Senior Water & Flood Risk Engineer - Hybrid Lead

SYSTRA UK & Ireland; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

SYSTRA UK & Ireland is seeking a Principal Engineer in water engineering and SuDS to lead design delivery across UK projects for United Utilities. You will guide technical solutions, oversee cost estimates, and ensure quality across multi-site teams.

You will provide day-to-day technical oversight, coach engineers, and drive innovative drainage design methods while aligning with regulatory standards and client requirements.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in a relevant Engineering discipline.
• Chartered Engineer, MICE or CIWEM preferred.
• Essential demonstrable knowledge of SUDS designs.
• Experience of working on infrastructure, transportation or civil engineering project.
• Software - Experience of using Microdrainage and/or InfoWorks, Openroads.
• Experience of team leadership (line management and/or virtual project team).

Responsibilities

• Define the design approach, integrate inputs from multiple disciplines, and resolve standards or stakeholder conflicts as the internal specialist.
• Lead production of work packages, breaking work into tasks, estimating inputs, setting dependencies, and maintaining programme, budget, and quality control.
• Drive technical excellence and first-time-right delivery, setting QA and Safe by Design checkpoints and approving key technical decisions.
• Ensure solutions meet client specifications and acceptance criteria, with clear reporting and cost estimates, delivered to programme and within budget.
• Provide day-to-day technical guidance, review, and coaching for engineers and graduates, giving clear direction and constructive feedback.
• Develop and document innovative, repeatable methods and tools to address design problems and reduce cycle time.
• Allocate work effectively across designers and locations, delegating clearly and reviewing outcomes.
• Coordinate UK and international teams (including offshore production centres) to deliver integrated drainage designs with consistent quality.
• Lead CDM/design compliance activities, evidencing hazard elimination and capturing lessons learned for continuous improvement.

Skills

SUDS design

Technical leadership

Cross-disciplinary coord.

Team leadership

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Microdrainage

InfoWorks

Openroads

Job description

SYSTRA UK & Ireland is seeking a Principal Engineer in water engineering and SuDS to lead design delivery across UK projects for United Utilities. You will guide technical solutions, oversee cost estimates, and ensure quality across multi-site teams.

You will provide day-to-day technical oversight, coach engineers, and drive innovative drainage design methods while aligning with regulatory standards and client requirements.