Job Title:
Senior / Principal Civil Engineer
Salary:
£50,000 – £65,000 (dependent on experience)
Location:
Brighton / Falmer
Type:
Permanent or Contract | Hybrid working available
About the Role:
Our client is strengthening their engineering design capability and is seeking an experienced Senior or Principal Civil Engineer to join their team in Brighton, with hybrid working on offer.
Reporting directly to the Principal Engineer, you will deliver high-quality civil engineering design solutions across water and wastewater projects. Your focus will be on minimising risk, maximising value, and ensuring designs are safe, compliant, buildable, and commercially sound across turnkey and engineering services contracts.
This is a senior-level role with real influence over design direction, standards, and team development.
About the Client:
Our client is a leading integrated design-and-build provider operating within the UK water sector. They deliver complex infrastructure projects through long-term frameworks and partnerships and are known for their strong technical capability, collaborative culture, and commitment to people development.
They genuinely invest in their workforce, value diversity of thought, and actively support wellbeing, inclusion, and long-term career progression.
Key Responsibilities:
* Produce cost-effective, buildable civil design layouts that meet all specification and contractual requirements
* Consider whole-project and whole-life costs, including design time, materials, construction, and cross-discipline impacts
* Apply standard engineering practices wherever possible to maintain competitiveness
* Provide estimates and technical feedback to support bid and proposal activity
* Coordinate designs across all internal and external disciplines
* Prepare, review, and maintain design documentation, drawings, and technical records
* Develop, monitor, and continuously improve departmental procedures and processes
* Ensure full consideration of health, safety, and environmental requirements in all designs
* Mentor and support junior engineers and contribute to team development
* Promote a customer-focused culture and ensure stakeholder satisfaction
* Actively reduce waste and inefficiency across departmental activities
What Our Client is Looking For:
Essential:
* Strong understanding of water and sewage treatment principles
* Experience mentoring or managing engineers within water or wastewater design
* Membership of a relevant professional institution (chartered or working towards chartership)
* Minimum qualification: relevant engineering HND
* Ability to rationalise designs and produce efficient, economical layouts
* Broad technical knowledge across civil, mechanical, process, electrical, and project disciplines
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
* Confident communicator, able to present technical proposals clearly
* Computer literate
* Full UK driving licence
Desirable:
* Relevant engineering degree or Master’s qualification
* Working towards Chartered Engineer status
What Our Client Offers:
* Salary of £50,000 – £65,000
* Hybrid working (role dependent)
* Car or car allowance (role dependent)
* 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy up to 5 additional days
* Pension contribution scheme
* Life assurance
* Health and private medical insurance
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee discounts and lifestyle benefits
Eligibility:
* Right to work in the UK
* Full UK driving licence
Opportunity for Growth:
This role offers genuine long-term progression, whether your ambition is technical leadership, chartership, or principal-level responsibility. You’ll work on high-impact infrastructure projects and have real influence over engineering outcomes.