Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer - Water / Wastewater
HybridManchester, England, United Kingdom
Job Summary
Lead the mechanical discipline for complex UK water and wastewater treatment projects, acting as technical authority on design, construction support, and handover. Establish design standards, manage multidisciplinary interfaces, and drive integrated coordination across process, civil, and operations teams. Deliver on complex equipment strategies, supplier packages, and client engagements while embedding digital workflows, BIM coordination, and data-led decision-making. Mentor and develop the sub-team through recruitment, line management, and succession planning. Support project directors with technical risk, scope, and budget oversight. Join a high-growth UK Water team shaping sustainable infrastructure across London, Bristol, and Manchester.
Required Qualifications
- BEng/MEng or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering
- Chartered Engineer or Incorporated Engineer status with a relevant professional institution, such as IMechE
- Typically 10–12+ years' relevant mechanical engineering design experience
- Background must be from water, wastewater, biosolids/bioresources or oil & gas
- Proven track record leading mechanical design and technical assurance on complex multidisciplinary projects
- Deep technical expertise in mechanical treatment/process systems, including pumps, pipework, valves, tanks, packaged plant, lifting systems, hydraulics and maintainability
- Strong understanding of UK regulated water sector drivers, water company asset standards, CDM 2015, safety-by-design, environmental/regulatory requirements and common delivery models
- Demonstrable experience developing people, including mentoring, line management, technical coaching, recruitment or resource planning
- Strong client and stakeholder management skills, with credibility to lead senior technical conversations and influence project direction
- Strong commercial and delivery awareness, including scope development, fee estimating, programme/resource planning, risk management and change control
- Strong digital and innovation mindset, with experience embedding improved tools, data workflows, BIM/MEP coordination, hydraulic analysis, automation or standardised delivery approaches
- Right to work in the UK
Desired Qualifications
- Experience as mechanical discipline lead, design manager, technical director, associate-level lead or sub-team lead within consultancy, contractor, water company, technology provider or oil & gas/process engineering business
- Strong UK water sector client network and experience supporting account growth, opportunity shaping, bid leadership and work winning
- Experience developing services around digital treatment design, process optimisation, operational intelligence, energy/carbon reduction, modular/offsite solutions or MEP-led delivery
- Experience leading mechanical technical governance, communities of practice, design standards, QA frameworks or delivery improvement initiatives
- Experience building teams during growth phases, including skills mapping, capability planning and creation of a positive, delivery-focused culture
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