Principal Engineer- Flood Risk & Hydraulic Modelling

Arup; Ledston; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Share

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Income protection

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Arup in Sheffield seeks an experienced hydraulic modelling professional to lead stormwater and wastewater modelling projects. You will build and run 1D/2D models, apply engineering judgment, and deliver outputs across strategic planning to detailed design.

You will manage projects, collaborate with clients and supervise colleagues in a multidisciplinary setting. You will work with InfoWorks ICM and other urban drainage tools, contributing to nature-based solutions and integrated urban drainage

Qualifications

• Experience in hydraulic modelling and flood risk assessment.
• Degree (or equivalent) in Engineering, Geography or Environmental Science; chartership progress encouraged.
• Strong project management, client relationship and team leadership.

Responsibilities

• Build and simulate hydraulic models, extract results, and inform design decisions.
• Use GIS to manipulate results, generate visuals and produce technical reports.
• Lead hydraulic modelling projects across the full design process.
• Deliver reports, business cases and analyses; supervise junior staff.
• Mentor and develop junior team members.

Education

Degree in Engineering, Geography or Environmental Science

Tools

InfoWorks ICM

Autodesk water products

MIKE

HEC-RAS

FloodModeller

TUFLOW

Job description

Job description

Joining Arup

Arup's purpose, shared values and collaborative approach have set us apart for 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

Our water team works across 90 countries, bringing together more than 50 technical and advisory disciplines to tackle some of the world’s most complex water challenges. From strategic drainage planning to sustainable flood resilience, we combine engineering, consultancy and research to create solutions that make a real difference to communities and the environment.

The Opportunity

The focus of Arup’s Water team in Sheffield is stormwater and wastewater modelling. We advise our clients on the risk of flooding at strategic (city or region-wide) or site scale. We model the movement of water and the risks associated with flooding, using integrated hydraulic models. We plan and design nature-based solutions to manage stormwater and provide wider benefits in the built and rural environment. This team has enjoyed strong organic growth, but demand for practical and rigorously proven solutions continues to rise.

We are seeking an experienced person with deep curiosity for the impact that water can have on people’s lives; someone who is driven to help us protect others. For this role, we would expect you to have experience of hydraulic modelling and/or the engineering skills required to develop and lead design solutions.

You will be part of a senior leadership team that will develop and deliver innovative solutions to solve complex problems for our clients and their customers. Our framework wins for AMP8 position us to work across the entire design process including strategic planning, feasibility, detailed design and design and build support. You will deliver a wide variety of projects, and see your solutions developed from start to finish. We live our Strategy every day “sustainability is everything” and we actively promote, prioritise and deliver nature-based solutions.

What you’ll do

Reporting to the Water Team Leader in Sheffield, you will be building or applying hydraulic models (including integrated models), using engineering judgment, and developing stormwater management design solutions for a range of clients such as the UK Environment Agency, water companies, local authorities, international clients and major infrastructure operators.

Working as part of a team spread across Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester you will provide hands‑on input through technical analysis and design using industry‑standard software. The ideal candidate will have experience in hydraulic modelling, flood risk management, and an understanding of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS).

You will have the opportunity to lead and deliver hydraulic modelling projects across the entire design process. You will have good understanding of 1D and 2D hydraulic models for risk analysis and the development of solutions to improve water quality and reduce flood risk, with particular focus on storm overflows and wastewater treatment.

You will be part of our Modelling team delivering holistic catchment solutions with a strong focus on nature-based solutions and integrated urban drainage modelling. This will include leading others to develop technical reports, undertake hydraulic model analysis, produce business cases, investigate multi‑capital economics and support the checking calculations, and other key modelling project deliverables.

What we’re looking for:

In this role, you will build and simulate hydraulic models, extract results, and draw conclusions to inform design solutions. You’ll use GIS software to manipulate results, create informative images, and produce technical reports to convey complex concepts. Practical experience with hydraulic modelling software, ideally InfoWorks ICM or other Autodesk water products is essential. We also welcome candidates experienced in other urban drainage or river modelling tools such as MIKE, FloodModeller, Tuflow, or HEC‑RAS.

• Proven track record of successfully delivering water projects in the UK, including collaboration with both public and private sector clients and regulatory bodies to deliver flood risk and urban drainage projects.
• Practical experience in hydraulic modelling techniques within the UK water industry, specifically using InfoWorks ICM, ideally including Level 1 UPM water quality modelling or integrated urban drainage modelling including fluvial studies.
• Degree (or equivalent) in Engineering, Geography, Environmental Science, or a related discipline, with progress toward chartership with an appropriate professional body
• Strong project management skills, including managing scope, programme, budget, resources, risk and change.
• Experience leading project teams, coordinating technical specialists and producing client deliverables such as reports, scopes and business cases.
• Strong client and stakeholder management, communication and relationship‑building skills.
• Excellent commercial awareness, with experience monitoring project performance, forecasting and profitability.
• Strong organisational, analytical and problem‑solving skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to mentor and develop junior team members, with a collaborative and professional approach.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.
We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.