Principal Highways and Drainage Engineer

Principal Highways and Drainage Engineer - Development Infrastructure

Location: Aldershot - Hybrid Salary: £50,000 - £65,000+ DOE

Principal Highways and Drainage Engineer required to join an established independent multidisciplinary consultancy delivering development infrastructure projects across the UK. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Civil Engineer with a strong background in highways and drainage design to take ownership of projects from feasibility and planning through to detailed design, technical approval and construction. The successful candidate will work across a varied portfolio of residential, commercial, mixed-use and wider development schemes, providing technical leadership on highways and drainage infrastructure while supporting Project Managers, clients and multidisciplinary design teams. The position would suit an established Senior Engineer ready to progress into a Principal-level role, or an experienced Principal Engineer seeking a technically focused position within a collaborative independent consultancy.

Principal Highways and Drainage Engineer Salary & Benefits

• £50,000 - £65,000+ salary depending on experience
• Higher packages considered for exceptional Principal-level candidates
• Hybrid and flexible working
• Office options in Woking, London, Bristol, Leeds, Christchurch or Aldershot
• 25 days annual leave, increasing with length of service
• Company pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Professional institution subscriptions paid
• Structured CPD and professional development
• Support towards chartership and professional qualifications
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee mentoring programme
• Paid volunteer time
• Varied development infrastructure workload
• Supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary environment
• Clear opportunities for progression

Principal Highways and Drainage Engineer Job Overview

• Leading the design and delivery of highway and drainage infrastructure for development projects
• Developing highway designs supporting Section 38 and Section 278 technical approval submissions
• Preparing drainage designs supporting Section 104 agreements
• Producing and reviewing drainage strategies and flood risk assessments
• Developing surface water and foul drainage networks from feasibility through to detailed design
• Undertaking drainage design from first principles
• Producing highway layouts, access designs, junction improvements and associated infrastructure solutions
• Using Civil 3D and AutoCAD to develop and coordinate highway and drainage designs
• Using MicroDrainage, Causeway Flow or similar software for drainage modelling and network design
• Undertaking technical assessments to support planning applications and development proposals
• Managing projects and technical workstreams from inception through to delivery
• Coordinating project programmes, budgets and technical outputs
• Liaising directly with developers, architects, planning consultants and wider design teams
• Liaising and negotiating with highway authorities, local authorities, water companies and approving bodies
• Responding to technical comments and progressing designs through approval
• Preparing and reviewing technical reports, drawings and calculations
• Checking technical outputs produced by Engineers, Graduates and Technicians
• Providing technical guidance and mentoring to junior members of the team
• Presenting technical information to clients, internal teams and external stakeholders
• Ensuring designs comply with relevant UK standards, regulations and authority requirements
• Supporting continuous improvement, technical development and best practice across the infrastructure team

Principal Highways and Drainage Engineer Job Requirements

• Degree or higher qualification in Civil Engineering or a related discipline
• Strong experience within UK development infrastructure engineering
• Ideally 5+ years' experience within a UK consultancy, local authority or similar environment
• Strong experience delivering both highway and drainage designs for development projects
• Experience with Section 38, Section 278 and Section 104 processes
• Strong knowledge of UK highway and drainage design standards
• Knowledge of DMRB, Manual for Streets, Sewers for Adoption and local authority design standards
• Experience designing surface water and foul drainage systems
• Strong understanding of drainage design from first principles
• Experience using MicroDrainage, Causeway Flow or similar drainage software
• Experience preparing drainage strategies and/or Flood Risk Assessments
• Good AutoCAD skills
• Good working knowledge of Civil 3D
• Experience managing projects, technical workstreams and project programmes
• Ability to independently develop and coordinate practical engineering solutions
• Experience liaising with clients, highway authorities, local authorities and water companies
• Experience reviewing and checking technical drawings, calculations and reports
• Ability to mentor and support Engineers, Graduates and Technicians
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Commercial awareness and experience managing project budgets would be advantageous
• Chartered or working towards Chartered Engineer status would be advantageous
• Full UK driving licence due to occasional site visits

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