Lead Design Civil Engineer

LEAD DESIGN CIVIL ENGINEER

Department
:
Design Office (Municipal Civil Engineering Infrastructure)

Reports to: Director / Principal Engineer

Direct reports: Design Engineers, Engineering Technicians, Candidate Engineers, Draughtspersons

Location: Irene, Pretoria

Employment type: Full-time, permanent

Statutory registration: Professional Engineer (Pr Eng) with ECSA — mandatory

1.
Purpose of the Role

The Lead Design Engineer is a senior, ECSA-registered civil engineer responsible for the technical leadership, design integrity, and delivery of municipal infrastructure projects — including roads, stormwater, water reticulation and sewer/wastewater networks — from feasibility through to construction supervision. The role combines hands-on technical design authority with team leadership, client management, and quality and risk oversight across the firm's project portfolio.

As a small consulting practice, the successful candidate will operate as both a senior technical resource and a mentor, shaping the firm's design standards, project delivery approach, and the development of junior and candidate engineers on the path to professional registration.

2.
Key Responsibilities

Technical design leadership

• Take professional responsibility, as the Pr Eng of record, for civil designs across roads, stormwater, water supply and sewer/sanitation infrastructure.

• Lead and review feasibility studies, preliminary and detailed designs, specifications, drawings, bills of quantities and tender documentation.

• Ensure designs comply with applicable South African codes, standards and guidelines, including SANS standards, COTO/TRH/TMH technical recommendations for roads, the CSIR Guidelines for Human Settlement Planning and Design (the 'Red Book'),
  relevant Department of Water and Sanitation guidelines, and applicable municipal engineering design standards.

• Sign off and take accountability for design calculations, drawings and reports prior to client submission, in line with ECSA's rules of conduct and scope-of-service guidelines.

• Oversee site supervision and contract administration during construction, including resolving technical queries, approving variations, and issuing certificates.

Project and client management

• Manage multiple concurrent projects, balancing programme, budget, quality and client expectations.

• Act as the primary technical point of contact for municipal and private-sector clients, funders and regulatory authorities.

• Prepare and present technical reports, proposals and fee estimates in line with ECSA's Guideline Scope of Services and Professional Fees.

• Support business development, including scoping new work, contributing to tender submissions, and maintaining client relationships.

Team leadership and mentorship

• Supervise and mentor design engineers, technicians and candidate engineers, including signing off training and experience records for candidates pursuing ECSA registration.

• Allocate workload across the design team and review technical output for accuracy, consistency and constructability.

• Contribute to the firm's internal design standards, templates, and quality management procedures.

Quality, Risk and Compliance

• Maintain a working knowledge of, and ensure compliance with, the Engineering Profession Act, ECSA's Code of Conduct, and relevant legislation including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Construction Regulations.

• Identify and manage professional indemnity and public liability risk on projects, escalating concerns to the Director where appropriate.

• Maintain personal CPD records in line with ECSA's continuing professional development requirements.

3.
Qualifications and Registration

• BEng / BSc (Eng) in Civil Engineering from an ECSA-accredited institution (or equivalent, ECSA-assessed qualification).

• Regi…