Mechanical Discipline Head

Principal Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Discipline Head

Location:

UK

Sector:
Water & Wastewater

Employment Type:

Permanent

Level: Principal / Technical Leadership

We are working with a leading engineering consultancy seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Discipline Head to provide senior technical leadership within a multidisciplinary design team delivering projects across the UK water and wastewater sector.

This is an excellent opportunity for a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with extensive water industry design experience who is looking to combine hands‑on technical delivery with discipline leadership, technical assurance and the development of engineering capability.

You will take a leading role across a range of infrastructure and non‑infrastructure projects, providing technical direction from outline through to detailed design. Alongside project delivery, you will help establish and maintain Mechanical engineering standards, develop technical capability within the team and provide authoritative engineering input across multiple water industry frameworks.

As Principal Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Discipline Head, you will act as a senior technical authority for the Mechanical discipline, taking ownership of design quality, technical assurance and engineering standards across a portfolio of water sector projects.

You will work closely with Design Leads, Engineering Managers, Project Managers and other discipline leads to ensure engineering solutions are technically robust, practical, compliant and deliverable.

• Lead Mechanical engineering design across a range of water and wastewater projects.
• Ensure design deliverables meet required safety, quality, regulatory and client standards.
• Review and approve Mechanical design deliverables, reports, technical specifications and Design Risk Assessments.
• Develop practical and efficient engineering solutions based on project requirements, site information and client needs.
• Provide clear technical communication to clients, project teams and stakeholders.
• Direct and support Mechanical engineers, CAD technicians and graduate engineers.
• Ensure designs comply with relevant technical standards, professional guidance and water company specifications.
• Review and manage design changes, ensuring they are appropriately implemented and recorded.
• Work within established design processes and procedures to maintain consistency and quality.
• Attend and present engineering solutions at design reviews, ALM and other key technical meetings.
• Undertake independent checking of Mechanical designs or appoint competent checkers where appropriate.
• Review designs produced both internally and by subcontracted designers to ensure compliance with required technical standards.

• Establish, communicate and maintain Mechanical engineering standards across live projects and frameworks.
• Act as the technical authority for the Mechanical discipline, providing senior engineering guidance where required.
• Assess and verify the technical competency of Mechanical engineering staff before project allocation.
• Monitor discipline performance, utilisation and technical development.
• Identify training requirements and support CPD and professional development planning.
• Work collaboratively with other discipline leads to manage interfaces, dependencies and areas of overlapping scope.
• Provide Mechanical design hour estimates during tenders and support resource forecasting and capacity planning.
• Review and interpret updates to technical standards, procedures and client requirements.
• Champion safety‑in‑design principles and ensure CDM 2015 Designer duties are embedded within design and checking activities.
• Provide technical input and guidance during both project delivery and tendering activities.
• Support the ongoing improvement of engineering standards, processes and design practices.
• Contribute to the development of consistent Mechanical engineering methodologies across water industry frameworks.

You will be an experienced Mechanical Engineer with a strong track record within the regulated UK…