Principal Engineer (Civil & Structural)

AmcoGiffen; Pontyclun; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Company car or car allowance

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Life assurance

Pension scheme

Learning & development opportunities

Job summary

AmcoGiffen is seeking an experienced Principal Design Engineer to lead the new Pontyclun Civils & Structures design hub, driving capability growth across South Wales. You will shape the regional design team, mentor engineers and deliver multidisciplinary rail and infrastructure projects from concept to delivery.

Based in Pontyclun, this role combines technical leadership with strategic development, governance and client engagement to build a high-performing design function in a growing regional

Qualifications

• Degree qualified (BEng/BSc or equivalent) in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) with a recognised professional institution such as ICE or IStructE.
• Significant experience operating at Lead Engineer or Principal Design Engineer level.
• Extensive design experience across civils and structures projects, including bridges, stations, platforms and railway infrastructure.
• Strong leadership, team management and mentoring skills.
• Experience managing project delivery, budgets and client relationships.
• Excellent understanding of Network Rail standards, engineering governance and CDM requirements.
• Sentinel Personal Track Safety (PTS) competence (AC/DC desirable).

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the new Civils & Structures Permanent Works Design capability in Pontyclun.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance across a variety of rail and infrastructure projects.
• Manage and coordinate engineering resources, programmes and budgets.
• Ensure compliance with CDM Regulations, Network Rail standards and industry best practice.
• Develop project briefs and drive innovative engineering solutions from concept through to detailed design.
• Establish design philosophies and maintain robust governance and documentation processes.
• Review and approve design deliverables, risk assessments and technical submissions.
• Represent the business in client, stakeholder and framework meetings.
• Support business growth, recruitment and succession planning activities within the region.
• Lead, mentor and develop engineers and designers through coaching, career development and performance management.
• Collaborate with the Head of Design on departmental strategy, resource planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Promote a culture of safety, innovation, quality and engineering excellence.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Project management

Communication

Education

BEng/BSc in Civil Engineering

Chartered Engineer (CEng)

Job description

Principal Design Engineer – Civils & Structures

Location: Pontyclun, South Wales

Region: Wales & Western

Sector: Rail & Civils & Structures

Lead the Growth of Our Design Capability in South Wales

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Principal Design Engineer to play a pivotal role in the expansion of our Civil & Structural Design business within our thriving Wales & Western region.

As part of our continued growth and investment, we are establishing a new Civils & Structures Permanent Works Design presence in Pontyclun, creating a regional hub that will support a growing portfolio of rail and infrastructure projects across South Wales and the wider Wales & Western network. This is a unique opportunity to lead the development of a new design office location, build and mentor a high-performing team, and help shape the future direction of our design capability in the South.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, negotiable depending on experience
• Company car or car allowance
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with service up to 28 days
• 3 additional charity days per year
• A day off when your child starts school
• A day off for house relocation
• Company contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Medicash Health Cash Plan and employee rewards
• Ongoing learning and professional development opportunities
• Clear routes for career progression
• A supportive, inclusive and collaborative working environment
• Employee forums and engagement channels to ensure your voice is heard

About The Business Unit

Following the successful award of several long-term framework agreements with major rail and infrastructure clients, we continue to invest in and expand our in-house Civil & Structural Design capability.

Our team delivers multidisciplinary engineering solutions across CP7 frameworks, asset management contracts, infrastructure renewals, enhancement projects, and tendered schemes. Due to continued growth across the Wales & Western region, we are now establishing a dedicated design presence in Pontyclun to further support our clients and strengthen our regional delivery capability.

Typical projects include

• Bridge reconstruction, refurbishment and replacement schemes
• Infrastructure renewals and enhancement projects
• Station improvement works, including accessibility and platform schemes
• Civil and structural asset management
• Footbridges, tunnels, retaining structures and associated rail infrastructure

The Role

As Principal Design Engineer, you will lead the development and operation of our new Pontyclun-based design team, providing technical leadership and management across a diverse portfolio of civils and structures projects.

Working closely with Operational Directors, the Head of Design and key client stakeholders, you will be responsible for establishing and growing the regional design capability while ensuring the successful delivery of engineering solutions that meet quality, programme and commercial objectives.

