Principal Engineer

Principal Engineer

Full-Time 28800 - 48000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead engineering projects to enhance water and wastewater services while protecting the environment.
  • Company: Join Northumbrian Water, a leader in sustainable water services with a diverse culture.
  • Benefits: Enjoy generous holidays, pension matching, discounts, wellbeing support, and development opportunities.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on communities and the environment while growing your engineering career.
  • Qualifications: Experience in capital projects and strong leadership skills are essential.
  • Other info: Embrace diversity and inclusion in a supportive work environment.

The predicted salary is between 28800 - 48000 £ per year.

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Engineering team as a Principal Engineer. This role will see you join our growing Engineering leadership team, contributing to the strategic direction, as we have an exciting multi-year programme of major investment to increase our resilience in our water and wastewater services whilst enhancing and protecting our environment.

This role would contribute to our structure, growth and development whilst supporting throughout the delivery lifecycle. We are a multi-disciplinary team and benefit from having a wide range of technical disciplines including mechanical, electrical, civil, instrumentation, geo-technical, environmental and process.

As a Principal Engineer, you will promote and lead the development of an agile, high performing, technically competent team. You will ensure the team and supply partner activities align to company quality standards, satisfy relevant legislative and regulatory requirements.

You will develop key relationships and seek active engagement with other internal departments, including Maintenance, Capital Delivery and Operations as well as our framework delivery partners to ensure the reliable and consistent delivery of assets. You will ensure project teams are provided with sufficient, suitable Engineering resource to enable effective solution development, construction, testing, commissioning, and acceptance to programme and budget. You will ensure operationally appropriate, affordable, sustainable solution development through timely Totex challenge via consistent representation and understanding of asset risk.

The successful candidate will have experience working in capital projects, at Senior Project Engineer or Project Management level, with the capability to take on a Principal Engineer position. You will demonstrate the ability to make sound technical decisions and recommendations to enable fit for purpose solutions to be designed and constructed. As this is a leadership role we would expect you to demonstrate leadership behaviours and capabilities, setting the appropriate standards and guidance to Project Engineers.

You will have excellent communication skills, with the ability to build strong and successful stakeholder relationships, not only within the Engineering Team but other departments including Project Management, Maintenance and Operational Teams. We would expect the successful candidate to have suitable Engineering qualifications and experience.

Here at Northumbrian Water/Essex & Suffolk Water, we embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, and encourage all colleagues to bring their most authentic self to work. Our colleague network groups include our Rainbow Support Network (LGBTQIA+), REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), WiSTEM (Women in STEM) and Thisability (disability and neurodiversity) networks. They provide a safe space for colleagues from diverse backgrounds, welcoming all colleagues regardless of their personal characteristics to participate in valuable conversation that improves our organisational awareness, understanding and inclusivity.

We encourage and welcome all applications, as we strive to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to having diverse communities represented within all our teams, structures, and organisation.

Please note this role will require a DBS to be completed prior to employment. NWG are an inclusive employer who support the rehabilitation of offenders, we will not, however consider candidates who have certain unspent convictions to ensure our commitment to fostering a safe and secure working environment for all colleagues, suppliers, customers and third parties. This is a safety or security critical role and as a condition of a formal offer of employment you’ll be required to undergo a drug and alcohol test after the job offer has been made. This will be prior to or within four weeks of their start date. Anyone who fails a pre-employment urine drug screen will have their sample analysed by the Company appointed laboratory as a matter of course. Failing a pre-employment drugs or alcohol test may lead to the job offer being revoked.

Here at NWG we strive to make Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) a Great Place to Work, for all. We embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity and encourage you to bring your full self to work. As an equal opportunity employer we’re committed to having a diverse community represented across our business. We’re aware that not everyone will have every skill listed in the job description, however if you have some of the skills listed, we encourage you to apply.

