Civil Engineer

Elements Green; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Elements Green is seeking a Project Engineer – Civil to provide owner-side civil engineering support for UK BESS and renewable energy projects. You will assess buildability, review designs and support construction quality through acquisition, pre-construction and handover.

You will work with Project Managers, Technical Leads and EPC contractors to identify risks, coordinate civil interfaces and ensure compliance with consented requirements across concurrent projects.

Qualifications

• Civil/structural engineering degree or equivalent

Responsibilities

• Attend site to review civil progress and conformance with drawings and specs.
• Review drainage, foundations, earthworks and access for compliance with project requirements.
• Coordinate civil interfaces with electrical work and OEM tolerances.
• Support risk, quality and reporting across multiple projects.

Skills

Civil engineering experience

Earthworks

Foundations

Drainage

Site coordination

CAD

Drawing review

Contractor interface

Education

Degree in civil or structural engineering

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Reporting to: Principal Electrical Engineer

Type: Full-time, Employed

Role Overview

We are seeking a Project Engineer – Civil to provide owner-side civil engineering support across Elements Green’s UK BESS and renewable energy portfolio. The role will assess buildability, review civil design and support construction quality from acquisition and pre-construction through handover.

The successful candidate will work closely with Project Managers, project Technical Leads, designers and EPC contractors to identify ground, drainage, access and structural risks early and ensure construction reflects approved requirements.

The role reports to the Engineering Director under the proposed line-management structure, who will oversee civil technical assurance, with this position providing specialist inputs. Day-to-day project priorities are agreed with the Project Manager and Technical Lead.

Regular UK site attendance is required, with travel planned around project needs. The role will work across concurrent projects and support a consistent approach to risk, quality and reporting throughout the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Civil Due Diligence & Buildability

• Review topographic, geotechnical, drainage and flood-risk information to identify constraints, survey gaps and potential cost or programme exposure.
• Assess site layouts, earthworks, cut and fill, access routes, abnormal-load access, crane positions and construction logistics.
• Provide proportionate buildability and value-engineering input during acquisitions and pre-construction, clearly identifying assumptions and further investigations.
• Identify risks associated with long cable routes, third-party crossings, buried services and off-site access works. Prioritise further surveys and quantify the likely effects of uncertainty for the acquisition team.

Design Review & Coordination

• Review foundations, equipment plinths, roads, drainage, cable trenches, ducting, retaining structures and compound designs against project requirements.
• Coordinate civil interfaces with electrical equipment, earthing, cable routes and OEM tolerances, ensuring responsibilities and design information are clear.
• Track design comments and approvals with competent designers, checking that planning conditions and environmental requirements are incorporated.
• Review load assumptions, equipment foundation tolerances, flood levels and drainage outfalls with specialist designers. Check that design changes remain within the consented site envelope and agreed land rights.

Construction & Quality Assurance

• Attend site to review civil progress, workmanship and compliance with approved drawings, specifications and inspection and test plans.
• Review evidence for ground preparation, compaction, concrete, reinforcement, drainage testing and setting out, including agreed hold and witness points.
• Record non-conformances, inspect remedial works and maintain a clear audit trail. Escalate departures before they become concealed or affect subsequent activities.
• Maintain traceable inspection records before works are covered, including survey levels, compaction results, reinforcement checks and concrete test evidence. Use risk-based sampling to target the most consequential defects.

Programme, Cost & Contractor Interfaces

• Support the Project Manager in reviewing construction sequencing, quantities, progress and contractor recovery proposals.
• Assess the technical basis of civil changes and unforeseen-condition claims with the Senior Project Manager, identifying effects on scope, cost and programme.
• Coordinate responses to technical queries and manage design interfaces with utilities, neighbouring land and access stakeholders.
• Review civil scope schedules and quantities during tendering and support technical bid clarifications. Identify exclusions that could create gaps between EPC, grid and battery supplier packages.

Safety, Completion & Handover

• Contribute to design risk reviews and work with the H&S Advisor on excavation, temporary works, lifting and other civil construction risks.
• Review completion evidence, survey records, as-built drawings, test results and outstanding defects before recommending acceptance of civil works.
• Provide accurate reporting and lessons learned. Formal design approval, temporary-works appointments and contractual instructions remain with authorised parties.

Candidate Profile

• Civil engineering experience on infrastructure, energy or industrial construction projects.
• Practical understanding of earthworks, foundations, drainage, access roads and underground services.
• Experience reviewing drawings and specifications, inspecting works and managing quality records and defects.
• Ability to interpret ground investigations and identify when specialist design or further investigation is needed.
• Experience coordinating civil and electrical interfaces, with practical construction safety and design-risk awareness.
• Ability to review civil design calculations and survey information, identify inconsistencies and obtain competent specialist review where necessary.
• Competence using CAD or drawing-review software and spreadsheets to interrogate layouts, quantities and technical submissions.
• Utility-scale BESS, solar PV, substation or grid infrastructure experience.
• Experience of acquisition due diligence, civil quantities and contractor change assessments.
• Engineering judgement: Identifies material design and buildability risks.
• Attention to detail: Maintains reliable inspection records and follows issues through.
• Collaboration: Works confidently with contractors and technical specialists.
• Delivery focus: Prioritises critical issues and provides clear records, recommendations and escalation rather than relying solely on contractor reporting.

Qualifications

• Degree, HND or equivalent professional experience in civil or structural engineering. Membership of ICE or IStructE, or progress towards professional registration, would be advantageous.