Job Description
Are you an experienced Principal Civil Engineer ready to take the next step in your career? Finlay Jude Associates are partnering with a leading organisation in the water sector as they look to strengthen their Engineering team with a talented Principal Civil Engineer, based in Rickmansworth with hybrid working available.
This is an exciting opportunity to take a senior role in delivering high‑quality civil engineering design across major water and wastewater projects. Reporting to the Civil Regional Discipline Lead, you’ll lead the coordination and production of design documentation, ensuring safe, cost‑effective, and technically robust solutions that support successful project delivery.
Benefits of the Principal Civil Engineer Role:
- Competitive salary
- Hybrid working arrangement
- 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (option to purchase additional days) Contributory pension scheme
- Life Assurance
- Health Insurance & Private Medical Insurance
- Additional perks including cycle‑to‑work scheme, discounts hub, Kids Pass, and more
Key Responsibilities of the Principal Civil Engineer:
- Produce cost‑effective, constructible civil design layouts that meet project specifications and safety standards
- Ensure designs consider full lifecycle cost, including design hours, materials, installation, and impacts on other disciplines
- Promote and apply standard design practices to maintain consistency and efficiency Provide design estimates and technical input to support the Proposals team
- Work to established procedures and contribute to the ongoing development of engineering processes
- Coordinate civil design with internal and external disciplines to ensure seamless project delivery
- Maintain accurate project records and documentation throughout the contract lifecycle
- Drive customer satisfaction by delivering high‑quality engineering solutions and maintaining strong internal relationships
- Support the development and mentoring of junior engineering staff
- Ensure all design work adheres to health, safety, and environmental requirements Maintain a personal development plan and stay up to date with industry advancements
- Promote a safe working environment and contribute to waste reduction across engineering activities
Requirements
Essential
- Strong understanding of water and wastewater treatment processes
- Experience managing engineering staff and leading civil design on treatment plant projects
- Degree‑qualified in a relevant engineering discipline
- Chartered or working toward chartership with a recognised professional institution
- Ability to rationalise designs and produce efficient, economic plant layouts
- Broad understanding of related disciplines including mechanical, electrical, process engineering, and project management
- Ability to interpret and manage large volumes of technical data
- Confident communicator able to present technical proposals clearly and convincingly
- Strong computer literacy
- Full UK driving licence
Desirable:
- Membership of a relevant professional institution
- Experience within the water and wastewater sector in a similar senior engineering role
If this Principal Civil Engineer role aligns with your career ambitions and you’re ready to join a forward‑thinking organisation, we’d love to hear from you. Please apply with your most up‑to‑date CV.
Due to the high volume of applications, we receive we are not always able to reply to all applications. If you haven’t heard back from us within 2 weeks, then please accept that your application has been unsuccessful for the role we currently have advertised. Please note that no terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate on the grounds of a person’s gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation. Every candidate will be assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications and abilities to perform the duties of the job. Finlay Jude Associates Ltd acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers.