Principal Engineer; Bridges & Structures (Dublin/ Cork)

Jacobs Engineering Group; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working policy

Global collaboration

Job summary

Jacobs Engineering Group in Dublin/Cork is seeking a Principal Engineer - Bridges & Structures to lead complex bridge and structural projects from concept through construction. You will mentor engineers and deliver high-quality designs while strengthening client relationships across Ireland, the UK, and globally.

Bring a degree in Civil or Structural Engineering, Chartered status, and proven leadership in multi-disciplinary delivery.

Qualifications

• Requires a degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or related discipline.
• Chartered status or actively working towards accreditation.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills across multidisciplinary teams and clients.
• Experience leading delivery of engineering projects and coordinating technical inputs.
• Sound technical design expertise with a practical, solutions-focused approach.
• Balance technical excellence with programme requirements and commercial considerations.

Responsibilities

• Lead structural analysis, feasibility studies, preliminary and detailed design, tender documentation and technical reporting.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance and mentoring to engineers.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated engineering solutions.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships to enable business growth.
• Champion digital engineering, automation, lean methodologies and data‑driven delivery approaches.
• Ensure projects meet top technical, quality and commercial standards.
• Collaborate across Ireland, the UK and Jacobs' Global Integrated Delivery network.

Skills

Project leadership

Communication skills

Client relationship management

Digital engineering

Design & analysis

Education

Bachelors or Masters in Civil/Structural Engineering

Job description

Principal Engineer; Bridges & Structures (Dublin/ Cork)

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

As a Principal Engineer - Bridges & Structures, you'll play a key role in delivering complex bridge and structural engineering solutions that connect communities, improve mobility, and support sustainable growth. From major highway schemes and rail enhancements to nationally significant infrastructure programmes, your expertise will have a lasting impact on projects that matter.

You'll work alongside some of the industry's leading engineers, collaborating across Ireland, the UK, and our Global Integrated Delivery teams to deliver innovative, technically excellent solutions for our clients.

What You'll Do

As a Principal Engineer, you'll take ownership of delivering bridge and structural engineering projects from concept through to construction, helping clients solve their most complex challenges.

You'll:

• Lead structural analysis, feasibility studies, preliminary and detailed design, tender documentation, and technical reporting.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentoring to engineers, supporting capability growth across the team.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated, high-quality engineering solutions.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, contributing to business growth and future opportunities.
• Champion innovation through digital engineering, automation, lean methodologies, and data-driven delivery approaches.
• Ensure projects are delivered to the highest technical, quality, and commercial standards.
• Work closely with colleagues across Ireland, the UK, and our Global Integrated Delivery network to maximise project success and knowledge sharing.

Why Jacobs?

Our Bridges & Structures team is part of Jacobs' market-leading Transportation business, recognised for delivering some of the most complex, high-profile, and impactful infrastructure projects across Ireland, the UK, and internationally.

You'll work with major clients including:

• Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
• National Transport Authority (NTA)
• Irish Rail
• National Highways
• High Speed Two (HS2)
• Network Rail
• Welsh Government
• Local Authorities across Ireland and the UK

Here’s what you’ll need

We're looking for talented engineers who are passionate about delivering innovative infrastructure solutions and making a lasting impact on some of Ireland's most significant transportation projects.

You’ll bring:

• A degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Chartered status (or be actively working towards professional accreditation).
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and with clients.
• Experience leading the delivery of engineering projects, coordinating technical inputs, and driving successful outcomes.
• Sound technical design expertise, combined with a practical and solutions-focused approach to problem solving.
• The ability to balance technical excellence, programme requirements, and commercial considerations throughout project delivery.

Diverse Experience Welcome

While experience in bridge design would be an advantage, it's not essential.

We're keen to hear from engineers with experience across a broad range of infrastructure sectors, including:

• Highways
• Rail
• Aviation
• Marine & Ports
• Buildings
• Heavy Civil Engineering
• Other complex infrastructure environments

What matters most is a strong engineering foundation, a collaborative mindset, and a desire to contribute to the delivery of complex and meaningful projects.

Build What's Next

Whether you're an experienced Senior Engineer ready for your next challenge or a Principal Engineer looking to influence major infrastructure programmes and mentor future talent, you'll find opportunities at Jacobs to grow your career while helping shape the future of transportation.

If you're motivated by technical excellence, collaboration, and the chance to work on projects that make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

#LI-NC2

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well-being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs .

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here .

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https://www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support .