Principal EC&I Engineer

Progressive Recruitment; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Progressive Recruitment is seeking an experienced Principal EC&I Engineer to lead the delivery of Electrical, Control & Instrumentation solutions in highly regulated environments. You will design and deliver bespoke special-purpose machinery from concept through to manufacture, commissioning and handover.

You will provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary teams, ensuring all outputs meet customer requirements, industry standards, programme milestones, and budget constraints.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical, Control, or Instrumentation Engineering.
• Significant experience delivering EC&I in complex environments.
• Proven track record leading engineering teams and delivering projects.
• Extensive experience designing bespoke special-purpose machinery or complex systems.
• Strong knowledge of engineering design lifecycle processes.
• Experience producing and reviewing detailed engineering documentation.
• Experience managing budgets, schedules, and resources.

Responsibilities

• Lead EC&I work packages and design solutions.
• Translate requirements into practical, compliant engineering designs.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to engineers and designers.
• Ensure outputs meet quality, safety, regulatory and customer requirements.
• Support manufacturing, testing, commissioning and site installation.

Skills

EC&I engineering

Project leadership

Regulatory compliance

Systems integration

Technical documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Control/Instrumentation Engineering

Tools

PLC

SCADA

DCS

Job description

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced Principal EC&I Engineer to lead the delivery of Electrical, Control & Instrumentation engineering solutions within highly regulated and safety-critical environments.

A key priority for this role is the design and delivery of bespoke special-purpose machinery, requiring a strong background in developing innovative, fit-for-purpose engineering solutions from concept through to manufacture, commissioning, and client handover.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams, ensuring that all engineering deliverables are compliant with customer requirements, industry standards, programme milestones, and budget constraints.

Key Role Priorities

Essential Requirement

• Proven experience in the design and development of bespoke special-purpose machinery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead engineering projects through the full lifecycle from concept design to installation and commissioning.
• Experience integrating electrical, controls, instrumentation, and mechanical systems into complete engineering solutions.
• Ability to provide technical leadership and direction to engineering teams delivering complex projects.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to obtain and maintain SC Clearance.
• Experience working within highly regulated sectors such as Nuclear, Defence, Aerospace, Rail, Energy, or Industrial Automation is advantageous.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Lead the delivery of EC&I engineering work packages and design solutions.
• Interpret customer and design input requirements into practical, compliant engineering solutions.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentoring to engineers and designers.
• Ensure engineering outputs meet quality, safety, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Support manufacturing, testing, commissioning, and site installation activities.

Engineering Design & Delivery

• Supervise, verify, and produce engineering design deliverables.
• Ensure designs are delivered in accordance with programme, budget, and technical requirements.
• Produce and review technical documentation including:
• Electrical schematics
• General Arrangement (GA) drawings
• Cable schedules
• Calculations and technical assessments
• Functional Design Specifications (FDS)
• Software Design Documentation
• Technical Files
• Operation & Maintenance Manuals
• Spare Parts Lists
• Test Documentation and Procedures
• Support the selection and verification of purchased equipment and supplier solutions.
• Implement design change control processes and identify contract variation opportunities.

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering, Control Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Significant experience delivering EC&I engineering solutions within complex engineering environments.
• Proven track record leading engineering teams and technical project delivery.
• Extensive experience designing bespoke special-purpose machinery or complex industrial systems.
• Strong understanding of engineering design lifecycle processes.
• Experience producing and reviewing detailed engineering documentation.
• Demonstrable experience managing project budgets, schedules, and resources.

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or working towards chartership.
• Membership of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) or equivalent professional body.
• Nuclear industry experience.
• Defence or security-cleared project experience.
• Knowledge of Functional Safety standards including IEC 61508.
• Experience of PLC, SCADA, DCS, control systems, and industrial automation technologies.
• Understanding of machinery directives and CE/UKCA compliance processes.