Principal Mechanical Engineer

Millbank Holdings Ltd; Manchester; On-site; GBP 79,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free parking

Gym access

Job summary

Millbank Holdings Ltd in Manchester is actively seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to take ownership of mechanical design across water and wastewater projects and to lead multidisciplinary teams through complex delivery cycles.

The ideal candidate is Chartered with extensive water industry experience, strong hydraulic design skills, and a proven ability to mentor junior engineers while guiding tender and design reviews.

Qualifications

• Chartered Mechanical Engineer with water sector experience.
• Strong hydraulic design background.
• Experience leading design delivery and coordinating teams.
• Mentor junior engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design solutions across projects.
• Review and approve design deliverables, calculations, reports and specifications.
• Provide technical guidance and oversight across projects and support tender submissions.
• Act as Design Lead on projects requiring cross-disciplinary coordination.
• Direct and mentor engineers, CAD technicians and graduates.
• Prepare scopes for, and review outputs from, subcontract M&E design teams.
• Liaise with equipment suppliers and manufacturers to support design development.
• Ensure designs comply with relevant technical standards and client requirements.
• Manage and record design changes within project documentation.
• Support resource planning and estimating design effort.
• Attend and lead design reviews, client meetings and technical discussions.

Skills

Hydraulic design

Mechanical design

Team leadership

Mentor engineers

Education

Chartered Engineer

Job description

Principal Mechanical Engineer

Company: Millbank Holdings Ltd Salary: £57.50 to £62.50 an hour Hours: Full-time Location: Manchester, MANCHESTER Job type: Contract Posting date: 17 Oct 2026 Closing date: 15 Nov 2026

Key Questions

• Do you have extensive mechanical and hydraulic design experience across water and wastewater projects, including leading design delivery, reviewing and approving technical deliverables, and coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams?
• Are you a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with extensive water sector design experience, and can you demonstrate your ability to lead technical delivery, manage subcontract M&E design teams, and mentor junior engineers? Please also confirm your availability for a 12-month+ contract in Manchester, working 3 days per week in the office, and your eligibility to work Outside IR35.

Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a growing engineering consultancy within the water and wastewater sector, with the business looking to strengthen its team with an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer. This is an opportunity to play a key role in delivering complex multidisciplinary engineering projects, taking ownership of mechanical design solutions and influencing technical standards across the business.

The ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will be a mechanically biased Chartered Engineer with extensive water industry experience, strong hydraulic design expertise and a proven ability to lead design delivery, coordinate multidisciplinary teams and mentor junior engineers.

The Role

As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will provide technical leadership across projects, taking ownership of mechanical design delivery and supporting multidisciplinary coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of practical, efficient and buildable mechanical design solutions
• Review and approve design deliverables, calculations, reports and specifications
• Provide technical guidance and oversight across projects and support tender submissions
• Act as Design Lead on projects where required, ensuring coordination across disciplines
• Direct and mentor engineers, CAD technicians and graduates
• Prepare scopes for, and review outputs from, subcontract M&E design teams
• Liaise with equipment suppliers and manufacturers to support design development
• Ensure designs comply with relevant technical standards, professional guidance and client requirements
• Manage and record design changes within project documentation
• Support resource planning and estimating design effort
• Attend and lead design reviews, client meetings and technical discussions

About You

We are looking for a highly capable mechanical engineer with strong experience in the water sector and a track record of delivering robust engineering solutions.

It’s essential that you have

• Extensive mechanical design experience within the water industry (typically 8–12+ years)
• Strong experience in hydraulic design
• Strong IT and digital design capability
• Experience working within multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Ability to lead design delivery and support junior engineers
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle

It’s desirable that you

• Experience with electrical and control systems
• Experience across clean water and wastewater projects
• Awareness of construction methods and materials
• Knowledge of engineering drawing practices.

Why Join our client?

They’re a growing engineering consultancy where experienced engineers have real influence over projects, technical standards and team development.

In this role, you will:

• Take ownership of complex mechanical design solutions
• Play a key role in mentoring and developing engineers
• Influence technical standards and engineering approaches
• Work on a range of challenging water sector projects
• Our Manchester office offers free parking, excellent transport links and access to a fully equipped gym with changing facilities, alongside a collaborative and supportive environment.

Qualifications & experience

• Degree or HND in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline

Millbank Holdings Ltd is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background, and encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, and we are committed to ensuring an accessible and supportive recruitment process for everyone. If you require any adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate.