Job Title: Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Location: Reading Hours: 36 hours per week (Hybrid working available) Salary: £80,000 DOE Car allowance: £5,800 per annum First Off - What’s in it for you? The Principal Mechanical Design Engineer will benefit from a strong package and clear progression within a technically influential environment: £80,000 basic salary DOE £5,800 car allowance Annual performance-related bonus 26 days annual leave (rising with service) plus bank holidays Private medical cover and wellbeing support Life assurance and employee assistance programme Professional membership and chartership support Opportunity for the Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to influence engineering standards across major UK water programmes Now - The Role This Principal Mechanical Design Engineer role offers an opportunity to take a leading technical authority position within a specialist engineering function supporting major UK water and wastewater infrastructure programmes. The position is focused on engineering governance, design assurance, and the application of industry standards, with a strong emphasis on WIMES compliance, technical approval, and consistency across mechanical design outputs. The Principal Mechanical Design Engineer will play a key role in shaping standards and ensuring robust engineering delivery across sludge treatment, digestion, and related process systems. Role Responsibilities Key responsibilities include: Checking, reviewing, and formally approving mechanical design deliverables Acting as technical authority for mechanical engineering within regulated water environments Ensuring compliance with WIMES standards, UK regulations, and client specifications Developing and maintaining industry-wide mechanical design standards and practices Providing engineering governance and assurance across project lifecycle stages Leading technical input into: Sludge treatment and digestion systems Biogas and CHP infrastructure Pumping stations and pipework networks Water and wastewater process equipment Supporting consistency and standardisation of engineering outputs across teams Mentoring and guiding engineers to improve technical quality and compliance Experience & Qualifications The Principal Mechanical Design Engineer should demonstrate the following: Degree-qualified in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent) Chartered Engineer status (or working towards) Strong background in UK water and wastewater engineering environments Proven experience with WIMES standards and regulated design frameworks Experience in sludge digestion, biogas, CHP, or wastewater treatment systems Demonstrable experience in design review, checking, and approval responsibilities Strong understanding of engineering governance, compliance, and technical assurance Interested? If you are an experienced Principal Mechanical Design Engineer looking to operate as a true technical authority—driving standards, approving critical engineering outputs, and shaping delivery across major water infrastructure programmes—please apply to find out more.