Section Engineer

Balfour Beatty plc; Greater London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Smart working (up to 40% remote)

25 days annual leave

Pension

Share incentive plan

Volunteering leave

Recognition schemes

Job summary

Balfour Beatty is recruiting a Section Engineer to lead the delivery of a defined section of track and civil works for London Underground. You’ll bridge design and construction, ensuring safety, accuracy and conformity with LU standards.

Based at the Cockfosters Site Office, Stratford, the role requires hands-on leadership, collaboration and a focus on right-first-time delivery on high-profile infrastructure projects.

Qualifications

• Engineering qualification in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience as Site Engineer or Section Engineer delivering track, permanent way and/or civil works in a rail environment.
• Strong setting out, dimensional control and drawing interpretation skills.
• Experience producing and managing ITPs, quality records and as-built/hand back documentation.
• A recognised health and safety qualification (SMSTS, IOSH or NEBOSH).
• Collaborative leadership style with ability to mentor and develop junior engineers.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills including reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering delivery for your section of track and civil works, ensuring safe construction in line with drawings, specs and LU requirements.
• Act as the interface between design and construction, resolving buildability issues and technical queries.
• Produce and implement Inspection and Test Plans and manage inspection records through to close-out.
• Check and approve setting out and dimensional control; ensure survey records are accurate and retained.
• Manage red line drawings, as-built records and handback documentation for engineering assurance.
• Prepare and review method statements, task briefings and work package plans for teams.
• Support access planning for engineering hours, weekend closures and blockades.
• Monitor subcontractor and direct works against programme, budget and specs; escalate risks as needed.
• Supervise, mentor and develop Site Engineers and graduates within your section.

Skills

Setting out

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Education

MEng in Civil Engineering

BEng

BSc

HND

HNC

Job description

About the role

Build the future of London’s rail infrastructure

We’re looking for a confident and detail-focused Section Engineer to lead the engineering delivery of a defined section of track and civil engineering works across London Underground infrastructure. This is a hands‑on role where you’ll be the vital link between design and construction, ensuring work is delivered safely, accurately and in line with approved designs, LU standards and project requirements.

If you enjoy solving technical challenges, working in a live rail environment and helping teams deliver right‑first‑time engineering, this is a great opportunity to play a key role on high‑profile infrastructure works that keep London moving.

This role is based at the Cockfosters Site office, Stratford.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading engineering delivery for your section of track and civil engineering works, ensuring safe construction in line with drawings, specifications and LU requirements.
• Acting as the day‑to‑day engineering interface between design and construction, identifying buildability issues and resolving technical queries before they affect delivery.
• Producing and implementing Inspection and Test Plans, managing inspection records, installation checks, hold points and witness points through to close‑out.
• Checking and approving setting out and dimensional control, ensuring survey records are accurate, complete and properly retained.
• Managing red line drawings, as‑built records and handback documentation to support robust engineering assurance.
• Preparing and reviewing method statements, task briefings and work package plans so teams understand the engineering requirements, tolerances and standards expected.
• Supporting access planning for engineering hours, weekend closures and blockades, including possession and logistics inputs.
• Monitoring subcontractor and direct works activity against programme, specification and budget, escalating risks and early warnings where needed.
• Supervising, mentoring and developing Site Engineers, Assistant Engineers, graduates and apprentices within your section.

Who we’re looking for

The following skills/experience are required:

• An engineering qualification such as MEng, BEng, BSc, HND or HNC in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience as a Site Engineer or Section Engineer delivering track, permanent way and/or civil engineering works in a rail environment.
• Strong setting out, dimensional control and drawing interpretation skills.
• Experience producing and managing ITPs, quality records and as‑built or hand back documentation.
• A recognised health and safety qualification, such as SMSTS, IOSH or NEBOSH.
• A collaborative leadership style, with the ability to motivate and develop junior engineers.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, including confident reporting.

The following skills/experience are desirable:

• London Underground track access certification, such as ICI, or additional LU competencies including Protection Master or Site Person in Charge.
• Experience working on London Underground or TfL‑controlled infrastructure, including engineering hours.
• Knowledge of LU Category 1 standards, engineering assurance and hand back requirements.
• Temporary Works Supervisor training or experience.
• Experience of depot construction or upgrade projects, including stabling, maintenance roads, lifting roads, pits or conductor rail interfaces.
• PTS certification or experience working on Network Rail‑controlled infrastructure.
• Ambition to progress towards Senior Engineer or CRE Construction roles.

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Why join us?

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About us

Balfour Beatty works at the heart of the UK’s rail networks – designing, enhancing and maintaining thousands of miles of the railways that connect communities and underpin growth.

From feasibility studies, planning and design through to implementation and asset management, we provide multi‑disciplinary rail infrastructure services across the lifecycle of rail assets. Our expertise covers electrification, track, power, civils, specialist rail plant, railway systems and technologies.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion

To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long‑term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at [e-mail]