Principal Structural Engineer
United Infrastructure Ltd
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
United Infrastructure Ltd is seeking a Principal Structural Engineer to lead OHL and substation design governance across its EPC portfolio, with a focus on UK networks. The role requires mentoring engineers and providing design authority during complex assessments and client engagements.
Hybrid working is offered (Horsham, Glasgow or Warrington considered). You’ll drive standards, sign-off critical calculations, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, compliant
Qualifications
- Degree in Structural, Civil, or Mechanical Engineering; Chartered status preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of structural engineering experience with slender, dynamically-loaded structures.
- Proven ability to lead complex structural assessments and provide sign-off.
- Full UK driving licence is required.
Responsibilities
- Act as the senior structural design authority for OHL lattice tower, wood pole, and steel pole structures.
- Provide design authority for substation structural supports and equipment.
- Lead complex assessments including uprating and load reassessment.
- Review and approve structural calculations and reports.
- Set and maintain UIPTD's structural design standards and templates.
- Provide technical sign-off on tender/PQQ submissions.
- Represent UIPTD at client governance meetings on structural matters.
- Mentor and supervise Senior/Intermediate Engineers.
- Ensure CDM 2015 compliance and safety principles.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
United Infrastructure is a dynamic and rapidly expanding business, focused on delivering critical infrastructure projects, across the utility and social infrastructure sectors.
Our team of highly skilled and hardworking specialists deliver innovative solutions to the complex challenges our clients face.
Our company is split into two business areas:
Our team of Utility Infrastructure specialists design, build and maintain critical water, energy (gas), power and telecoms infrastructure, for the UK's largest network owners and operators.
Our team of Social Infrastructure specialists revitalise homes and communities by carrying out a wide range of work, from retrofit to refurbishment and maintenance.
Equal Opportunities Statement - At United Infrastructure, we are committed to making every interaction a positive and inclusive experience. If there is anything we can do to support you, remove barriers, or make the process more accessible, please let us know - we want this to be the best possible experience for you.
UIPTD is seeking a Principal Structural Engineer to lead structural design and technical governance across our overhead line and substation structures portfolio, supporting EPC delivery for SSE, SPEN, NGED and National Grid. The successful candidate will work closely alongside the incumbent team during a structured handover period to absorb corporate knowledge and technical authority. OHL structural experience (lattice towers, wood pole lines or similar guyed/self-supporting structures) is strongly desired given how specialised this discipline is, but UIPTD will also consider candidates from adjacent structural disciplines - steel lattice/mast structures, telecoms towers, bridges or other slender/dynamically-loaded structures - where the underlying engineering principles and analytical approach transfer well to OHL. Full training and mentoring into OHL-specific practice will be provided where required.
- Act as the senior structural design authority for OHL lattice tower, wood pole, and steel pole structures across UIPTD's EPC portfolio
- Provide structural design authority for substation equipment support structures - gantries, busbar supports, plant support steelwork, cable sealing end structures
- Lead complex or non-standard structural assessments, including heritage/legacy tower types, uprating studies, and load reassessment for line refurbishment or reconductoring schemes
- Review and approve structural calculations and reports produced by senior and intermediate engineers within the team
- Set and maintain UIPTD's structural design standards, procedures, and calculation templates for OHL and substation structures
- Provide technical sign-off on structural elements of tender and PQQ submissions for OHL and substation framework contracts
- Represent UIPTD at client technical governance meetings on structural matters (SSE, SPEN, NGED, National Grid)
- Structural analysis and design of lattice towers, wood pole (single, H-pole, trident) and steel pole structures
- Tower/pole capacity studies for reconductoring, uprating, and line diversion schemes - assessing existing structures against revised loading
- Review of PLS-CADD / PLS-POLE structural outputs and integration with the wider OHL design process
- Structural input to feasibility studies and options assessments for new-build and refurbishment OHL schemes
- Structural design of substation gantries, busbar support structures, plant support steelwork, and cable sealing end structures
- Structural assessment of existing substation structures for plant replacement or uprating schemes
- Coordination with electrical and civil disciplines on substation structural interfaces
- Work directly alongside incumbent senior structural engineers during a structured handover period, to capture corporate knowledge, historic design precedent, and client-specific practice
- Mentor and technically supervise Senior and Intermediate Structural Engineers within the team
- Support recruitment, onboarding and development of the wider structural engineering function
- Champion structural engineering competency development across the OHL and substation design team
- Ensure all structural design outputs comply with technical specifications, and client-specific standards
- Author and review Designers Risk Assessments and structural design intent documentation under CDM 2015
- Contribute to Temporary Works design and checking where structural expertise is required (tower propping, guying, temporary support systems)
- Champion safe-by-design principles across all structural outputs
- Degree in Structural, Civil, or Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent); Chartered Engineer (CEng) with IStructE, ICE, or equivalent professional body
- Minimum 10 years structural engineering experience, with demonstrable experience of slender, guyed, or dynamically-loaded structures (lattice towers, masts, poles, or similar)
- Strong working knowledge of structural steel design and structural analysis principles applicable to lattice and pole structures
- Experience of foundation design principles for structures subject to overturning, uplift, and lateral loading
- Demonstrated ability to lead technically complex structural assessments and provide design authority sign-off
- Strong mentoring and team leadership capability, with experience developing less experienced engineers
- Full UK driving licence
- Direct experience of OHL lattice tower, wood pole, or steel pole structural design
- Experience of PLS-CADD / PLS-POLE or equivalent OHL structural analysis software
- Experience of substation structural design (gantries, plant support steelwork)
- Experience of structural design in adjacent disciplines - telecoms masts, transmission towers, bridges, or other wind/dynamically-sensitive structures - where transferable to OHL
- Experience of tower/pole capacity assessment for reconductoring or uprating schemes
- Experience of SSE, SPEN, NGED, or National Grid framework delivery
- CDM 2015 Principal Designer or Designer experience
- Senior-level salary package commensurate with experience
- Hybrid working arrangement - Horsham preferred, Glasgow or Warrington considered
- A genuinely succession-critical role with direct handover from long-standing incumbent technical authorities
- Structured mentoring into OHL-specific structural practice for candidates from adjacent disciplines
- Chartership support and CPD funding
- Company pension scheme
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
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