Senior Structural Engineer

Thames Water; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water and wastewater company is seeking a Senior Structural Engineer to join their Non-Infrastructure Civil Engineering team. This role requires substantial experience in the design of water and wastewater assets, with responsibilities including structural design input, reviewing external designs, and leading projects. Ideal candidates will have a degree in civil/structural engineering and knowledge of UK water industry standards. The position offers a competitive salary and generous benefits, including hybrid working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive salary

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Performance-related pay

Generous Pension Scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• A valid UK driving licence.
• Progress towards Chartered Engineer status or equivalent qualification.
• Experience in design of water and wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Provide structural design input into feasibility studies.
• Review structural designs from consultants.
• Identify optimised engineering solutions.

Skills

Structural design

Communication

Knowledge of UK industry standards

Team collaboration

Health & Safety compliance

Education

Degree in civil/structural engineering

Job description

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Senior Structural Engineer to join the Non-Infrastructure Civil Engineering team, focusing on water and wastewater assets.

What you’ll be doing as a Senior Structural Engineer

• Provide structural design input into feasibility studies, optioneering, whole life costing and preliminary designs.
• Review and provide feedback on structural designs, reports, and proposals prepared by external consultants and contractors.
• Identify and define optimised engineering solutions that align with business needs, safety standards, and long-term asset performance.
• Assess risks to delivery of schemes and identify mitigation of identified risks.
• Undertake the Lead Design Engineer role on schemes as allocated.
• Specify and oversee the commissioning of structural surveys and investigations to inform solution development and asset conditional assessments.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of internal Asset Standards and procedures.
• Liaison with internal stakeholders such as capital delivery, operations, and asset management.
• Support the Line Manager and Head of Civil Engineering in the delivery of the Critical Assets Risk Management programme.
• Work with CAD technicians to produce drawings.
• Support and guide junior engineers.

Base location: Hybrid – Clearwater Court – RG1 8DB with frequent travel to operational and construction sites.

Working pattern or hours: 36 hours, Monday‑Friday.

Necessary requirements for the role: A valid UK driving licence.

What you should bring to the role

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Degree level in civil/structural engineering with progression toward Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional qualification.
• Proven experience in the design of water and wastewater treatment infrastructure (new build, extensions, and rehabilitation).
• Knowledge of UK water industry standards, Eurocodes, British Standards, and relevant specifications.
• Experience in structural design and assessment of water‑retaining and general civil structures.
• Ability to provide technical assurance on structural aspects of projects, ensuring compliance with standards and best practice.
• Appreciation of buildability, with the ability to review and challenge proposed solutions in collaboration with contractors and designers.
• Good communication skills both internally and externally with the ability to collaborate and influence colleagues.
• Familiar with Health & Safety requirements.
• Capability to meet confined space entry requirements.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have

• Ability to undertake design checks & inspection of bridges would be an added advantage.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary £60,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities

Come and join the Thames Water family.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.