Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

Pertemps; England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water company in the UK is seeking a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to lead innovation and drive engineering standards. This strategic role involves mentoring a talented team while delivering sustainable infrastructure solutions. Candidates must have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and relevant industry experience. A competitive salary of £65,000 to £80,000, along with a car allowance, is offered.

Benefits

26 days holiday per year

Annual Bonus

Private Medical Health Care

Car Allowance

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Degree qualified or equivalent in mechanical engineering with a charter.
• Experience in sludge digestion and treatment systems.
• Familiarity with pumps/piping systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead innovative designs for water and wastewater sectors.
• Set technical requirements for projects.
• Optimise asset performance through engineering standards.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering background

Design Engineering

Regulatory compliance understanding

Experience in water industry

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Computational Design Software

Job description

Overview

Lead the Future of Water Engineering – Become Our Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

Are you ready to shape the future of water and wastewater infrastructure? As our Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, you’ll take the lead in driving innovation, setting engineering standards, and mentoring a talented team of professionals. This is more than a technical role — it’s a strategic opportunity to become the ‘Intelligent Client’ at the heart of our AMP8 ambitions and beyond. Your expertise will be pivotal in delivering sustainable, high-performing assets that make a real difference to communities and the environment.

Responsibilities

• Set precise technical requirements with Project Definition Briefs for strong project foundations.
• Refine Technical Asset Standards to enhance process efficiency and effectiveness.
• Uphold engineering standards in Mechanical Engineering to optimise asset performance.
• Lead the development of innovative designs for the water and wastewater sectors.
• Inspire teams on mechanically focused projects, driving meaningful change.
• Achieve technical sign-off and assurance for seamless project handover.
• Support the advancement of innovative technologies through research.

Hybrid – Clearwater Court, Reading, you will be required to attend the office or site 3-4 days a week.

36 hours a week.

This position requires the candidate to have access to a vehicle and a valid driver's license. Additionally, there is a car allowance of £5,800 included.

Qualifications

• Be degree qualified or equivalent in mechanical engineering with a charter through a relevant awarding body.
• A Mechanical Engineering background in one or more sludge digestion and treatment, biogas and CHP systems, water and wastewater treatment, pumps/piping systems, or process equipment is essential.
• Understand the regulatory environment to comply with our engineering regulatory requirements.
• Had exposure to lead design engineering roles.

Additional skills

• Previous experience in the water industry.

What’s in it for you?

• Offering between £65,000 to £80,000 per annum, depending on the skills and experience of the successful candidate, plus £5.8k car allowance.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Car Allowance.
• Annual Bonus.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Access to benefits for health, well-being, and finances — including health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle to Work, vouchers, and life assurance.

About us

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values.

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits. If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet. Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Learn more about us.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.