Principal Process Engineer

ANGLIAN WATER; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility provider in the UK is seeking a Principal Process Engineer to lead national expertise and drive innovation within the @one Alliance. The role involves setting strategic direction for process engineering, mentoring senior engineers, and ensuring sustainable solutions for water infrastructure. Ideal candidates should possess a relevant engineering degree and extensive experience in water sector process engineering. Join a culture of continuous learning and professional growth that prioritizes wellbeing and innovation.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Culture prioritizing wellbeing and inclusion

Innovative and collaborative work environment

Qualifications

• Extensive experience within the water sector, particularly in process engineering.
• Strong understanding of CDM, HAZOP, and DSEAR.
• Ability to mentor teams and support professional development.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and governance across the Alliance.
• Lead the development of engineering procedures and quality frameworks.
• Mentor Senior Process Engineers and manage competency matrices.

Skills

Leadership

Sustainable engineering

Stakeholder management

Quality management

Communication

Emotional intelligence

Education

Degree in Engineering or equivalent

Chartered or Fellow Professional Engineer status

Job description

Principal Process Engineer

Join the @one Alliance – a collaborative partnership of eight industry-leading companies (Anglian Water, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Binnies, MMB, MWH Treatment, Skanska, and SWECO) delivering over half of Anglian Water’s capital investment programme. As we prepare for the challenges and opportunities of AMP8 and beyond, we’re looking for exceptional leaders who can set direction, drive innovation, and shape the future of water infrastructure.

At Anglian Water, we’re Always Exploring – ensuring we remain competitive, attractive, and rewarding for both existing and prospective employees. By Doing The Right Thing, we’re committed to recognising and rewarding our people fairly and transparently, while Building Trust through a culture that prioritises health, safety, and wellbeing.

Your Purpose

As a Principal Process Engineer, you will provide national and sector-leading expertise across the @one Alliance. Acting as the authority for the discipline, you will define standards, champion quality and innovation, and guide the development of value-driven, sustainable solutions. You’ll set the strategic direction for process engineering, support complex project needs, mentor senior engineers, and ensure the delivery of consistent, compliant, and future-focused designs that help deliver AMP8 outcomes and Anglian Water’s long‑term environmental ambitions.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Act as the process engineering authority, providing expert independent advice, arbitration, and governance across the Alliance.
• Lead the development and implementation of engineering procedures, technical standards, and quality frameworks, embedding a right‑first‑time approach.
• Support supplier and specialist partner selection through competency assessments, performance monitoring, and framework development.
• Identify, develop, and continuously improve standard products to enhance efficiency, consistency, carbon reduction, and natural capital outcomes.
• Undertake independent audits of design outputs to ensure quality, compliance, consistency, and adherence to specifications, addressing gaps through training and procedural improvements.
• Provide direction on complex or escalated design challenges, including sourcing external expertise where needed.
• Champion excellence in health, safety, and welfare, including CDM compliance and process‑specific safety (HAZOP, DSEAR) reviews and standards.
• Mentor and develop Senior Process Engineers, lead discipline meetings, manage competency matrices, and champion professional pathways and qualifications.
• Support early‑career development through apprenticeships and graduate programmes, fostering an inclusive, supportive, and high‑performing environment.
• Drive a culture of innovation, digital adoption, safe experimentation, and continuous improvement, seeking external inspiration and embedding lessons learnt.
• Collaborate across Anglian Water and industry bodies to influence and improve standards, processes, and technical approaches.
• Promote sustainability, climate resilience, and carbon‑reduction priorities across all process engineering practices.

About You

We’re seeking an influential and technically authoritative Principal Process Engineer with strong leadership capability and a passion for sustainable engineering. Ideally, you will bring:

• A degree in Engineering (or equivalent).
• Chartered or Fellow Professional Engineer status.
• Extensive experience within the water sector, particularly process engineering and capital delivery.
• Significant expertise in shaping engineering procedures, managing quality, and driving consistent discipline‑wide excellence.
• Proven ability to lead senior engineers, mentor teams, and support long‑term professional development.
• Experience in a Design & Build environment is advantageous but not essential.
• Strong understanding of CDM, HAZOP, DSEAR, and wider health, safety, and environmental requirements.
• Excellent communication, emotional intelligence, stakeholder management, and decision‑making skills.
• A passion for sustainability, innovation, and delivering low‑carbon, nature‑positive engineering solutions.

Depending on your skills, experience, and interests, you could be aligned to one of our four business units:

Water

The Water Business Unit provides strategic design and technical support across the clean water network – from infrastructure planning to treatment resilience – ensuring secure and efficient water supplies for future generations.

Water Infrastructure Portfolio – Leading potable water pipeline projects driven by regional growth or mains renewal.

National Infrastructure Portfolio – Working alongside major infrastructure projects (rail, highways, energy) to protect and divert affected Anglian Water assets (potable and wastewater).

Water Non‑Infrastructure Portfolio – Leading multi‑disciplinary engineering teams to deliver clean water non‑infrastructure design, including treatment works, pumping stations, and groundwater abstraction. Significant programmes include nitrate removal, PFAS removal, and upgrades to potable water treatment works.

Water Recycling (East and West)

Our Water Recycling teams are responsible for the design and optimisation of wastewater projects and treatment solutions (both infra and non‑infra). We drive innovation to enhance environmental outcomes and improve the sustainability of our network.

Place Based Thinking

Delivering some of the largest and most complex projects within the @one Alliance, this team focuses on integrated solutions that protect communities, improve resilience, and deliver value across multiple sites and catchments.

Why Join Us?

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead one of the UK’s most influential process engineering functions within a nationally recognised capital delivery alliance. You’ll shape future standards, influence strategy, and collaborate across disciplines to deliver innovative, sustainable engineering solutions that protect the environment and support future generations.

We offer a culture that values innovation, continuous learning, and professional growth, with a strong commitment to wellbeing, inclusion, and being Safer Every Day.