Principal Designer

SYSTRA UK & Ireland; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

SYSTRA is seeking a Principal Designer (Rail) to join the System Safety team in the UK. You will lead CDM 2015 compliance during pre‑construction, guide design teams to achieve health and safety outcomes, and coordinate with clients, designers and contractors to ensure regulatory requirements are met.

The role demands extensive railway sector experience, chartered status, and strong risk management and communication skills to drive safe, compliant project delivery.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience applying CDM 2015 in multi‑disciplinary rail projects.
• Significant railway industry exposure at senior designer/lead engineer level.
• Chartered membership with IOSH, ICE, APS or equivalent.
• Holder of NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent) and/or Design Certification.
• Strong knowledge of UK rail design standards and EU/UK standards.
• Proven risk assessment and design risk management expertise.
• Excellent communication to chair multi‑disciplinary meetings.
• Ability to plan and manage workload effectively.
• Auditing of projects and processes for improvement.

Responsibilities

• Deliver Principal Designer duties under CDM 2015 during pre‑construction.
• Oversee design team to support health and safety outcomes.
• Liaise with client, designers, and contractors to meet CDM requirements.
• Report project developments and CDM compliance to the client.
• Participate in Design Risk Management and Best Practice forums.
• Maintain hazard management assurance throughout projects.
• Monitor projects to identify lessons and improvement opportunities.
• Contribute to SYSTRA focus groups and governance forums.
• Promote design risk management across the company and client projects.
• Lead hazard identification and design reviews, including constructability workshops.
• Support business development and process improvements.
• Provide guidance on CDM and regulatory requirements for pipelines.

Skills

CDM 2015 knowledge

Railway sector experience

Chartered engineer

NEBOSH Diploma

Design risk management

Effective communicator

Workload planning

Coordination across teams

Auditing experience

Regulatory compliance

Education

Chartered professional engineer

NEBOSH Diploma or Design Certification

Job description

Around the world, SYSTRA’s specialists plan, design, integrate, test, commission, project manage and deliver mass transit and mobility solutions that are relied on by more than 50 million people every day.

For more than 60 years, the Group has been committed to helping cities and regions contribute to their development by creating, improving and modernising their transport infrastructure with sustainability, accessibility and innovation at the heart of our designs. With over 10,300 colleagues globally and around 1,000 in the UK & Ireland we are growing significantly and seeking out the very best talent to join the SYSTRA signature team and be part of leading the way in infrastructure design.

Context

SYSTRA is one of the world’s leading engineering and consulting groups, specialising in infrastructure and mobility solutions. In the UK & Ireland, SYSTRA has been creating, improving and modernising infrastructure for more than 50 years.

SYSTRA works in partnership with clients to deliver outstanding infrastructure solutions. We solve challenges with our multi‑disciplinary expertise in design, consultancy, project management, engineering and construction supervision – supporting the delivery of major infrastructure projects across the transport, energy, environmental and built‑environment sectors. Our work creates inspirational places and systems that connect people seamlessly, enhance well‑being, stimulate economies, and provide a sustainable legacy for future generations.

Missions / Main Duties

Principal Designer (Rail)

Join the System Safety team to support the delivery of the Principal Designer duties (under an organisational capacity).

Main Duties

• Work with SYSTRA and client projects to ensure compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 throughout the pre‑construction phase, delivering the Principal Designer duties (Regulation 11).
• Oversee and support the design team to ensure the design work in the pre‑construction phase contributes to the delivery of positive health and safety outcomes.
• Liaise with key duty holders including the client, designers, principal contractor, as well as other parties, to ensure CDM requirements are met.
• Regularly report to the client on project developments and issues related to CDM 2015 compliance.
• Attend and provide input to client projects or Systra forums as required, promoting Design Risk Management best practices.
• Implement and maintain hazard management assurance processes to ensure the highest standards of CDM compliance.
• Undertake regular monitoring and inspection of company projects from a CDM perspective to report on levels of compliance, identify lessons learned, and highlight opportunities for improvement.
• Provide input to SYSTRA focus groups where requested, including the Technical Board or Safe by Design Group.
• Promote effective design risk management throughout the company as well as client projects.
• Facilitate hazard identification, hazard review, constructability reviews, and other design focussed workshops.
• Assist the company with business development and continual improvement through collaboration with other disciplines to enhance SYSTRA’s service delivery and processes.
• Provide guidance and management on issues involving CDM and general construction activities, as well as other regulatory requirements relating to SYSTRA’s portfolio of works.

Profile / Skills

• Highly knowledgeable and experienced in the successful application and management of CDM 2015, especially in duties relating to the Principal Designer role within a multi‑disciplinary railway major project environment.
• Significant experience in the railway industry working at a similar level (Principal Designer/ Senior Designer/ Lead Engineer).
• Chartered member of a relevant professional institution (e.g. IOSH, ICE, APS).
• Holder of a NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent) and/or Design Certification.
• Strong experience and knowledge of engineering design and construction principles and standards (rail industry experience advantageous).
• Good knowledge of engineering design standards for the UK Rail Network and for British and European Standards.
• Highly skilled in risk assessment and design risk management processes and techniques.
• Effective communicator, capable of chairing and controlling multi‑disciplinary meetings.
• Able to manage and plan workload effectively.
• Able to foster high levels of cooperation and coordination between project teams and individual members.
• Able to perform effectively on both complex multi‑disciplinary and simpler projects while working alongside design teams.
• Experienced in auditing projects and processes.
• Solid understanding of the General Principals of Prevention and their application and promotion throughout the design phase.