Principal Rail Drainage Engineer

Arcadis; Warrington; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a Principal Rail Drainage Engineer to join the Rail North West & Central Business Unit. You will provide technical leadership for drainage design across rail and infrastructure projects, supporting delivery of complex multidisciplinary engineering solutions and leading design assurance.

You will mentor engineering teams, review calculations and drawings, coordinate interfaces, and engage with clients and stakeholders to ensure successful project delivery and technical

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent.
• Significant experience in drainage design for rail, infrastructure or related civil projects.
• Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status desirable.
• Experience leading complex design packages and coordinating multidisciplinary inputs.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for drainage design across rail and infrastructure projects.
• Lead the delivery of complex drainage design packages and multidisciplinary interfaces.
• Oversee the preparation, review, verification and approval of calculations, drawings, reports and technical deliverables.
• Lead interdisciplinary design reviews and support technical assurance activities.

Skills

Drainage design

Stakeholder management

Client-facing skills

Mentoring engineers

Education

Civil Engineering degree

Job description

Role Description

We currently have an opportunity for a Principal Rail Drainage Engineer to join our Rail North West & Central Business Unit. In this role, you will provide technical leadership for drainage design across rail and infrastructure projects, supporting the delivery of complex multidisciplinary engineering solutions. You will take a leading role in design assurance, technical decision‑making, stakeholder engagement and the development of high‑quality drainage solutions, while supporting project managers and mentoring engineering teams.

Role Accountabilities

• Provide technical leadership for drainage design across rail and infrastructure projects.
• Lead the delivery of complex drainage design packages and multidisciplinary interfaces.
• Oversee the preparation, review, verification and approval of calculations, drawings, reports and technical deliverables.
• Lead interdisciplinary design reviews and support technical assurance activities, including higher‑complexity checking where required.
• Provide technical advice and direction to engineers and project team members.
• Coordinate workload, resources and priorities across assigned project activities.
• Support the management of design risks, assumptions, decisions and technical issues.
• Liaise with clients, stakeholders, project managers and approval authorities to support successful project delivery.
• Support Project Directors or Project Managers with programme, commercial and change‑related project considerations.
• Promote technical excellence, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the team.
• Support colleagues working towards CRE or other relevant professional responsibilities, where applicable.

Qualifications & Experience

• BSc/BEng or MSc/MEng, or equivalent, in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Significant experience in drainage design for rail, infrastructure or related civil engineering projects.
• Strong technical knowledge of drainage systems, including surface water, foul water, SUDS, earthworks drainage and rail/highways drainage.
• Experience leading complex design packages and coordinating multidisciplinary technical inputs.
• Experience reviewing, verifying and approving technical deliverables.
• Strong understanding of design risk management, engineering standards and assurance processes.
• Experience providing technical management, mentoring or guidance to engineers.
• Strong client‑facing, stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status, or equivalent, is desirable.
• CRE experience is desirable; support may be provided for candidates working towards this.

Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging. All people are welcomed and valued for their unique experiences and perspectives.