Principal Designer

About

The Role Right across infrastructure, theres a requirement to not only maintain, but also renew and reimagine. Whatever stage youre at in your career, with us youll have an opportunity to grow and develop. Delivering essential infrastructure services for life, while being safety first and client and customer centric in a friendly, fun and respectful environment where you are encouraged to thrive.

Where will you be working? We help our clients safeguard the water supply, improve environmental performance and manage demand for future generations. We enhance and extend asset life, ensuring compliance with water quality and environmental standards. Were problem solvers with over 140 years of combined experience in engineering and infrastructure. This role will be within ourwater and wastewater capital project delivery team.

Our teams deliver large-scale capital programmes aimed at keeping water infrastructure resilient for the long-term while protecting the environment. Want to be a part of it? What will you be doing? We are seeking an experienced Principal Designer to lead and coordinate health, safety, and design risk management activities across a diverse portfolio of Clean Water, Wastewater, MEICA, and Civil Engineering projects.

As Principal Designer, you will ensure compliance with CDM 2015 Regulations throughout all project phases, including Tender, Feasibility, Outline Design, Detailed Design, Construction, Handover, and Completion. You will work closely with clients, design teams, contractors, and stakeholders to embed safe design principles and promote best practice throughout the project lifecycle. Lead and manage the Principal Designer function across multiple projects.

Ensure compliance with CDM 2015 Regulations and associated health and safety requirements. Review and coordinate Pre-Construction Information (PCI), identifying gaps and recommending additional surveys where required. Facilitate collaboration between clients, designers, contractors, and other stakeholders throughout the pre-construction phase. Attend and lead design reviews, risk workshops, assurance checks, and audits. Ensure designers fulfil their CDM duties and apply the Principles of Prevention.

Support design change management and construction phase coordination. Collaborate with Principal Contractors to ensure effective communication of health and safety information. Agree and coordinate Health & Safety File requirements and project handover documentation. Drive continuous improvement in design processes and standards. What youll bring Extensive knowledge and practical experience of CDM 2015 Regulations and their application across the project lifecycle.

Proven experience performing the Principal Designer role within infrastructure, water, utilities, civil engineering, or construction environments. Strong understanding of design risk management, hazard identification, and the application of the Principles of Prevention. Experience coordinating and influencing multidisciplinary design teams during the pre-construction phase. Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate complex design and construction risks while driving safe design solutions. Sound knowledge of construction methods, engineering principles, project delivery processes, and Pre-Construction Information (PCI) requirements.

Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with clients, contractors, designers, and project teams. Strong communication, presentation, and facilitation skills, with experience leading design reviews, workshops, and risk management meetings. Experience conducting assurance reviews, audits, and compliance checks to ensure adherence to CDM and project requirements. A proactive and collaborative leader with strong problem-solving skills, a commitment to continuous improvement, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while delivering successful project outcomes.

Whats in it for you?

We offer a range of benefits designed to support your life in and out of work, some of which include;
Contributory pension scheme Online GP service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Employee assistance programme My Rewards portal, access to 1000s of retail discounts Life assurance Cycle to work, salary finance and give as you earn schemes Enhanced maternity, paternity leave and adoption leave Reward and recognition scheme Recommend a friend get rewarded for introducing people to us!

In addition, this role offers;
Company car and fuel card with a range of EV and hybrid vehicles to choose from My Car Choice our salary sacrifice EV/ Hybrid car scheme Private health care single cover Health Care Cash Plan, giving you the ability to claim back medical expenses for things like dental, eyecare and physiotherapy and much more! 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays Discretionary bonus scheme

About us We want to be an employer of choice and a great place to work, attracting diverse and talented people, who join us and make a…