Principal Hydraulic Engineer

Stantec; Leeds; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Private medical insurance

Professional development opportunities

Bonus opportunities

Enhanced pension

Job summary

Stantec is seeking a Principal Hydraulic Engineer to join their team in Leeds, UK. This role involves leading complex hydraulic engineering projects, providing expert advice to clients, and ensuring technical governance. You will have the opportunity to mentor future engineers and contribute significantly to the UK water sector.

The position requires extensive experience in hydraulic engineering, strong leadership skills, and familiarity with hydraulic modelling software such as Hades and Flow 3D. Stantec values employee development and offers a range of benefits including competitive salary, hybrid working options, and professional memberships.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in complex hydraulic engineering projects within the UK water sector.
• Advanced expertise in reviewing engineering outputs and maintaining quality standards.
• Experience mentoring engineers and supporting business development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of hydraulic engineering projects and technical governance.
• Provide expert advice on hydraulic structures and transient analysis.
• Mentor engineers and drive technical capability.

Skills

Technical leadership

Hydraulic engineering expertise

Stakeholder management

Fluid mechanics

Client relationship management

Hydraulic modelling software

Education

Degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Hades

Varism

Flow 3D

Job description

The Opportunity

Join Stantec's national Hydraulic Engineering team and play a leading role in delivering technically complex solutions across some of the UK's largest regulated water frameworks. Working with major water companies, you'll provide specialist expertise that supports the design, resilience, and long‑term performance of critical infrastructure while helping shape the future direction of hydraulic engineering within our business.

About The Role

As a Principal Hydraulic Engineer, you'll provide technical leadership across complex hydraulic engineering projects while acting as a trusted advisor to clients and multidisciplinary project teams. You will lead the delivery and technical governance of advanced hydraulic studies, provide expert advice on hydraulic structures and transient analysis, review complex engineering solutions, and contribute to the development of best practice across the discipline. You'll also play an important role in mentoring engineers, strengthening client relationships, supporting business growth, and helping shape the strategic direction of our hydraulic engineering capability.

Your Impact

The decisions you make will directly influence the resilience, efficiency, and long‑term performance of nationally significant water infrastructure. Your expertise will help prevent asset failures, improve operational performance, and deliver engineering solutions that protect communities and support sustainable investment across the UK water sector. Beyond project delivery, you'll strengthen technical capability across the business by mentoring future leaders, driving engineering excellence, and helping clients navigate increasingly complex infrastructure challenges through innovative hydraulic solutions.

About You

We're looking for an experienced Hydraulic Engineer who combines exceptional technical expertise with strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.

You Will Have

• A degree in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Significant experience delivering complex hydraulic engineering projects within the UK water sector.
• Advanced expertise in fluid mechanics, hydraulic structures and transient analysis.
• Extensive experience using Hades, Varism, Flow 3D, or equivalent hydraulic modelling software.
• Experience providing technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong client relationship management and communication skills.
• Experience reviewing technical outputs and maintaining engineering quality standards.

Desirable

• Chartered Engineer status.
• Experience supporting business development and technical strategy.
• Experience mentoring engineers and developing technical capability within a specialist team.

Why Join Us

At Stantec, we put people first by empowering our technical leaders with the support, flexibility, and development opportunities they need to make a lasting impact. We are better together, bringing multidisciplinary expertise from across the national business to solve some of the most challenging engineering problems facing the water industry. We do what is right by delivering sustainable, resilient engineering solutions that protect communities, safeguard critical infrastructure, and support a more sustainable future. We are driven by excellence. Recognised as one of the world's most sustainable companies and an award‑winning engineering consultancy, Stantec offers the opportunity to lead nationally significant projects, influence technical standards and contribute to the continued growth of one of the UK's leading hydraulic engineering teams. In addition to a competitive salary, bonus opportunities, enhanced pension, private medical insurance, life assurance, flexible and hybrid working, paid professional memberships and industry‑leading professional development, you'll have the opportunity to shape the future of hydraulic engineering at Stantec.

About Stantec

The Stantec community unites more than 34,000 employees working in over 450 locations across six continents. We have been working with our clients and communities in the UK for over 150 years. We plan, design, deliver and manage the development and infrastructure needed to support the creation of sustainable, healthy and prosperous communities. Our teams provide effective and relevant solutions, translating our client’s vision into valued consents, deliverable plans for projects and programmes, and efficient designs for delivery, based on technical excellence and deep market insights. We deal with today’s challenges, but also keep a fairer, better tomorrow in sight, looking at how we deliver clean growth, support radical changes in our economy and meet the needs of future communities. Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. Building an inspired, inclusive work environment that attracts, supports, and develops world‑class talent is a crucial key to our success. If you are excited by this role but worry that your experience doesn’t exactly align, we encourage you to apply. At Stantec we want you to perform your best at every stage of the recruitment process and are committed to ensuring it is accessible to all. If you need any support or require adjustments to be made please contact [email protected] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.