Principal Highways Engineer

About the role

The successful candidate will lead highway design projects, combining technical responsibilities and project management to deliver projects to quality, budget and timescales. They will promote a collaborative approach and ensure compliance with local authority standards.

• Lead the delivery of highway design projects, ensuring designs comply fully with local authority standards and regulations.
• Manage the full design lifecycle in Abu Dhabi from concept and preliminary design through to detailed design and authority submissions.
• Act as the key interface for authority coordination in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, engaging with DMT, ADM, RTA and other stakeholders to secure approvals.
• Demonstrate strong familiarity with Abu Dhabi design standards, approval workflows, and submission processes; knowledge of Dubai requirements is an advantage.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to the team, ensuring designs align with local regulations, international standards and project-specific requirements.
• Lead multidisciplinary coordination across transport planning, drainage, utilities and other disciplines to deliver integrated design solutions.
• Review and ensure the quality of design outputs, calculations and drawings in line with project and authority standards.
• Coordinate or undertake Road Safety Audits (RSA) at various stages – desirably.

• BEng or MEng in Civil Engineering.
• Significant experience in UAE, with strong familiarity with Abu Dhabi design processes and authority requirements;
  Dubai experience is desirable.
• Demonstrable technical (design) skills.
• Experience supporting Traffic Impact Studies.
• Experience in highway design for major master‑planning in the GCC.
• Previous experience in Saudi projects is an advantage.
• Road Safety Audit (RSA) experience is preferable.
• Enthusiastic, ambitious and outward‑facing with strong interpersonal skills.
• Self‑motivated with strong organisational capability.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with in a Commercial Engineering environment.

• Medical insurance and life insurance as per local plan.
• Annual leave in line with local policy and competitive within the market.
• Maternity leave above and beyond local provisions and paternity leave provisions where applicable.
• Professional institution subscription support.
• Learning and career development opportunities through project variety and structured development.
• Inclusive culture committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Annual performance‑bonus scheme subject to company performance.
• Employee ownership model providing annual bonus opportunities and long‑term participation.