Principal Engineer - Facades / External Walls in Manchester

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Company Overview

Through our worldwide network of experts, clients and communities, we are renowned for our leadership in fire protection engineering – a legacy of responsibility we have proudly upheld since 1939. Today, our expertise extends broadly across closely related security and risk‑based fields – from accessibility consulting and risk analysis to process safety, forensic investigations, security risk consulting, emergency management, digital innovation and more.

Our engineers and consultants collaborate to solve complex safety and security challenges, ensuring our clients can protect what matters most. For over 80 years, we have helped mitigate risks that threaten lives, property and reputations. Through technology, expertise and industry‑leading research, we remain dedicated to our purpose of making our world safe, secure and resilient.

At Jensen Hughes, we believe that creating and sustaining a culture of trust, integrity and professional growth starts with putting our people first. Our employees are our greatest strength, and we value the unique perspectives and talents they bring to our organization.

Our wide range of Global Employee Networks connect people from across the organization, supporting career development and providing forums for individuals to share experiences on topics they are passionate about. Together, we are cultivating a connected culture where everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed together.

Job Overview

Role can be based in either London, Manchester or Birmingham.

Jensen Hughes is a company fiercely committed to our purpose, our clients, and each other. Every single member of our team is essential to our success. Due to the continued growth and success of our External Walls and Facades team, we have an exciting opportunity for a Principal Engineer to join our market‑leading UK team.

As a Principal Engineer, you will provide advanced technical delivery and project leadership across façade engineering and external wall fire consultancy services, you will be responsible for exercising independent engineering judgement on complex projects, leading technical workstreams, and ensuring that deliverables are technically robust, proportionate, and defensible. You will be a senior technical contributor within project teams, support quality assurance and peer review processes, mentor developing engineers, and contribute to maintaining Jensen Hughes’ reputation for high‑quality, risk‑based advice.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical delivery on façade and external wall projects of moderate to high complexity.
• Exercise independent engineering judgement in relation to façade systems, fire performance, remediation strategies, and compliance pathways.
• Prepare and oversee the preparation of external wall fire assessment reports (e.g. PAS 9980 appraisals), façade engineering reports, and technical notes.
• Assess test evidence, classification reports, product certifications, and desktop studies.
• Identify technical risks and develop proportionate mitigation strategies.
• Act as day‑to‑day technical lead on allocated projects.
• Lead technical discussions with clients, architects, contractors, and multidisciplinary design teams.
• Provide clear, structured technical advice aligned with legislation, statutory guidance, and industry standards.

What We Expect

• Operate with increasing independence in technical judgement.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness in project delivery.
• Show readiness to transition toward Associate‑level leadership responsibilities.
• Build recognised technical credibility internally and externally.
• Contribute to strengthening Jensen Hughes’ façade and external wall capability.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Architecture, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent demonstrable experience).
• Chartered or actively working towards chartership (strongly preferred).
• Strong understanding of façade systems, construction methods, and performance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical workstreams independently.
• Experience in preparing and reviewing PAS 9980 appraisals or similar risk‑based assessments.
• Strong report writing capability and structured technical reasoning.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers.
• Clear communication skills across technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Benefits

• Private medical insurance
• 33 days paid time off with an additional day after 3 years
• 4 x life assurance
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Employee assistance programme
• Enhanced parental‑related pay
• Recognition and reward programmes to celebrate team efforts
• Access to extensive technical training and resources

Flexible Working

• Flexible working hours and patterns including early Friday finish
• Enhanced holiday entitlement after three years
• The option to carry over up to five unused holiday days into the next year

Jensen Hughes is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.