Principal Drainage Engineer

ARUP; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the UK water industry is seeking a professional to join their Sheffield team. The role focuses on stormwater management and involves business development, project management, and technical contributions. Ideal candidates will have experience in civil engineering and a passion for nature-based solutions. Responsibilities include leading projects, engaging with clients, and mentoring junior staff. This is an opportunity to contribute to innovative flood resilience projects and make a significant impact in urban environments.

Qualifications

• Experience in civil engineering design or delivery within water sectors.
• Familiar with regulated industries like water and highways.

Responsibilities

• Winning work through bids and proposals.
• Leading projects and client interactions.
• Providing line management and development for junior staff.

Skills

Project Management

Business Development

Technical Contributions

Nature-based Solutions

Hydraulic Modeling

Education

Civil Engineering

Environmental Science

Tools

InfoDrainage

microDrainage

Job description

Joining Arup

The successful design, development, and maintenance of water infrastructure require the integration of many disciplines. Arup’s water team has wide-ranging skills spanning advisory and technical services, applied to projects such as flood risk management, water resource planning, dam engineering, treatment works design, and river engineering.

The main focus of Arup’s Water team in Sheffield is stormwater management. We advise clients on flood risk at strategic and site levels, model water movement and risks using hydraulic models, and design nature-based solutions to manage stormwater, benefiting both urban and rural environments. Our team has experienced strong growth, driven by rising demand for practical, proven solutions.

Arup has a strong UK water industry presence, working with major water companies, local authorities, and the Environment Agency. We have secured significant AMP8 framework commissions with United Utilities, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, and Severn Trent Water.

Watch this short clip to discover how Arup is shaping a better world and how you could be part of it!

The Opportunity

In Sheffield, Arup is leading efforts to retrofit blue-green infrastructure at scale to reduce flood risk and pollution, winning awards for these initiatives. As part of the Mansfield Sustainable Flood Resilience project, we helped Severn Trent design and implement urban flood resilience schemes based on biodiverse interventions instead of traditional drainage, transforming towns into sponges that capture large surface water volumes. We collaborate closely with landscape teams and other disciplines to create solutions with multiple environmental and social benefits. Our clients are eager to increase investments in retrofit blue-green infrastructure to address urban flooding issues.

In this role, you will support our team with business development, project management, and technical contributions. Responsibilities include:

1. Winning work through bids and proposals
2. Leading projects and client interactions
3. Providing hands-on project input as a project manager or technical expert, and preparing technical reports
4. Reviewing work to ensure high standards
5. Engaging with government, authorities, and major clients, potentially speaking at conferences
6. Providing line management and development for junior staff
7. Monitoring project and team budgets for favorable outcomes

Is this role right for you?

We seek a professional eager to contribute to our growth and vision, with experience in civil engineering design or delivery within water or related sectors. Your background could be as an engineer, scientist, or in a related discipline. You should be passionate about nature-based solutions, digitally curious, and interested in leveraging digital tools for complex problem-solving. We value diversity in education and experience, and we want someone committed to advancing blue-green infrastructure benefits in the UK.

Ideal candidates will be:

• Confident across different design stages
• Experienced in winning work and leading teams
• Familiar with regulated industries like water and highways
• Enthusiastic about blue-green infrastructure, SuDS, and nature-based solutions
• Knowledgeable in hydraulic and hydrological modeling software such as InfoDrainage/microDrainage
• Curious about digital innovations to improve design efficiency

For questions or to connect before applying, contact [e-mail]. Please do not send CVs directly via email to ensure GDPR compliance.