Principal Highway Engineer

WSP; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Principal or Associate Highway Engineer to join our Local Government team in Gloucester. You will lead highway design on multi-disciplinary projects, ensuring delivery to budget, programme, and standards, and you will help grow the Gloucester design team from day one.

This role offers leadership responsibility, mentoring junior staff, coordinating resources, and collaborating with clients and stakeholders to deliver schemes that boost the county's transport network.

Qualifications

• Experience in highway design on multi-disciplinary projects.
• Chartered engineer preferred or working towards IEng/CEng status.
• Knowledge of relevant design codes and contract documentation.
• Experience with Designers Duties under CDM regulations.
• Proficiency with Civil/Drainage design software (e.g., Civil 3D, OpenRoads).

Responsibilities

• Lead on the development of highway designs on multi-disciplinary projects through all stages of the project life cycle.
• Ensure projects are delivered to budget, programme, technical standards and legal requirements.
• Mentor and develop junior staff to progress their careers.
• Support Project Managers with planning, pricing, and cost estimation.
• Check, certify and authorize designs and reports for issue.
• Coordinate resources across projects and liaise with clients and stakeholders.
• Assist with site supervision as needed and ensure works comply with contract information.

Skills

Road geometry

Roundabouts

Active travel

Design leadership

Mentoring

Education

Degree in Civil Engineering

Chartered Engineer status / IEng/CEng

Tools

Autodesk Civils 3D

Bentley OpenRoads Designer

InfoDrainage

PDS

Job description

About the role

We have a new opportunity for a Principal or Associate Highway Engineer to join our Local Government team in Gloucester. You will be part of our highly collaborative Local Government team, based in central Gloucester, and delivering a range of significant highways, bridges and infrastructure projects across the County.

As a Principal (or Associate) Engineer, you’ll combine technical leadership with the rare opportunity to grow a new Highway Engineering design team in Gloucester. Working alongside senior leaders, you’ll shape the team’s vision, recruit and develop talent, and create a collaborative, high‑performing culture from day one. Alongside leading the delivery of innovative highways projects, you’ll play a pivotal role in expanding WSP’s capability and presence across the region, making this an exceptional opportunity for someone seeking genuine career-defining leadership responsibility.

This is an exciting time to be joining WSP’s team in Gloucestershire due to the upcoming ambitious programme of major projects to enhance the transport network and boost the economy of the county. The Principal / Associate Highway Engineer role will be a varied one, with core responsibilities including:

Responsibilities

• Leading on the development of highway designs on multi‑disciplinary projects through all stages of the project life cycle.
• Being responsible for ensuring your projects are delivered to budget, programme, technical standards and legal requirements.
• Mentoring and developing more junior staff; helping them to develop professionally and to progress their careers.
• Provide support to Project Managers within the design team in planning, programming, technical input to the pricing of project briefs, proposals, deliverables and cost estimation.
• Be responsible for checking, certifying and authorising for issue designs, documents, approvals, and reports.
• Being active on a portfolio of varied multi‑disciplinary projects at any given time.
• Coordinate engineering and technician resources to deliver work packages for our client.
• Work collaboratively with client, key stakeholders and internal teams, as necessary to deliver the schemes/projects.
• On ad hoc basis, support our projects with site supervision, monitoring Contractor’s compliance with the contract and ensuring works are in line with the works Information.

Qualifications

• A passion for design and developing innovative solutions, demonstrating initiative and ingenuity to solve engineering problems.
• A degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent experience within a highway design role.
• Chartered Engineer preferred, or working towards IEng or CEng status with a relevant professional institute.
• Knowledge and experience of highway design on multi‑disciplinary projects and/or drainage systems at various stages of the project life cycle. Specific experience in specialisms including: road geometry, roundabouts, at‑grade and grade separated junctions, inclusive active travel, highway drainage systems, road restraint systems, traffic sign and road marking design.
• Knowledge of the relevant design codes such as the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges, Manual for Streets, TSRGD, Local Authority design guidance and are well versed in the preparation of drawings for contract documentation and technical approvals including the application of departures from standard.
• The ability to use or direct and check the use of relevant software including Autodesk Civils 3D, Bentley OpenRoads Designer, InfoDrainage and/or PDS.
• Experience of complying with Designers Duties under CDM regulations.