Sweco
Principal Civil Engineer (Water Infrastructure)
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Principal Civil Engineer (Water Infrastructure)
Let’s transform society together…
We’re Sweco.
We’re future planners, city shapers, urban innovators, digital transformers, net zero chasers, community connectors, social enterprisers and lifestyle improvers.
We’re difference makers.
We’re Europe’s leading design, engineering, environment and regulatory consultancy and we’re now recruiting for a Principal Civil Engineer to join our team delivering outline design and detailed specifications primarily for water and wastewater schemes.
This role is based in our Edinburgh office and can be worked flexibly with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office and the option of adjusted start and finish times.
Sweco brings together 22,000 experts across Northern Europe, combining global expertise with local delivery across the full water lifecycle. Our water engineering teams are industry leaders, helping clients meet growing demands through innovative, TOTEX‑focused solutions that reduce cost and carbon.
You’ll join a growing, collaborative team where innovation, sustainability and knowledge‑sharing are at the heart of what we do. We support your development so you can build your expertise, challenge conventional thinking and make a real difference for clients, communities and the environment.
We are looking for individuals who can challenge conventional thinking and work collaboratively to meet a wide range of business, environment and regulatory challenges for these clients. The role offers an opportunity for successful candidates to broaden and diversify their expertise.
Your role at a glance
As a Lead Design Engineer in our Water team, you’ll play a key role in shaping essential infrastructure projects that serve communities. You’ll work closely with a supportive, multi‑disciplinary team, taking projects from early ideas right through to delivery for local authorities, water companies and major infrastructure clients.
What You’ll Be Doing
You’ll contribute to every stage of a project’s lifecycle — helping define the brief, setting clear deliverables and milestones, and ensuring quality and consistency throughout. You’ll produce and check technical designs such as calculations, drawings and reports, coordinate with other disciplines, and manage design changes as projects evolve. Along the way, you’ll take ownership of your work, delivering to agreed time, cost and quality standards, and helping improve the way we work through lessons learned and continuous improvement.
You’ll have the opportunity to support business growth by helping prepare bids and tenders, and by building strong, lasting relationships with our clients .
What We’re Looking For From You
Chartered Engineer status with a relevant institution e.g ICE or CIWEM. Strong interpersonal/team working skills, with a good working relationship with all levels of the organisation, clients and contractors together with the ability to communicate in a fluent and positive manner both verbally and written. Comprehensive knowledge and experience of water and wastewater infrastructure design including an understanding of the basics and the integration of water elements into multidisciplinary projects. Extensive experience in design, contract and tender preparation, tender assessment and contract administration.
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What’s in it for you?
This is an exciting time to join Sweco and if you want to be part of a company who is small in all the best ways but large enough to provide a diverse and exciting workload, this job is for you.
If you believe you have the skill set required, are keen to join a business with genuine opportunities for career progression, then we’d love to hear from you.
Let’s transform society together at Sweco!.
Employee Benefits
Flexible and hybrid working (Flexworks Policy) Competitive pension contribution Life Assurance Private Medical Insurance Company car or car allowance Discretionary Annual Bonus Scheme Payment of two relevant professional subscriptions 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days per year) Cycle2Work Scheme Employee Assistance Programme (wellbeing, mental health, financial and work advice) Employee discounts via Sweco Benefit Select (Faircare) Salary Sacrifice Electric Vehicle Scheme We plant a tree for all new starters!
About Us
Transforming society together, we're planning and designing sustainable communities and cities of the future.
Solving the great societal challenges of our time is more relevant, demanding and inspiring than ever before. At Sweco, we bring together experts with different perspectives and skills to develop solutions that address the challenges of urbanisation, harness the positive power of digitalisation and make societies more sustainable.
We offer our clients a combination of global expertise and local presence, adapted to their business and reality. Our ambition is to be our clients’ most relevant partner, working together to help them solve their challenges, today and into the future.
Sweco is committed to enabling all its colleagues to achieve a great balance between work and their other priorities, such as caring responsibilities, leisure activities, further learning or other interests. We offer flexible start and finish times, part time and hybrid working options so that you can flex your hours around your day to day needs.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
It’s important to us that that all our colleagues thrive at work - we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture which respects the contribution individuals can bring to Sweco. We aim to promote equality, inclusivity and diversity for everyone.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Here at Sweco we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity.
We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant to ensure those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly. To find out more The Armed Forces Covenant - Our Commitments | Sweco UK .
We are an accredited Real Living Wage Employer which reflects our commitment to fair pay and support for all colleagues.
We are also proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer, and will interview applicants covered by the Equality Act 2010 that opt into the guaranteed interview scheme on the application form and meet the minimum criteria for the role.
If I have a disability, can I get help (e.g. “reasonable adjustments”) with the application process?
If you’re an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, please contact GB_Function-HR-Resourcing@sweco.co.uk for assistance.
In order to address your request the following information is needed:
Name The best method for contacting you (Phone or email) The position title Requisition/vacancy number
Upon receipt of this information, we’ll respond to you promptly to obtain more information about your request.
Please note: we reserve the right to close vacancies before the advertised closing date.
Sweco UK&I have an internal resourcing team who are responsible for all recruiting activity. We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted agencies who we work with on those “hard to fill” roles.
We have defined processes for recruitment applications and it is company policy not to accept speculative CVs. Any speculative CVs received into the business (whether to a manager or member of the resourcing team) will become the property of Sweco and the agency will not be eligible for an introductory fee.
Our Preferred Supplier List was reviewed in November 2025 and we are not looking to add any additional agencies. We’ll be reviewing the PSL again at the end of 2026 and non-compliance with the above statements could be detrimental to you having the opportunity to be included.
Our Talent Community for experienced professionals is a great way to keep up to date with our latest news, insights, future vacancies, as well as gaining access to exclusive events hosted by our experts.
To learn more Join Our Talent Community - Sweco United Kingdom
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