Principal Highways and Public Realm Design Engineer

GHD; Guildford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global professional services company is seeking a Principal Engineer to join their Place and Movement team in Guildford. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in transport and public realm design, with strong project management skills. This role involves developing high-quality designs and managing multi-disciplinary teams. Competitive remuneration and opportunities for professional development are offered in a dynamic working environment.

Benefits

Dynamic working environment

Competitive remuneration package

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• 8+ years’ experience in public realm and transport design.
• Engaged in or ready to work toward professional qualification.
• Proven track record of winning work.

Responsibilities

• Manage projects and project teams in urban highway and transport schemes.
• Lead the resolution of technical issues on transport and public realm schemes.
• Develop high quality designs and drawings from concept to detailed design.

Skills

Public realm design

Transport design

Cycle design

Junction design

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Advanced degree or MBA

Tools

Civil 3D

Open Roads

Job description

Job Description

Join a global professional services leader. We are committed to solving the world’s biggest challenges in the areas of water, energy and urbanisation.

About the Role

We are looking for a passionate and dynamic Principal Engineer to join our Place and Movement team in London or Guildford. With an established track record of delivering a wide variety of projects on both local and national scales, we work with private and public‑sector clients, architects, planners and other professionals throughout the project life cycle, providing services from concept design through to design and construction. We also support other GHD business lines where their projects have a transport interface.

We seek enthusiastic and motivated individuals who have 8+ years’ experience and are engaged in or ready to work toward professional qualification. Successful candidates will have a good technical background in public realm and transport design, together with excellent written and oral communication skills which we would continue to develop. We are looking for a candidate who is willing to take the initiative and proactively drive projects forward.

We offer a dynamic, challenging job in a pleasant working environment and a competitive remuneration package. This exciting opportunity provides the right candidate with a platform from which they can take on responsibility, help develop the business and grow with the team. You will be supported by our senior employees and management team to help strengthen your skills, experience and continuing professional development.

Responsibilities

• Managing projects and project teams in the delivery of urban highway, transport and public realm schemes.
• Leading the resolution of complex technical issues on multi‑disciplinary urban highway, transport and public realm schemes.
• Leading the development of high quality designs and drawings from concept stage through to detailed design in line with company and client requirements as well as national standards and codes of practice. This is to cover the full suite of drawings at each stage of design.
• Leading collaboration with other design disciplines to ensure the integrity of the overall design.
• Managing client and stakeholder relationships as part of project delivery and providing professional advice to internal and external clients as required.
• Providing leadership and acting as a mentor to junior members of staff.
• Leading the preparation of bids for new commissions and supporting business development activities.
• Attending sites when required to carry out, manage or assist with surveys, liaise with clients/contractors and monitor works as required.
• Ensuring tasks are carried out within agreed timescales and budgets.
• Keeping up to date with the latest relevant design methods and standards.
• Ensuring that due attention is paid to all aspects of Quality Assurance in accordance with company procedures.

These are in addition to working towards professional qualifications and undertaking training.

Requirements for the Role

• Bachelor’s degree: Engineering is preferred, but other relevant subjects will be considered.
• Advanced degree or MBA is a plus.

Essential Criteria

• Excellent practical and technical knowledge in, but not limited to, public realm design, cycle design, bus schemes, junction design, drainage design, Section 278 works, safety schemes, parking schemes, utility diversions, Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM).
• Excellent understanding of standards, including TfL standards, for the design of public realm schemes including road markings, road signs, parking, cycle design, etc.
• Experience in creating Bills of Quantities.
• Good knowledge of highway engineering construction methods, materials and specifications.
• Proficient in the use of AutoCAD and associated software packages like Civil 3D, road sign design and road markings design.
• Excellent IT skills and use of Microsoft Office suite of packages.
• Proven track record of winning work.
• Demonstrable capability to build and maintain client relationships.
• Ability to communicate technical information to non‑technical audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• A positive and enthusiastic team player.
• Goal‑oriented and ambitious to develop and strive to provide good service.
• Confidence to work effectively in a high‑energy, fast‑moving environment.
• Good organisational skills and ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure in a busy and demanding environment.
• Ability to manage members of the team and mentor.

Desirable Criteria

• A post‑graduate qualification in a transport‑related subject.
• Site supervision/management experience.
• Experience of using Open Roads.

Our Commitment to You

Commitment is a powerful word that defines how we do business, how we serve our clients and how we care for one another. We will support your needs by giving you the tools to do your best work and then recognise achievements. We will set your curiosity free to allow brilliant minds to do their best work. We will invest in new ideas, removing barriers where we can. Finally, we will encourage you to collaborate with thousands of diverse people across our global business.

Who We Are

We are committed to solving the world’s biggest challenges in the areas of water, energy and urbanisation. GHD is a global professional services company that is a leader in engineering, construction and architectural expertise. Established in 1928, we remain wholly owned by our people. We are 10,000+ diverse and skilled individuals, yet we are proudly ‘One GHD’ across more than 200 offices, spanning five continents – Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America, and the Pacific region. Delivering extraordinary social and economic outcomes, we are passionate about building lasting relationships with our partners and clients.

Next Steps

Interested? Please hit the apply now button. At GHD we encourage individual achievement and recognise the strength of a diverse workforce. GHD aims to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to gender reassignment, age, disability, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, or race.