Design Engineer

Laing O'Rourke; Dartford; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension - basic & enhanced

Annual leave

Employee assistance programme

Discounts portal

Job summary

Laing O'Rourke in the United Kingdom seeks a Senior Design Engineer to produce drawings, calculations, and specifications for permanent and temporary works, and to support live projects and tenders with buildability and value engineering. You’ll lead junior engineers, mentor development, and check outputs to ensure compliance with Eurocodes.

Strong technical background across steel, reinforced concrete, timber, and geotechnical design is essential, with familiarity in falsework, formwork and

Qualifications

• Strong technical background with Eurocodes.
• Geotechnical design experience is advantageous.
• Familiarity with falsework, formwork and shoring systems.

Responsibilities

• Help ensure designs are efficient and cost-effective by applying experience and judgement.
• Manage time and external design support, and track workload.
• Provide regular updates to the Lead Engineer.
• Ensure designs meet health and safety legislation and company standards.
• Carry out design risk assessments and communicate remaining risks.
• Produce designs and drawings using CAD, BIM and other tools.
• Mentor junior engineers and support their development.
• Check others' designs and ensure quality procedures.
• Contribute to tenders with outline methods and pricing inputs.

Job description

As a Senior Design Engineer, you'll be responsible for producing drawings, calculations, and specifications for a wide range of permanent and temporary works. You'll also play a key role in supporting live projects and tenders by offering practical advice on buildability, construction methods, and value engineering. You may also take the lead in managing junior engineers-supporting them day-to-day, mentoring their development, and checking their work to make sure everything meets the required standards. A strong technical background is essential. You should be comfortable designing with common structural materials like steel, reinforced concrete, and timber, using Eurocodes. Experience with geotechnical design and familiarity with falsework, formwork, and shoring systems will be a big advantage.

What You'll Be Doing Commercial & Project Management

• Help ensure designs are efficient and cost-effective by applying your experience and judgement
• Manage your time (and others' where needed) effectively, including use of software and external design support
• Keep track of your workload and provide regular updates to the Lead Engineer

Safety & Compliance

• Make sure all designs meet relevant health and safety legislation (CDM, LOLER, PUWER, etc.)
• Follow company safety and quality systems
• Take ownership of your designs and ensure the right level of checking is applied
• Carry out design risk assessments and clearly communicate any remaining risks
• Include key details like load limits, pour rates, and performance constraints on drawings
• Highlight any safety-critical elements and recommend inspections or tests where needed
• Provide clear construction sequence information to support site teams
• Stay up to date with safety alerts and standards, and reflect these in your work
• Carry out site visits if required to ensure designs are being followed correctly

Engineering & Innovation

• Develop practical, buildable, and innovative engineering solutions
• Use tools like FE analysis and 3D modelling where appropriate
• Design using industry standards across steel, concrete, and timber
• Contribute geotechnical input where needed (e.g. excavations, slopes, working platforms)
• Consider all load cases, including temporary conditions during construction
• Review and check designs from others, including junior engineers
• Ensure construction methods don't compromise permanent works designs
• Communicate clearly with designers, planners, and site teams
• Support tenders with outline methods, pricing inputs, and technical advice
• Produce designs and drawings using CAD, BIM, and other available tools

Team & Development

• Support and mentor junior engineers on the team
• Share knowledge and help develop internal training where needed
• Keep your own skills up to date through training, learning, and professional development

Quality & Processes

• Follow quality procedures for checking and approving designs and documents
• Make sure everything is properly recorded and filed with document control teams
• Contribute ideas to improve processes and ways of working

Laing O'Rourke are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia. Certainty, reliability, quality - this is what our clients want. And at Laing O'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O'Rourke's story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.

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Our Benefits

• Private medical insurance
• Life assurance
• Personal accident and injury insurance
• Income protection
• Pension - basic & enhanced
• Annual leave
• Discounts portal
• Online doctor
• Voluntary benefits
• Work-life benefits
• Employee assistance programme
• Car/travel allowance
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