Principal Process Engineer

Proftech Talent; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Proftech Talent is seeking an experienced Principal Process Engineer to join an established engineering design consultancy serving the UK water and utilities sectors. You will take a lead role delivering process solutions for water and wastewater projects, providing technical leadership and practical design delivery.

The role focuses on wastewater treatment, process design delivery, and mentoring multidisciplinary teams to ensure client and regulatory compliance while supporting tender

Qualifications

• 10+ years' process design experience within the regulated water industry.
• Extensive knowledge of wastewater treatment processes and plant design.
• Experience delivering process design for water and/or wastewater projects.
• Chartered Engineer status.
• Degree, HND or progression from technician background.
• Strong IT and digital skills.
• Experience working on regulated water company projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across projects and own process design.
• Review deliverables, reports, specifications and risk assessments.
• Check mass balances, sizing, hydraulic calculations and PFDs.
• Review control philosophies and commissioning strategies.
• Mentor engineers and graduates across teams.
• Support tenders and technical proposals, ensuring compliance.
• Ensure designs meet standards and client/regulatory requirements.
• Lead design reviews and communicate standards updates.
• Drive continuous improvement of process engineering practices.

Skills

Process design

Wastewater treatment

Regulated water sector

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Mass balances

Hydraulic calculations

Design reviews

Tender support

Education

Degree or HND

Chartered Engineer

Job description

Principal Process Engineer

Permanent | £65,000 - £80,000 DOE | Manchester

We are delighted to be recruiting for an experienced Principal Process Engineer to join an established engineering design consultancy working across the UK water and utilities sectors.

This is a senior opportunity for a Chartered or near Chartered Engineer with strong process engineering experience within the regulated water industry. You will take a leading role in delivering process engineering solutions across water and wastewater projects, combining technical leadership with practical design delivery.

The successful candidate will have extensive experience in wastewater treatment processes and plant design, with the ability to lead technical delivery, provide guidance to multidisciplinary teams and ensure designs meet client, regulatory and technical requirements.

The Role

As Principal Process Engineer, you will provide technical leadership across a range of projects, taking ownership of process design and supporting the delivery of high-quality engineering solutions.

• Leading the development of efficient and practical process design solutions
• Reviewing and approving design deliverables, reports, specifications and design risk assessments
• Checking and approving mass balances, process sizing, hydraulic calculations and process flow diagrams
• Reviewing control philosophies and commissioning strategies
• Providing technical guidance and oversight across projects
• Supporting tender submissions and technical proposals
• Directing and mentoring engineers and graduates
• Ensuring designs comply with relevant technical standards, professional guidance and water company requirements
• Ensuring project design changes are correctly implemented and recorded
• Working in accordance with formal design processes and procedures
• Estimating design hours and supporting project planning
• Attending and leading HAZOP, ALM, KM and other technical review meetings
• Reviewing and communicating technical standards, procedures and updates
• Supporting the continuous improvement of process engineering standards and practices

The initial project is expected to focus on optioneering sewage treatment works capacity increases, with further projects including outline designs for sewage treatment works upgrades for various water companies across the UK.

About You

We are looking for an experienced process engineer with a strong background in the regulated water sector and a proven track record of delivering effective treatment solutions.

Essential

• 10+ years' process design experience within the regulated water industry
• Extensive knowledge of wastewater treatment processes and plant design
• Experience delivering process design for water and/or wastewater projects
• Chartered Engineer status
• Degree, HND or significant practical experience gained through progression from a technician background
• Strong IT and digital skills
• Significant experience working on projects for regulated water companies

Desirable

• Experience across both clean water and wastewater projects
• Experience participating in or leading HAZOP studies, ideally as Chair
• Experience supporting tenders and technical proposals
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle