At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative CFD modelling for hydraulic structures and optimise designs for safety and efficiency.
- Company: Join AECOM, a leader in the water industry with a dynamic and diverse team.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible hybrid working, competitive benefits, and opportunities for career development.
- Other info: Mentorship opportunities and a supportive environment for all backgrounds.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on water infrastructure while growing your engineering skills.
- Qualifications: Degree in engineering and experience with CFD software required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
- Principal CFD Engineer - Dams & Hydraulic Structures
- Full‑time
- Business Group: DCS
- Legal Entity: AECOM Limited
- Business Line: Water
- Work Location Model: Hybrid
- Operating Group: International
- Primary Location: UK - Edinburgh - Tanfield
Start here. Grow here.
Are you ready to support a team of talented engineers and shape the future of the water industry?
Join our dynamic and multidisciplinary Water Team as a Principal CFD Engineer and help us deliver projects throughout the UK and internationally.
This position offers a hybrid work arrangement with flexibility to work from home and one of our Reservoir Engineering hub offices – Edinburgh, Belfast or Leeds.
Here’s what you’ll do
- Lead end‑to‑end 3D CFD modelling for spillways, energy dissipation structures, intake/outlet works, and other hydraulic infrastructure.
- Analyse turbulent and transient flows, energy losses, cavitation risk, air entrainment, water‑hammer effects, and scale interactions to inform safe, efficient designs.
- Integrate CFD with physical model results (calibration/validation), translating insights into design optimisation and risk reduction.
- Produce high‑quality technical reports, visualisations, and client presentations for interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders.
- Serve as technical authority for hydraulic CFD within the dams & reservoirs team; uphold QA standards and best practice.
- Mentor and guide junior modellers, fostering capability growth and knowledge‑sharing across the practice.
- Contribute to scope definition, proposals, and cost estimation; support business development related to CFD services.
- Coordinate planning, execution, and delivery schedules across multidisciplinary teams to meet project and client requirements.
- Undertake occasional site visits (e. g., surveys, data collection for model build/calibration). Travel typically occasional; can flex to project needs.
Enjoy the Perks.
- Core benefits designed to support your future and well‑being, with flexible benefits you can customise.
- Technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days to accelerate career development.
- Flexible hybrid working model to create a healthy work‑life balance. Part‑time or flexible arrangements can be discussed.
Here’s what we’re looking for
- Degree (or equivalent) in civil, hydraulic, mechanical engineering or related field.
- Chartered engineer status or actively working towards being chartered.
- Significant experience applying CFD to hydraulic structures (dams, spillways, intakes, outlet works).
- Proficiency in Flow3D, Open FOAM, ANSYS Fluent or similar CFD software, plus complementary tools like HEC‑RAS, ICEM CFD, Paraview, Rhino, Grasshopper.
- Demonstrated strength in combining numerical and physical modelling to solve complex hydraulic challenges.
- Experience with analytical problem‑solving, practical engineering judgement, and client‑facing communication (reports, presentations, data visualisation).
- Proven capability to mentor, enforce quality assurance, and deliver robust outputs aligned with regulatory and safety requirements.
We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
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Principal CFD Engineer - Dams & Hydraulic Structures employer: AECO
At AECOM, we pride ourselves on being a leading employer in the architecture field, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of London. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our extensive training programmes and mentorship opportunities, ensuring that you can develop your skills while contributing to impactful projects that shape communities. With a culture that values diversity, innovation, and collaboration, AECOM provides the perfect platform for architects to thrive and make a difference in the world.
