Senior / Principal Drainage Engineer

Pell Frischmann; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

Pell Frischmann in the United Kingdom is seeking a Transport & Infrastructure Civil Engineer to join our growing Luton-based team. You will prepare detailed designs, feasibility studies, and scheme reports across diverse infrastructure projects, with opportunities in project management, budgeting, and mentoring junior staff.

We value strong planning, communication, and teamwork, and support hybrid working, career development, and a commitment to wellbeing across our people.

Qualifications

• BEng in Civil Engineering (or equivalent).
• 3+ years' experience as a civil engineer in the design of civils and drainage for residential and commercial projects.
• Experience with Microdrainage, Causeway Flow and AutoCAD.
• Knowledge of drainage design standards, construction practices, asset management and relevant legislation.
• Experience preparing drainage strategies and S104/S106 agreements.
• CDM health and safety responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Implement project requirements to fully meet the client brief in accordance with relevant standards.
• Collate project information, liaise and engage with clients and third parties as required.
• Supervise site‑based projects as required.
• Assist / lead with project delivery & supervise and delegate to more junior staff and others as required.
• Review and approve your own work and that of others, including third‑party design proposals.
• Collaborate effectively within an established team and contribute to a positive team culture.

Skills

Civil engineering design

Project management

Highways design

Communication skills

Team leadership

Health and safety (CDM)

Education

BEng in Civil Engineering (or equivalent)

Tools

Microdrainage

Causeway Flow

AutoCAD

Job description

About Pell Frischmann

Pell Frischmann is a specialist advisory and technical consultancy operating across the built and natural environment, helping to shape a better future for the communities in which we work. We offer consultancy services, with access to specialist sister companies and partners, to support both public and private‑sector clients. We work across sectors encompassing buildings, infrastructure, and regeneration.

About Pell Frischmann

Pell Frischmann is a specialist advisory and technical consultancy operating across the built and natural environment, helping to shape a better future for the communities in which we work. We offer consultancy services, with access to specialist sister companies and partners, to support both public and private‑sector clients. We work across sectors encompassing buildings, infrastructure, and regeneration.

Originally formed in 1926, we have a unique heritage in delivering client‑focused solutions that deliver value through our commercial awareness, sustainable aspirations, and innovative approach. Our distinctive future is defined by our ownership; Pell Frischmann is a part of RSBG SE, the patient capital investment arm of RAG‑Stiftung. RAG‑Stiftung is a foundation with the long‑term public purpose to deal with the environmental and social commitments resulting from the closing of Germany’s coal mining industry. RSBG SE’s mission is to generate sustainable funds for the foundation; so, our work directly contributes to the challenge of fighting global pollution and climate change.

Main Purpose of the Job

Based in our Luton office, you’ll join a hardworking and expanding team of Transport & Infrastructure Engineers and Consultants.

As part of a national, multidisciplinary Transport & Infrastructure team, you’ll collaborate with colleagues across the country to deliver high‑quality outcomes and uphold our core business values. This cross‑office approach gives you exposure to a wide range of projects, clients, and technical challenges.

We’re currently working on some truly exciting and diverse infrastructure schemes, including:

• Long‑term Local Authority framework commissions, providing stability and variety
• Active Travel projects shaping the future of sustainable mobility
• Major infrastructure development work such as S278, S38, and S104 schemes
• A wide mix of residential and mixed‑use developments, each with unique design challenges

Your role will involve preparing detailed designs, feasibility studies, and scheme reports across this varied project portfolio. You’ll also have the opportunity to take on responsibilities such as project management, budgeting, cost estimating, and producing bills of quantities—giving you genuine breadth and progression in your day‑to‑day work.

Strong planning, scheduling, and time‑management skills will be essential, as you will be trusted to manage your workload and deliver to deadlines.

You will also play an important part in supporting and guiding junior team members, helping them grow while ensuring consistent, high‑quality project delivery. Working within your discipline and collaborating closely with others, you’ll contribute to successful outcomes across every stage of a project as delegated by the Project Manager.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Implement project requirements to fully meet the client brief in accordance with relevant standards
• Collate project information, liaise and engage in clients and third parties as required
• Supervise site‑based projects as required
• Assist / lead with project delivery & supervise and delegate to more junior members of staff and others as required
• Review and approve your own work and that of others, including third‑party design proposals.
• Collaborate effectively within an established team and contribute to a positive team culture.

What Qualifications, Experience & Skills are required?

Qualification

• BEng in Civil Engineering (or equivalent)

Experience

• You will have 3 yrs+ experience as a civil engineer in the design of civils projects and drainage design in residential and commercial projects
• Demonstrate good working knowledge of software such as Microdrainage, Causeway Flow, AutoCAD
• Detailed knowledge of drainage design standards, construction practices, asset management, and relevant legislation
• Experience preparing drainage strategies, FRA’s S104/S106 Agreements.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of Health and Safety including CDM responsibilities.
• Undertake day to day management and leadership of project design including overseeing designs produced by consultants and managing input from other disciplines
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Client liaison and management
• Experience in managing project workloads, finances, and ensuring compliance with briefs and financial constraints
• Utility coordination and clash detection
• Experience mentoring and developing less experienced staff, and the ability to build effective working relationships.

Skills

• The ability to work under pressure, with good organisational skills and the ability to plan, organise and manage a complex workload, with shifting deadlines to meet specific targets
• Experience of working in a complex fast paced design and project/programme management environment, ideally in infrastructure or a related field and evidence of delivering sustainable results in a large organisation
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills to identify and deliver outcomes‑focused solutions to complex situations
• Ability to design highway engineering solutions, analyse complex information, and use relevant software for modelling and analysis
• Development of Highways Specifications
• Civils 3D
• Ideally good experience of drainage design and use of analytical modelling tools
• Clear, confident, and enthusiastic communication skills, both written and oral, to explain complex data to non‑specialist audiences and stakeholders.
• A commitment to continuous professional development and embodying organisational values and behaviours.

Why Pell Frischmann?

We are one of the UK's most influential and highly respected firms of infrastructure and built environment professionals. We provide a collaborative and supportive working environment, where you’ll have the freedom and flexibility to create your own pathway and make a real impact within the business and in the communities in which you will operate.

We'll support your ongoing personal and professional development as your career progresses, allowing you to reach your full potential. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all, welcoming applications from all backgrounds and are delighted to be a part of the government's Disability Confident Scheme. We're happy to talk about flexible working, including hybrid working, and are committed to promoting the wellbeing of all our employees.

Pell Frischmann Benefits

In addition, you’ll receive a competitive salary and other excellent benefits you can find on the link below!

If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please contact us at [e-mail].

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a diversity monitoring form. We are committed to recruiting, retaining and developing a workforce that reflects at all grades the diverse communities that we serve. By completing this form, you will help us to monitor and analyse diversity information so that we can ensure that our recruitment processes are fair and identify opportunities to improve them. Any information provided on this form will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be seen by those involved in the selection process.