Principal/Associate Civil Engineer

Location/s: Bristol, London, Plymouth, Cambridge, Altrincham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow, UK
Recruiter contact: Carmen Sterry

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit
The Buildings Unit (BLD) has a major presence in Mott MacDonald's regional offices throughout the UK and mainland Europe, providing a wide range of diverse and transferable cross-sector skills across five key Sectors; Advisory, Built Environment, Energy, Transportation and Water. We also provide local services to customers and technical leadership to the rest of the Group in these sectors.

Overview of the role

We're looking for talented Principal and Associate Civil Engineers to join our growing Buildings Infrastructure team, helping deliver innovative and sustainable solutions across some of the UK's most exciting building and infrastructure projects.

Our team delivers a diverse portfolio of projects across the UK and Europe, spanning healthcare, defence, regeneration, major commercial developments, leisure, sports and entertainment venues, and complex public sector infrastructure. You'll play a key role in shaping projects from concept through to delivery, working alongside multidisciplinary teams to create high-quality, practical and sustainable engineering solutions that make a lasting impact on the communities they serve.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced engineer who enjoys combining technical excellence with project leadership, client engagement and team development. You'll lead the delivery of complex infrastructure projects, influence project outcomes, provide technical direction and play a visible role in the continued growth and success of our Buildings Infrastructure team.

You'll be joining a highly connected, national, multidisciplinary team with the opportunity to collaborate with specialists across civil, structural, building services, architecture, project management and sustainability disciplines. This breadth of expertise provides exposure to technically challenging projects while creating opportunities to broaden your experience, develop specialist skills and contribute to industry-leading solutions.

The role offers a high degree of autonomy and responsibility, with opportunities to shape client relationships, contribute to business development activities and help grow our project portfolio across multiple sectors. Whether your aspirations lie in technical leadership, project leadership, business development or people management, you'll be supported with clear development pathways and opportunities to progress your career within Mott MacDonald.

So, why join our Buildings team?

• Work on high-profile projects across healthcare, defence, regeneration, commercial and major venues sectors
• Lead multidisciplinary teams delivering complex and rewarding infrastructure projects
• Shape client relationships and influence the growth of our Buildings business
• Collaborate with experts across engineering, architecture and project management disciplines
• Play a key role in developing and mentoring the next generation of engineers
• Join an employee-owned business where you have a genuine stake in our success
• Enjoy flexible ways of working and a culture built around trust, collaboration and professional growth

Candidate specification

What you'll be doing:

• Leading and coordinating multidisciplinary design teams through all project stages, from early feasibility and optioneering through to detailed design, construction and operation
• Managing project delivery, including programme, commercial performance, resource management, technical assurance and risk management
• Providing technical leadership and oversight of infrastructure design activities
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships and acting as a trusted advisor
• Supporting business development activities, bids and proposals, helping secure future opportunities for the team
• Coaching, mentoring and developing engineers and technicians, supporting career development and technical excellence
• Championing health and safety, ensuring compliance with CDM Regulations and wider industry best practice

Essential Criteria:

• Professionally qualified with a relevant engineering institution (ICE, CIHT or equivalent)
• Experience leading complex infrastructure projects through multiple lifecycle stages, from feasibility through to delivery and operation
• Strong understanding of infrastructure design principles, standards, technical assurance and project governance
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering projects to programme, budget and quality requirements
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and client-facing skills
• Experience in public sector and/or major infrastructure projects
• Experience reviewing, assuring and approving the work of others
• Working knowledge of digital delivery tools and BIM processes

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience developing teams through coaching, mentoring and technical leadership
• Experience supporting bids, work winning and business development activities
• Knowledge of procurement, contract administration and risk management
• Appreciation of operational and maintenance considerations when developing design solutions

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UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.