Principal Civil Engineer – Wastewater Infrastructure

Job Title: Principal Civil Engineer – Wastewater Infrastructure – Major Water Projects
Salary: £58,000 to £82,000 (dependent on experience)
Location: Brighton / UK-wide (Remote with occasional office visits as required)
Type: Permanent (Hybrid – typically 2 days per week in office when needed)

About the Role:
Our client is seeking an experienced Principal Civil Engineer to lead the design and delivery of wastewater infrastructure projects, with a focus on treatment works, pipelines, and hydraulic systems.

This role is centred around civil design (not process engineering), supporting maintenance, renewal, and upgrade schemes across wastewater treatment assets.

You will provide technical leadership, guide design teams, and play a key role in ensuring projects are delivered efficiently, sustainably, and to a high standard.

About the Client:
Our client is a leading organisation within the UK water sector, currently delivering a significant capital investment programme focused on improving infrastructure, sustainability, and long-term resilience.

They offer the opportunity to work on high-profile, technically challenging projects within a collaborative and forward-thinking environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead civil design delivery for wastewater treatment and infrastructure projects
• Oversee design of pipelines, hydraulic systems, and associated assets
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineering teams
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations, and QA processes
• Manage complex technical challenges and design risks
• Support delivery of maintenance and renewal schemes
• Contribute to programme planning and budget management
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement in design approaches

What Our Client is Looking For:

• Degree or HNC in Civil or Environmental Engineering (or similar)
• Chartered Engineer (or working towards)
• Strong experience in wastewater (WWT) civil engineering design
• Background in pipelines, hydraulics, or infrastructure design
• Experience with modelling tools (HADES desirable)
• Typically 10+ years’ experience (flexible for strong candidates with 5-8 years)
• Strong understanding of UK water sector standards and regulations
• Ability to lead and support engineering teams

What Our Client Offers:

• Salary between £58,000 – £82,000 (DOE)
• Performance-related bonus
• Flexible working model (remote with occasional office/site visits)
• Strong pension and benefits package
• Long-term project pipeline and job security
• Opportunity to work on major UK infrastructure programmes

Eligibility:

• Must have full right to work in the UK (no sponsorship available)
• Applications only open to candidates currently based in the UK
• Willingness to travel to office or project locations when required

Opportunity for Growth:

This role offers a clear path into senior technical leadership, with opportunities to:

• Influence major wastewater infrastructure programmes
• Develop expertise in complex hydraulic and infrastructure design
• Progress into senior leadership or specialist technical roles
• Work alongside experienced industry leaders

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.