Principal Public Health Engineer

Mott MacDonald; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical insurance

Employee ownership

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is recruiting a Principal Mechanical Engineer (Public Health) to oversee public health design across tunnel projects. You will lead technical quality, select equipment, and ensure compliance across the full lifecycle, including drainage, pumped drainage, fire mains, and fixed firefighting systems.

You will join a team with varied experience and play a key role in mentoring juniors while delivering robust design solutions for major infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Degree‑qualified and chartered or equivalent experience with a relevant professional body.
• Experience as a public health engineer in engineering/construction environments and major projects.

Responsibilities

• Leading teams of engineers and technicians
• Managing and coordinating multi-disciplinary project teams
• Producing reliable design solutions, reports, specifications, and drawings
• Presenting technical solutions to clients and external stakeholders
• Actively participating in design team meetings and ensuring adherence to agreed principles
• Coordinating with other engineering disciplines to integrate mechanical/public health systems within the overall design
• Contributing to bid management and business development activities
• Supporting the mentoring, management, and technical development of engineers

Skills

Team leadership

Public health eng

Hydraulic calculations

Education

Degree‑qualified with membership of a relevant professional body

Chartered Engineer

Tools

Bluebeam

Hevacomp

MicroDrainage

Revit

ProjectWise

MS Office

Job description

Locations: Croydon, London, Birmingham, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, York

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit

We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

Overview of the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual to support the growth and development of our Tunnel Systems MEP team.

As Principal Mechanical Engineer (Public Health), you will oversee technical quality, ensure engineering outputs meet project requirements, and lead public health design across the full project lifecycle. This includes detailed calculations, equipment selection, and ensuring compliance with relevant standards. You will also lead the design of tunnel drainage, pumped drainage, fire mains, and fixed firefighting systems.

You will join an established team with a broad range of experience, from principal engineers to apprentices. Knowledge sharing and supporting junior colleagues are fundamental aspects of our team culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading teams of engineers and technicians


• Managing and coordinating multi-disciplinary project teams


• Producing reliable design solutions, reports, specifications, and drawings


• Presenting technical solutions to clients and external stakeholders


• Actively participating in design team meetings and ensuring adherence to agreed principles


• Coordinating with other engineering disciplines to integrate mechanical/public health systems within the overall design


• Contributing to bid management and business development activities


• Supporting the mentoring, management, and technical development of engineers

Qualifications

• Degree‑qualified with membership of a relevant professional body (e.g., IMechE, CIBSE)


• Chartered Engineer (or equivalent relevant experience)

Essential

• You will have experience as a public health engineer in a similar engineering and construction environment, including major project delivery. You should be able to demonstrate capability in the design and specification of:


• Foul water ejector systems


• Surface water pumped systems


• Above-ground soil and waste systems


• Hot and cold-water systems


• Gas detection systems


• Compressed air systems


• Fire main/hydrant systems


• Sprinkler/hose reel systems


• Hydraulic calculations and system sizing

Desirable

• Experience delivering large engineering and construction projects, including transport infrastructure


• Experienced in the design of road and rail tunnel projects


• Understanding of multidisciplinary design and build processes


• Knowledge of CDM Regulations 2015.


• Strong verbal, written, analytical, and organisational skills


• Ability to work to tight deadlines and use initiative


• Proactive, adaptable, and able to apply skills to new challenges


• Ability to build strong relationships in a multi disciplinary environment


• Familiarity with common data environments


• Experience using Bluebeam, Hevacomp, MicroDrainage, Revit, ProjectWise, and MS Office


• Experience developing engineering designs within a BIM environment

The role will be based out of one of our Rail offices, with occasional travel within the UK or overseas depending on project requirements.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well‑being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Benefits

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.


• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.


• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.


• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.


• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.


• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.


• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.


• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.


• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.


• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.


• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.


• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.


• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.


• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.


• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high‑street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.


• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.


• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.


• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.


• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.