Principal EICA Engineer

Southern Water; Brighton; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Water is seeking a Principal EICA Engineer to lead electrical, instrumentation, control and automation across water and wastewater capital delivery programmes. You will drive design governance, ensure safety and quality, and shape technical standards while collaborating with stakeholders and the supply chain.

You will guide multidisciplinary teams, develop innovative solutions, and support capability development across the discipline.

Qualifications

• Degree or HNC in Electrical & Electronic Engineering.
• Chartered Engineer status with IET.
• Significant UK water industry project delivery experience.
• Strong knowledge of EICA engineering principles and standards.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage budgets.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and governance across EICA activities in water/wastewater projects.
• Lead development, review and approval of designs, calculations, specifications, and docs.
• Manage complex technical challenges with safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee programme performance, budgets and whole-life cost solutions.
• Build relationships with stakeholders, consultants and delivery partners.
• Drive innovation, standardisation and digital engineering adoption.
• Mentor junior engineers and support recruitment and capability development.
• Contribute to engineering standards and represent Southern Water at events.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Presentation

Commercial awareness

Education

Electrical & Electronic Engineering degree

Job description

Closing Date: 2026-11-13

Title: Principal EICA Engineer

Location: Falmer, Sussex

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: Competitive

About The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Principal EICA Engineer to join Southern Water's Engineering team. This is a senior technical leadership role, responsible for providing expertise, direction and governance across Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation (EICA) disciplines within our water and wastewater capital delivery programmes. You'll lead multidisciplinary design teams, drive the development of innovative engineering solutions and ensure the successful delivery of projects to the highest standards of safety, quality and performance. Working closely with stakeholders across the business and supply chain, you'll play a key role in shaping technical standards, developing future engineering capability and delivering sustainable solutions for our customers and communities.

What You Will Be Responsible For

• Providing technical leadership and governance across EICA engineering activities within water and wastewater projects.
• Leading the development, review and approval of engineering designs, calculations, specifications and technical documentation.
• Managing complex technical challenges and ensuring compliance with safety, quality, environmental and regulatory standards.
• Supporting project delivery by overseeing programme performance, project budgets and whole-life cost solutions.
• Building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, consultants and delivery partners.
• Driving innovation, standardisation and continuous improvement, including the adoption of digital engineering solutions.
• Leading, mentoring and developing junior engineers while supporting recruitment and capability development across the discipline.
• Supporting the development and maintenance of engineering standards and representing Southern Water at industry forums and technical events.

Essential

What you'll bring to the role

• Degree or HNC qualified in Electrical & Electronic Engineering (MEng, BEng, BSc or HNC).
• Chartered Engineer status with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
• Significant experience leading the design and delivery of water and/or wastewater engineering projects within the UK water industry.
• Extensive technical knowledge of EICA engineering principles, design processes, technical governance and industry standards.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and provide technical leadership across complex programmes of work.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Commercial awareness with experience managing budgets, whole-life cost solutions and supporting business decision-making.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to sites and project locations as required.

Desirable

• Recognised Subject Matter Expert in one or more areas of water or wastewater design.
• Experience developing and implementing technical standards, policies and engineering best practice.
• Knowledge of digital engineering tools and modern design methodologies.
• Experience representing organisations at industry conferences, forums or technical working groups.
• Line management experience and a proven track record of developing, coaching and mentoring engineering teams.

About Southern Water

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain's water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation.

"At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we'd love to hear from you - even if you don't tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need."

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional Information

In line with Southern Water's security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.