Principal Engineer​/Consultant - Civil Engineering​/Flood Risk

Position: Principal Engineer / Consultant - Civil Engineering / Flood Risk - Various Locations
At Tetra Tech, you’ll help lead the development of solutions to some of the UK’s most important civil engineering and environmental challenges of our time. You’ll provide leadership across major projects, influencing strategic direction, shaping technical outcomes and setting the standard for quality, innovation and delivery.

Purpose & Scope of the Role As a Principal Engineer, you will provide technical leadership and strategic oversight across a portfolio of civil engineering, flood risk management and infrastructure projects.

You will act as a senior technical authority, supporting teams, clients and delivery partners to develop solutions that are not only compliant and deliverable, but genuinely resilient and well-considered. You will play a leading role in setting technical direction, resolving issues, guiding multi-disciplinary coordination and assuring the quality of outputs across multiple projects or programmes.

The role will involve significant input into early-stage strategy, optioneering, governance, technical assurance, client relationships and the mentoring of engineers across the team.

Your Impact in this position

You will help define what excellent looks like. Your technical leadership will improve the quality, consistency and credibility of our work, helping deliver solutions that are robust, sustainable and trusted.

Core Capabilities Technical Authority Recognised capability in civil engineering and/or flood risk management, with the ability to lead the resolution of complex technical issues, provide assurance on designs and influence the technical direction of major projects.

Strategic Project Leadership Experience leading complex projects, programmes or key work streams, with the ability to shape delivery strategy, manage interdependencies and ensure that technical decisions support successful outcomes.

Governance Strong understanding of project governance, quality assurance and risk management, with the ability to establish and uphold standards across technical delivery.

Stakeholder Leadership Ability to engage credibly with senior clients, statutory bodies, delivery partners and internal leaders, building trust and alignment through clear thinking, evidence-based advice and confident communication.

People Development Commitment to mentoring and developing others, sharing knowledge across the team and encouraging innovation, continuous improvement and technical excellence in all aspects of delivery.

Skills, Qualifications & Experience Degree qualified in civil engineering, environmental engineering, flood risk management or a related discipline, with Chartered status expected and typically membership of MICE, MCIWEM or an equivalent professional body.

You should have significant experience in civil engineering, flood risk management or a closely related sector, with a strong record of leading technical work, managing stakeholder expectations and delivering high-quality outcomes on major infrastructure or environmental projects.

You will be expected to bring depth of judgement, credibility in client-facing environments and the confidence to act as a technical leader and mentor within the team.

Experience of design assurance, programme leadership, business development support or technical governance would be highly advantageous.

A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel to project or client locations is desirable.

Working Environment This role can be based flexibly in the UK, with hybrid working supported. The role will involve collaboration with teams and stakeholders across multiple locations, so regular travel will be required. Flexibility may also be needed to support workshops, client meetings, technical reviews and key delivery milestones.

About Tetra Tech Tetra…