This role offers the opportunity to combine technical excellence with leadership responsibility, influencing both project outcomes and long-term business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the new Civils & Structures Permanent Works Design capability in Pontyclun
• Provide technical leadership and guidance across a variety of rail and infrastructure projects
• Manage and coordinate engineering resources, programmes and budgets
• Ensure compliance with CDM Regulations, Network Rail standards and industry best practice
• Develop project briefs and drive innovative engineering solutions from concept through to detailed design
• Establish design philosophies and maintain robust governance and documentation processes
• Review and approve design deliverables, risk assessments and technical submissions
• Represent the business in client, stakeholder and framework meetings
• Support business growth, recruitment and succession planning activities within the region
• Lead, mentor and develop engineers and designers through coaching, career development and performance management
• Collaborate with the Head of Design on departmental strategy, resource planning and continuous improvement initiatives
• Promote a culture of safety, innovation, quality and engineering excellence

What We're Looking For

We're seeking an ambitious and experienced engineering leader with a proven track record in rail and civil engineering design environments.

Essential Requirements

• Degree qualified (BEng/BSc or equivalent) in Civil Engineering or a related discipline
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) with a recognised professional institution such as ICE or IStructE
• Significant experience operating at Lead Engineer or Principal Design Engineer level
• Extensive design experience across civils and structures projects, including bridges, stations, platforms and railway infrastructure
• Strong leadership, team management and mentoring skills
• Experience managing project delivery, budgets and client relationships
• Excellent understanding of Network Rail standards, engineering governance and CDM requirements
• Sentinel Personal Track Safety (PTS) competence (AC/DC desirable)

Why Join Us

This is more than just a Principal Design Engineer role. It's an opportunity to establish and lead a growing engineering presence in South Wales, helping to build a team, shape a regional capability and contribute to the delivery of some of the most important rail infrastructure projects in the Wales & Western region.

If you're looking to combine technical leadership with the opportunity to drive business growth and leave a lasting legacy, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help shape the future of rail infrastructure design across Wales and the Western region.

The Company

You will be joining a reputable and firmly established, engineering contractor operating nationally in rail, civils and engineering markets. AmcoGiffen are renowned in the market as a specialist civil, building, mechanical and electrical renewals and maintenance business with ongoing and successful projects and frameworks across the country, you will become part of our expert outfit.

AmcoGiffen has a wealth of experience working on sensitive, live assets in highly regulated environments, we deliver exceptional peace of mind for our customers, creating and maintaining assets across a growing range of high-quality public and private sectors. These include rail, power generation, electricity distribution, flood defence, aviation, waterways and much more.

Diversity & Inclusion at AmcoGiffen

We value collective expertise, but also the spark that one person can bring. As one of us, you can be you, because your individuality is an asset to our business and the communities in which we work and represent.

We are working hard as part of the civil engineering and construction industry, to improve diversity & inclusion. Our Diversity and inclusion journey at AmcoGiffen, is constantly evolving and is designed to break down barriers and promote the principles of a diverse workforce through multiple channels. This includes delivering training, raising awareness, regular forums and sharing our engagement calendar of activities and events to encourage participation at all levels throughout our organisation.

Diversity & Inclusion is embodied throughout our SPIRIT core Business values and lies at the heart of our culture of Safety, Professionalism, Innovation, Respect, Integrity and Teamwork.

AmcoGiffen is an Equal Opportunities Employer, offering challenging, worthwhile careers to everyone and is pro-actively committed to improving our understanding year on year to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees as well as for the customers and communities in which we serve and operate within. It doesn’t matter to us what your age, disability, employment status, gender, health, marital status, sexual preference, membership or non-membership of a trade union, nationality, race, religion or social class are, or indeed any other personal characteristics not directly related to the relevant job. Anyone who meets the requirements of the job is eligible for employment with AmcoGiffen.

Health & Wellbeing

Operating from a people first perspective we support safety and wellbeing in the workplace as a priority. We have large number of colleagues that are trained and qualified mental health first aiders to support and listen where appropriate. We enrol all of the AmcoGiffen family onto an employee assistance programme which provides 24 hour, 7 days a week counselling and advice services.