and clear progression pathways.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the single engineering point of contact across multiple projects, with responsibility for technical deliverables, quality, programme and cost
• Report directly to the Senior Engineering Manager, providing clear updates on progress, risks and resource needs
• Represent engineering in collaborative project meetings, ensuring coordinated and integrated solutions
• Carry out civil and structural design work and act as design checker for outputs produced by other engineers
• Prepare fully integrated permanent works proposals and solutions to support bids and project delivery requirements
• Manage the design work of internal engineers and external designers, ensuring outputs meet scope, programme and quality expectations
• Undertake site visits to review progress, resolve technical issues and ensure alignment between design intent and construction
• Collate feedback on engineering solutions and contribute to lessons‑learned reviews and continuous improvement initiatives

Key Requirements

• HND, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil Engineering (or related discipline)
• Chartered Engineer (ICE or IStructE) preferred, or working towards chartership
• Proven track record delivering civil and structural permanent works to cost and programme
• Strong experience producing technically sound designs with a clear focus on buildability
• Good understanding of CESWI and relevant civil engineering standards
• Strong understanding of engineering principles and structural behaviour

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

City of London

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

06-05-2026

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English