Principal Structural Engineer

Babcock International; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nuclear infrastructure company is seeking a Principal Structural Engineer for their Warrington site. The successful candidate will lead the civil, structural and architectural discipline on major nuclear projects, mentor teams, and ensure high-quality reinforced concrete solutions. This permanent, full-time role offers hybrid working opportunities, generous benefits, and a chance to contribute to the UK's transition to cleaner energy. Candidates must have a degree in Civil/Structural Engineering and relevant experience.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Matched contribution pension scheme

Access to Digital GP

Employee share scheme

Payment of Professional Fees

Support for volunteering activities

Excellent development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience as a discipline lead for large-scale design projects, ideally within nuclear.
• Strong practical knowledge of reinforced concrete design.

Responsibilities

• Lead the structural discipline for scheme design on new buildings.
• Manage and develop a team of technicians and engineers.
• Drive high-quality reinforced concrete solutions ensuring practicality and compliance.
• Coordinate with stakeholders on safety, performance, schedule, and cost.
• Champion best practices across CS&A deliverables.

Skills

Reinforced concrete design

Team management

Project coordination

Education

Degree in Civil / Structural Engineering (BEng or MEng)

Job description

Job Title: Principal Structural Engineer

Location: Warrington Cheshire + Hybrid Working Arrangement

Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Lead the Structures that power clean nuclear energy

At Cavendish Nuclear we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Structural Engineer, at our Warrington, Cheshire site.

Roles

As a Principal Structural Engineer, you’ll have a role that’s out of the ordinary. You’ll lead the Civil, Structural and Architectural (CS&A) discipline on large, high‑impact programmes, setting design direction, solving complex technical challenges and mentoring a multi‑disciplinary team. Your work on the TMF project, which processes uranium tails, supports the UK’s transition to self‑sufficient nuclear production and contributes to cleaner, reliable energy for generations to come.

Day‑to‑day

• Lead the structural discipline for scheme design on new buildings within the TMF project, acting as the CS&A discipline lead.
• Manage and develop a team of technicians and engineers within a collaborative multi‑disciplinary environment.
• Drive high‑quality reinforced concrete solutions, ensuring designs are practical, buildable and compliant.
• Coordinate with project stakeholders to balance safety, performance, schedule and cost across design stages.
• Champion best practice, governance and continuous improvement across CS&A deliverables.

This is a permanent, full‑time role working 37 hours per week based in Warrington, Cheshire. Hybrid working patterns are available with a minimum of three days in the office per week.

Essential experience

• Prior experience acting as discipline lead for structural on a large‑scale design project, ideally within nuclear or an industrial facility.
• Strong knowledge of reinforced concrete design with evidence of practical application on complex projects.

Qualifications

• Degree‑qualified (BEng or MEng) Civil / Structural Engineer.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels – GOV.UK.

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Cavendish employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually.
• Be Kind Day enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Cavendish Nuclear

As a leader within the UK nuclear industry, Cavendish Nuclear, part of Babcock International Group, provides a comprehensive range of critical nuclear solutions in clean energy, defence and civil new build and decommissioning projects. Together, we’re innovating to make nuclear safer, faster and cost‑effective across the nuclear energy life cycle. Your career with us could take you anywhere within Bock International Group – from Canada, the USA to Japan. Work with us to create a safe and secure world, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [e-mail] with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 2301/2026