Rodeo
Get started

Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick

Principal Design Engineer - Highways - Derby

Derby
Posted 26 days ago
Sign up to applySee more jobs like this

How your CV stacks up

1Upload CV
2Analyse CV
3Improve CV

Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role

?%

About The Role

Balfour Beatty Power T&D are looking for a Principal Design Engineer - Highways to join their team in Derby.

Role Purpose

To work with project team, designers and subcontractors through the design phase to deliver the safe and suitable scope of works in line with the project objectives.

Responsibility for the civil design delivery and design suitability for works across Power T&D construction projects.

Provide advice as to the constructability and sequencing of civil design and temporary works designs for Power T&D business around Cabling, Overhead Lines and Substations.

Engage in bid development, tendering and innovation projects alongside the Team Lead & Design Delivery Lead.

This role will focus on highways and access design in support of substations, overhead line, and underground cable projects.

The Principal Highways Engineer will play a pivotal role in driving design quality, mentoring engineers, and ensuring compliance with industry standards and client requirements.

What you'll be doing

Key Accountabilities

  • To undertake the design and co-ordination of civil and temporary works designs required on projects, from the initial feasibility assessment to detail design, installation, and final removal, including where appropriate preparation of in-house temporary works design.
  • Ensure the timely delivery and quality of designs including preparation of reports, calculations and drawings to a high technical level which are compliant with the required Client and national technical standards (BS/Eurocodes/ENA).
  • Play a pivotal role in driving design quality, mentoring engineers, and ensuring compliance with industry standards and client requirements.

Key Responsibilities

  • To assess and identify design and temporary works requirements on each project. Including:
    • Drive a Safety by Design approach at all times.
    • Lead the highways and access design aspects of civil works for PT&D projects, including substations, overhead lines, and cable routes.
    • Develop and review highway alignment, junction design, access road layouts, drainage, and associated civil infrastructure.
    • Ensure all designs comply with DMRB, local authority standards, and relevant codes of practice.
    • Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentoring to engineers, designers, and graduates within the civil team.
    • Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver integrated project solutions.
    • Manage stakeholder engagement, including liaison with local authorities, clients, and third-party asset owners.
    • Undertake check function for design calculations performed by other engineering colleagues.
    • To identify competent designers and contractors for installation of each type of civil / temporary works, and to coordinate and supervise their work.
    • Maintain compliance of CDM regulations and all other legal and regulatory requirements associated with the nature of designs output by the team.
    • Undertake technical quality assurance reviews and provide design approval as required / permitted by the Chief Engineer.
    • Assist in the management of the tender process, understand and interpret scope of works, provide advice and opinion.
    • Ensure that Procedures and Manuals provided for compliance with the appropriate Quality Assurance Standards are applied.
    • Develop and implement policies, processes and procedures to support the continual improvement of the team.
    • Support in the advancement of the engineering design delivery for the team with particular focus on upskilling and use of software. Contribute to the development and updating of the design aids and computer programmes and assist in the analysis of new design concepts.
    • Support colleagues in managing the output and delivery of suitable design drawings.
    • Assist in determining team objectives, strategy and requirements.

Reasons to use Rodeo

I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?

Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.

Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.

Start with a chat, not a search bar

Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.

P

Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme

PwC·London, UK
£35,000/yr

Why you're a good match

Strong

Your economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.

See breakdown
Save jobNot relevant
View details

It searches the market for you

Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.

Why you're a good match

You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.

See breakdown
Strong

Experience fit

Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.

See breakdown
Strong

Only hits

No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.

Who we're looking for

Skills Required

  • Chartered Engineer (CEng) with membership of ICE or CIHT (or working towards).
  • Proven experience in highways design, ideally within the energy, utilities, or infrastructure sectors.
  • Strong working knowledge of DMRB, Manual for Streets, and other relevant design standards.
  • Demonstrable experience leading design teams and delivering highways projects from feasibility through to detailed design and construction support.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Experience using relevant design software (e.g., Civil 3D, MX, AutoCAD, MicroDrainage).
  • Strong project management and organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Benefits

Get help with your application

Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.

Get help applying for this job

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

  • Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
  • 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
  • Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave.
  • Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About Us

Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission & Distribution teams work with regional, national and international electricity network owners and operators to provide technical engineering solutions across the full spectrum of the electricity grid, including overhead lines, cabling, substations and distribution networks.

From scoping and feasibility, to design, construction and on-going maintenance, our in-house experts, flexible resources and industry-leading innovations support customers in the development of some of the UK’s most ambitious power transmission and distribution projects.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion

We are a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

Trusted by 25,000+ job seekers

“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

Jessica, London

Get help applying for this job

Skills

Highways Design
Civil Engineering
Temporary Works Design
DMRB
Manual for Streets
Civil 3D
AutoCAD
MicroDrainage
Stakeholder Management
Project Management
CDM Regulations
Technical Quality Assurance
Mentoring
Highway Alignment
Junction Design
Drainage Design

Location

Derby, England, United Kingdom

Sign up to applySee more jobs like this