Our purpose at NWG is caring for the essential needs of our communities and environment, now and for generations to come. We do this by providing reliable and affordable water and wastewater services for our customers. We make a positive difference by operating efficiently and investing prudently, to maintain a sustainable and resilient business. Our vision is to be the national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater services. To support us in achieving our vision, we have five core values which are the guiding principles, defining who we are, what we do and how we do it.

We’re a Great Place to Work because of the amazing people who work for us, and to say thank you we offer a range of benefits to colleagues. Our ‘Tap Into’ benefits include:

  • Generous holiday entitlement starting at 26 days plus bank holidays and additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. There’s also the option to buy or sell holidays.
  • Company pension scheme, where we’ll double match your contributions up to an employer contribution of 10%.
  • Free access to local attractions.
  • A fantastic discount scheme, with savings on days out, shopping, travel and more.
  • Award winning ‘Living Well’ wellbeing support, including access to a digital GP service for you and your family members.
  • Support with sustainable travel – through salary sacrifice cars and a cycle to work scheme.
  • Financial wellbeing support – access our community savings scheme, financial education and low cost loans through Salary Finance. We also provide 4 x Life Assurance and an Income Protection Scheme.
  • Support with your development – we offer a range of development opportunities, can support you through an interest free qualification loan and we’ll even pay for any relevant professional body subscription.

Principal Engineer employer: Northumbrian Water

At Northumbrian Water Group, we pride ourselves on being a Great Place to Work, offering a supportive and inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated. As a Principal Engineer, you will not only lead a talented multi-disciplinary team but also benefit from generous holiday entitlements, a robust pension scheme, and extensive professional development opportunities. Our commitment to employee wellbeing and community engagement ensures that you can thrive both personally and professionally while making a meaningful impact on our water and wastewater services.
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Contact Detail:

Northumbrian Water Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees on LinkedIn or at industry events. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for the interview by researching the company’s recent projects and values. Show us you’re genuinely interested in what we do and how you can contribute!

✨Tip Number 3

Practice your STAR technique for answering behavioural questions. We want to hear about your past experiences and how they’ve shaped your skills as a Principal Engineer.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can keep you fresh in our minds and show us you’re keen on the role.

We think you need these skills to ace Principal Engineer

Leadership Skills
Project Management
Stakeholder Engagement
Technical Decision-Making
Communication Skills
Engineering Qualifications
Multi-disciplinary Team Collaboration
Capital Project Experience
Problem-Solving Skills
Quality Standards Compliance
Regulatory Requirements Knowledge
Agile Methodologies
Resource Management
Sustainable Solution Development

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight the skills and experiences that align with the Principal Engineer role. We want to see how your background fits into our multi-disciplinary team and the exciting projects we have lined up!

Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Since this is a leadership position, don’t forget to emphasise your experience in guiding teams and making sound technical decisions. We’re looking for someone who can inspire and lead a high-performing team, so let that shine through!

Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to describe your achievements and how they relate to the job. We appreciate clarity and want to understand your journey without any fluff!

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company there!

How to prepare for a job interview at Northumbrian Water

✨Know Your Stuff

As a Principal Engineer, you'll need to showcase your technical expertise. Brush up on the latest trends in water and wastewater services, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with the company's strategic direction. Prepare examples of past projects where you made sound technical decisions.

✨Showcase Leadership Skills

This role is all about leadership, so be prepared to demonstrate your ability to lead a high-performing team. Think of specific instances where you've set standards or guided project engineers. Highlight your communication skills and how you've built strong relationships across departments.

✨Understand the Company Culture

Familiarise yourself with Northumbrian Water's values around diversity, inclusion, and equity. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to this culture and support their commitment to a safe and secure working environment. Showing that you align with their ethos can set you apart.

✨Prepare for Practical Scenarios

Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving abilities. Think through potential challenges you might face in the role and how you'd approach them. This could include managing project timelines or ensuring compliance with quality standards. Being able to articulate your thought process will impress the interviewers.

Principal Engineer
Northumbrian Water
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