Pricipal Design Engineer

PSR Rail Team are recruiting for a Permanent Principal Design Engineer in London. This will be working with a reputable contractor on one of the biggest Rail Projects in the UK. Please see more information below.

Role Purpose

The Principal Design Engineer is responsible for leading the technical development, assurance and delivery of the Ventilation & associated building-services design packages and associated rail infrastructure. The role ensures that their systems are fully integrated, compliant, safe, and coordinated with civil, structural, architectural, and rail systems requirements, while managing design progress across multidisciplinary internal and external teams.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design Leadership & Technical Delivery

Lead the end-to-end design of their systems (e.g., tunnel ventilation, station ventilation, smoke control, vacuum systems, HVAC, associated MEP interfaces).

Develop and maintain design criteria, technical specifications, and engineering standards.

Oversee production of models, calculations, reports, drawings, and technical deliverables to required quality standards (BIM/L2 or L3).

2. Systems Integration & Interface Management

Coordinate their requirements with structural, architectural, fire engineering, electrical, RAMS, and rail systems teams.

Manage interfaces with the client, contractors, HS2 / Network Rail teams, utilities providers, and third-party stakeholders.

Ensure their systems integrate with station operations, control systems, and emergency procedures.

3. Safety & Assurance

Lead design assurance activities including compliance with UK Building Regulations, fire strategy, railway standards (e.g., /L2, HS2 standards), and relevant British/European codes.

Manage hazard identification, risk assessments and safety documentation in accordance with CDM.

Support System Safety, EMC, RAMS, and HAZOP/HAZID processes.

4. Project & Design Management

Develop design programmes, monitor progress, manage risk, and ensure design delivery to schedule and budget.

Provide technical leadership to design consultants, supply chain partners, and internal engineering teams.

Review, approve, and sign off design deliverables as the competent engineering authority.

5. Stakeholder Engagement

Act as the discipline focal point for client design reviews, technical workshops, and coordination meetings.

Prepare and present technical papers, design justifications, and reports to senior stakeholders.

Support procurement, tender evaluations, contractor design reviews, and construction technical queries.

6. Construction & Delivery Support

Provide technical support during construction, testing, commissioning, and handover.

Review contractor method statements, installation details, and deviations / concessions.

Ensure as-built documentation and design changes are accurately captured.

Required Skills & Experience

Chartered Engineer (CEng) with ICE, IMechE, CIBSE or equivalent.

10+ years of design experience in major rail, metro, or large-scale infrastructure projects.

Deep knowledge of ventilation, HVAC, smoke control, and MEP systems for complex transport environments.

Strong understanding of BIM, digital design workflows, and multidisciplinary coordination.

Track record of leading teams in high-value, multi-stakeholder engineering projects.

Excellent communication, documentation, and leadership skills.

Desirable

Experience with HS2, Crossrail, or major UK station design.

Knowledge of railway assurance frameworks (RIBA stages, GRIP/PACE, CSM-RA).

Tunnel ventilation modelling exposure (e.g., CFD, SES).

Understanding of sustainability, energy modelling, and whole-life asset considerations.

Contact Dan Confrey at PSR for more info