Mechanical Design Engineer

Costain Group PLC; Pontefract; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction and engineering company in the UK is seeking a Mechanical Project Engineer to support water sector projects from design to commissioning. This role involves managing mechanical packages, ensuring safety and quality throughout the project lifecycle. The ideal candidate has relevant engineering qualifications, project management experience, and strong stakeholder engagement skills. This position requires flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic environment, with collaboration across various teams to deliver successful outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience of delivering mechanical packages across the project lifecycle in a collaborative delivery environment.
• Excellent knowledge of relevant regulations including Construction Design & Management Regulations.
• Able to understand relevant engineering technical standards.

Responsibilities

• Proactively promote health, safety and wellbeing in every aspect of design and delivery.
• Manage mechanical packages, design and installation coordination.
• Provide accurate and timely project performance reports, ensuring project contracts are met.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Project lifecycle management

Package management

Health and safety compliance

Adaptability

Team collaboration

Education

Relevant engineering or project management qualification

CSCS certification

Driving licence

Job description

Costain have won extensive work across the water sector this year to support the AMP 8 investment cycle. We have been appointed by United Utilities as one of seven partners to Enterprise, delivering £5.5bn of projects in the Asset Management Period 8 (AMP 8) between 2025 – 2030, and AMP 9 (2030 – 2035). Our scope is to provide project management, design, construction and commissioning services on design‑and‑build schemes throughout the North West and Cumbria region covered by United Utilities. Projects vary in value from £10 m – c£600 m covering both infrastructure and non‑infrastructure assets on water and wastewater sites with wider Enterprise partners. We are recruiting for a Mechanical Project Engineer to support the delivery of our United Utilities (UU) AMP 8 projects, supporting them from outline design through to commissioning and handover. Working across the project lifecycle there will be a mix of office, remote and site‑based demand on your time.

Responsibilities

• Proactively promote health, safety and wellbeing in every aspect of design and delivery.
• Manage mechanical packages, design and installation and all necessary coordination.
• Support relevant HAZOP/HAZCON and wider project meetings as required.
• Collaborate with the wider engineering team to ensure a robust and realistic sequence of construction, programme and budget for the whole project, and support the development of mechanical aspects and interfaces with wider delivery.
• Co‑ordinate with pre‑construction, delivery and wider teams to develop compliant, safe, considered solutions and address technical challenges.
• Champion high‑quality delivery from the outset of design; develop processes, systems and initiatives to drive a high‑quality, right‑first‑time culture.
• Ensure good working relationships are established with site operating teams, supply‑chain partners and wider stakeholders.
• Provide accurate and timely project performance reports, ensuring projects are on track and contract requirements are met; share and celebrate success, develop improvement plans and implement mitigation strategies as required.
• Ensure appropriate permits, records and checks are undertaken through installation to meet contract requirements.
• Collaborate with the wider Costain framework team (including supply chain) to support efficient and effective delivery and drive continuous improvement.

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that discloses they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. In certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people. For more details please go to the Disability Confident website: Disability Confident.

Qualifications

• Relevant engineering or project management qualification.
• CSCS certification.
• Driving licence.
• Experience of delivering mechanical packages across the project lifecycle in a collaborative delivery environment.
• Ability to engage and build strong relationships with stakeholders, motivating, influencing and striving for mutual success.
• Excellent knowledge of relevant regulations including but not limited to Construction Design & Management Regulations and the Costain Way Requirements in respect of temporary works, lifting, commissioning and handover.
• Able to understand relevant engineering technical standards.
• Package management experience and contract awareness to effectively manage subcontract teams.
• Solution‑focused and passionate about improving performance in the sector through best practice, process improvements and continuous improvement practices.
• Able to work and learn quickly in a fast‑paced, fun and dynamic environment.
• Care about doing a great job and exceeding expectations with the quality of what you do.
• Flexibility and adaptability to be able to respond rapidly to unexpected events, having the ability to shape our responses appropriately.

Desirable:

• Water industry experience.
• Bio‑resources experience.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary teams over multiple locations.
• Experience of working with both construction and design teams.
• A personal drive for continued professional development.