Principal Design Engineer

Alexander Associates; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Alexander Associates is seeking a Principal Design Engineer in Edinburgh to lead water and wastewater design across UK projects for a Tier 1 contractor. You will provide technical leadership, review design documentation, and mentor engineers while ensuring compliance with standards and client expectations.

You will coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, support procurement and site teams, drive best practice, and build strong client relationships.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Civil Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent qualification.
• Significant experience within the municipal water and wastewater sector.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or working towards chartership.
• Experience within a contractor, consultancy, or design-and-build environment.
• Strong knowledge of water and wastewater assets, including buried and above-ground systems, treatment processes, inlet works, settlement tanks, final effluent systems, chambers, and associated civil structures.
• Strong understanding of health and safety legislation, British Standards, and industry regulations.
• Experience working within quality assurance and health and safety management systems.
• Ability to review and approve engineering calculations, reports, specifications, and design documentation.
• Experience undertaking hydraulic calculations and assessments.
• Knowledge of structural design for water-retaining structures and reinforced concrete detailing.
• Experience leading technical discussions with clients and developing engineering solutions.
• Experience leading design reviews, progress meetings, and site meetings.
• Working knowledge of NEC contracts.
• Understanding of quality, environmental, and health and safety management systems.
• Strong communication and technical report-writing skills.
• Proven ability to lead teams and deliver projects to programme and budget.
• Experience coordinating suppliers, subcontractors, construction teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Understanding of design planning, resource allocation, and programme management.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.
• A passion for mentoring and developing engineers.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary water and wastewater projects.
• Deliver high-quality engineering solutions alongside Design Managers, Discipline Managers, Design Leads, and Principal Engineers.
• Act as a technical authority, resolving complex engineering challenges and driving technical excellence.
• Ensure designs meet relevant standards, regulations, client requirements, and project objectives.
• Provide governance and technical assurance across your discipline.
• Coordinate with other engineering disciplines to support integrated project delivery.
• Support procurement, construction, commissioning, and site teams with technical expertise.
• Drive innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering best practice.
• Mentor and develop engineers and designers.
• Provide technical oversight and line management where required.
• Build strong relationships with clients, suppliers, stakeholders, and project teams.

Skills

Technical leadership

Hydraulic calculations

Design reviews

Project management

Health and safety knowledge

NEC contracts understanding

Communication

Education

Civil Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer (CEng)

Working towards chartership

Job description

Principal Design Engineer

Location: Edinburgh

Contract Type: Permanent | Full Time

We have a Principal Design Engineer opportunity with a leading Tier 1 contractor delivering major infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects across the UK water sector. The role focuses on the design and delivery of water and wastewater schemes, including pipelines, pumping stations, treatment facilities, and associated civil engineering assets.

You will:

• Provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary water and wastewater projects.
• Deliver high-quality engineering solutions alongside Design Managers, Discipline Managers, Design Leads, and Principal Engineers.
• Act as a technical authority, resolving complex engineering challenges and driving technical excellence.
• Ensure designs meet relevant standards, regulations, client requirements, and project objectives.
• Provide governance and technical assurance across your discipline.
• Coordinate with other engineering disciplines to support integrated project delivery.
• Support procurement, construction, commissioning, and site teams with technical expertise.
• Drive innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering best practice.
• Mentor and develop engineers and designers.
• Provide technical oversight and line management where required.
• Build strong relationships with clients, suppliers, stakeholders, and project teams.

About You

• Degree qualified in Civil Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent qualification.
• Significant experience within the municipal water and wastewater sector.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or working towards chartership.
• Experience within a contractor, consultancy, or design-and-build environment.
• Strong knowledge of water and wastewater assets, including buried and above-ground systems, treatment processes, inlet works, settlement tanks, final effluent systems, chambers, and associated civil structures.
• Strong understanding of health and safety legislation, British Standards, and industry regulations.
• Experience working within quality assurance and health and safety management systems.
• Ability to review and approve engineering calculations, reports, specifications, and design documentation.
• Experience undertaking hydraulic calculations and assessments.
• Knowledge of structural design for water-retaining structures and reinforced concrete detailing.
• Experience leading technical discussions with clients and developing engineering solutions.
• Experience leading design reviews, progress meetings, and site meetings.
• Working knowledge of NEC contracts.
• Understanding of quality, environmental, and health and safety management systems.
• Strong communication and technical report-writing skills.
• Proven ability to lead teams and deliver projects to programme and budget.
• Experience coordinating suppliers, subcontractors, construction teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Understanding of design planning, resource allocation, and programme management.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.
• A passion for mentoring and developing engineers.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a leading Tier 1 contractor at the forefront of the UK water industry. You will play a key role in delivering critical water infrastructure projects while helping shape engineering standards, innovation, and future talent within a collaborative and supportive environment