Principal Electrical Engineer

Position: Principal Electrical Engineer (Permanent)
Principal Electrical Engineer | Bristol, UK
Permanent | Hybrid Working | Competitive Salary + Benefits

The Opportunity

We're working exclusively with one of the world's leading sustainable design, engineering and consultancy organisations — a global firm operating across 70+ countries with a major and growing presence in Bristol. This is a standout opportunity for an experienced Principal Electrical Engineer to join a technically excellent team delivering some of the most significant infrastructure programmes in the South West and beyond.

You'll act as a technical authority across complex, multidisciplinary projects spanning water, energy, rail and built environment sectors — with real scope to shape project direction, grow client relationships, and leave a lasting mark on infrastructure that matters.

About Our Client

Our client is a globally recognised consultancy trusted by public and private sector organisations across the full asset lifecycle. Their Bristol hub punches well above its weight — delivering cutting-edge solutions on national water networks, rail electrification schemes, net-zero energy transitions and major building services programmes. Culture is a genuine differentiator here: inclusion, innovation and sustainability are lived values, not just talking points.

What You'll Be Doing

You'll lead electrical design and technical delivery across major infrastructure projects, acting as technical reviewer and approver against relevant standards (BS 7671, IEC and others). Day to day you'll mentor and manage engineers at various career stages, develop and maintain senior client relationships, and collaborate across civil, mechanical, instrumentation and process disciplines. You'll also contribute to bids and proposals, champion digital engineering and BIM integration, and support the ongoing growth of electrical engineering capability across the Bristol office and wider UK practice.

What We're Looking For

On the essentials side, we're looking for a degree-qualified Electrical Engineer (BEng/MEng) with CEng status or active progression toward it. You'll have substantial post-qualification experience in a consultancy or project engineering environment, with a proven track record leading electrical design on infrastructure projects — ideally across water, energy, rail or building services. Strong knowledge of UK electrical standards, HV/LV systems, power distribution and motor control is a given, as are confident communication skills and experience managing engineers and sub-consultants.

On the desirable side, experience with renewables, grid connection or energy network projects would be a real advantage, as would familiarity with EICA systems, BIM tools, or a background working with regulated clients such as Network Rail, water utilities or the Environment Agency.

What's on Offer

A competitive salary benchmarked to experience, hybrid working (typically 2–3 days in the Bristol office), generous pension, private healthcare, and a structured CPD programme with full chartership support. Beyond that: access to a genuinely global network, international project exposure, and clear progression pathways to Associate Director and above — all within a collaborative, inclusive culture that takes people development seriously