Principal Process Engineer

Alexander Associates Technical Recruitment; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Alexander Associates Technical Recruitment is seeking an experienced Principal Process Engineer to provide technical leadership across water and wastewater projects, delivering robust, compliant process designs with a delivery-focused mindset.

This senior role requires Chartered or near-Chartered status, 10+ years in treatment processes, and a pragmatic approach to project execution. You will mentor engineers and drive technically robust solutions for complex infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Significant process design experience in the regulated water industry (10+ years preferred).
• Extensive knowledge of water and/or wastewater treatment processes.
• Proven track record delivering process engineering solutions for major projects.
• Chartered Engineer status or clear progression toward Chartered status.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of practical, efficient process solutions from concept to delivery.
• Own and supervise process design activities across projects.
• Review and approve technical deliverables (reports, specs, risk assessments).
• Check mass balances, process calculations, plant sizing and PFDs.
• Review control philosophies and support commissioning strategies.
• Provide technical input into planning, design development and tenders.
• Mentor and develop engineers and graduates.
• Provide guidance to multidisciplinary teams.
• Ensure designs meet industry standards and client requirements.
• Manage design changes and ensure proper documentation.
• Work within established procedures and enable design programmes.
• Lead technical reviews and risk assessments (HAZOP etc.).
• Keep up-to-date with technical standards and developments.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of methods and best practices.

Skills

Technical leadership

Process design

HAZOP

Mentoring

Team leadership

Regulatory compliance

Project delivery

Education

Engineering degree or HND

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Principal Process Engineer to provide technical leadership and deliver high-quality process engineering solutions across water and wastewater projects.

This is a senior-level opportunity for a Chartered or near-Chartered Engineer with extensive experience in treatment processes and process design. The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with a practical, delivery-focused approach, helping to develop robust, efficient and compliant engineering solutions.

You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, providing technical direction throughout the project lifecycle while ensuring designs meet client expectations, industry standards and regulatory requirements.

As Principal Process Engineer, you will take a leading role in process design activities, providing technical assurance and supporting the successful delivery of projects.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development of practical, efficient and technically robust process solutions.
• Taking technical ownership of process design activities from concept through to delivery.
• Reviewing and approving technical deliverables, including reports, specifications and design risk assessments.
• Checking and approving mass balances, process calculations, plant sizing, hydraulic assessments and process flow diagrams.
• Reviewing process control philosophies and supporting commissioning and operational strategies.
• Providing technical input into project planning, design development and tender submissions.
• Leading, mentoring and developing engineers and graduate team members.
• Providing technical guidance to multidisciplinary project teams.
• Ensuring designs meet applicable industry standards, professional guidance and client requirements.
• Managing and reviewing design changes to ensure they are appropriately implemented and documented.
• Working within established engineering, quality and design management procedures.
• Supporting the preparation of design programmes, resource requirements and estimated engineering hours.
• Participating in and leading technical reviews, including HAZOP and other structured design and risk assessment workshops.
• Keeping up to date with relevant technical standards, procedures and industry developments.
• Contributing to the development and continual improvement of process engineering methods, standards and best practice.
• Significant process design experience within the regulated water industry, ideally 10+ years.
• Extensive technical knowledge of water and/or wastewater treatment processes.
• Proven experience delivering process engineering solutions for major water or wastewater projects.
• A relevant engineering qualification such as a degree or HND, or substantial practical experience gained through progression from a technical or technician background.
• Strong IT and digital engineering skills.
• Chartered Engineer status, or demonstrable progression towards Chartered status.
• Experience working across both clean water and wastewater projects.
• Experience participating in or chairing HAZOP and other process safety/design review workshops.
• Experience contributing to tenders, bids and technical proposals.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

This role offers the opportunity to take a senior technical position within a project environment, influencing process design, supporting the development of engineering teams and contributing to the delivery of complex water and wastewater infrastructure.

The successful candidate will be someone who can combine technical authority, sound engineering judgement and a practical approach to project delivery, while working effectively with colleagues, clients and other project stakeholders.

Only those with proof of right to work in the UK should apply for this role.