Principal Civil Engineer - Urban Development

Arcadis; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a career-driven Principal Engineer – Urban Development to lead engineering activities focused on sustainable development and safety standards. The role involves collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and management of design deliverables. Candidates should be degree qualified with a chartered status and possess a proven track record in civil engineering.

Key expertise includes drainage, utilities, and project management. Strong knowledge of relevant design standards and tools like MicroDrainage and AutoCAD Civil3D is essential.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in civil engineering and urban development design.
• Strong knowledge of design standards including SuDS and Building Regulations.
• Skilled at leading teams and supporting professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering activities aligned with sustainable development.
• Manage design deliverables including BIM models and reports.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and technicians.

Skills

Civil engineering

Urban development

MicroDrainage/InfoDrainage

AutoCAD Civil3D

Project management

Client relations

Education

Degree qualified

Chartered or Incorporated status

Tools

BIM integration

Job description

Principal Engineer – Urban Development

We are seeking a career‑driven Principal Engineer with proven experience in civil engineering and urban development for building projects. Key expertise includes surface and foul drainage, utilities, ground and earthworks, and highway interfaces. Experience in Industrial Manufacturing, Tech or Defence projects is a plus.

Role Accountabilities

• Lead engineering activities aligned with sustainable development and Arcadis Health & Safety standards.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure cohesive, high‑quality design solutions.
• Define and implement project collaboration strategies with global design teams.
• Manage design deliverables: drawings, BIM models, reports and specifications.
• Review team outputs and attend project meetings to maintain accuracy.
• Oversee engineering management aligned with Arcadis Integrated Management System.
• Own Designer Hazard Logs and communicate residual risks to Principal Designer.
• Coordinate project planning, resource allocation and team management.
• Maintain Design Decision Logs and Project Assumptions registers.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers, technicians and apprentices.

Qualifications And Experience

• Degree qualified with Chartered or Incorporated status; near‑chartered candidates considered.
• Proven track record in civil engineering and urban development design and delivery, including drainage, highways and utilities.
• Proficient in MicroDrainage/InfoDrainage, AutoCAD Civil3D and BIM integration.
• Strong knowledge of design standards (SuDS, SfA, DMRB, Building Regulations).
• Experienced in project management: planning, programming, commercial and client relations.
• Skilled at leading teams and supporting professional development.
• Apply evidence‑based engineering solutions with sound theoretical knowledge.
• Competent in manual calculation methods alongside software tools.

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people.

We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.