AtkinsRéalis
Principal Engineer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Description
Overview
Lead delivery with vision.
You might know us for the great work we do across our wide variety of projects. We're proud to say it's thanks to our people's diversity of thought, expertise, and knowledge. And when you join us, you'll be a part of this genuinely collaborative environment, where everyone's voice is valued and treated equally.
We're passionate about what we do, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Simply put, this is a great place to be. So, when it comes to your life outside of work, ask us about our flexible and remote working policies designed to help you get the most out of life.
As a Principal Highways Engineer within our Transportation team, you’ll play a key role in shaping the future of mobility and delivering some of the UK’s most ambitious infrastructure programs. You will be joining the Highways and Active Travel Practice in the South which operates from Cambridge, Chelmsford, and Epsom. This role is based in Cambridge, and you will be required to work from the office a minimum of 3 days per week to effectively discharge your responsibilities. Our project portfolio includes schemes of all sizes and project stages from active travel schemes in Oxfordshire, travel hubs in Cambridgeshire, major interchanges in Surrey. It also includes supporting nationally significant infrastructure projects such as the £950M Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Project or providing technical support to the £38bn Sizewell C project.
In this senior position, you’ll take pride in driving high-quality civil and structural design across new-build, renewal, maintenance, and asset assessment projects. You’ll lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams, working collaboratively with experts across the UK and internationally to deliver solutions that are resilient, innovative, and aligned with long-term sustainability goals.
Your technical authority, leadership, and forward-thinking mindset will help create transport networks that leave a lasting, positive impact on communities, the economy, and the environment.
Your role
- Lead and manage project delivery, either as discipline lead or project manager, ensuring successful delivery with inputs from multidisciplinary teams.
- Lead the design process and guide the team in producing appropriate, cost-effective solutions; support less experienced engineers through technical review and mentoring.
- Be responsible for coordinating resources to exceed client expectations, meeting budgets and building strong internal and external networks.
- Line manage, support, and mentor the local team, helping to form multidisciplinary teams to meet workload demands.
- Work with clients and design teams to deliver compliant designs on time and within budget, ensuring CDM, QA, and technical review requirements are met.
- Manage resources effectively and efficiently to meet utilisation KPIs and project needs.
- Prepare fee estimates and support tender/bid work, contributing to winning new work.
- Promote collaboration and drive efficiency, embracing emerging technology and minimizing environmental impacts.
- Undertake feasibility studies, including reports, cost estimates, problem investigation, and option development.
- Ensure compliance with Health and Safety, applying CDM Regulations and other relevant legislation across all project activities.
Reasons to use Rodeo
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.
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.
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.
About you
- Degree-qualified in Civil Engineering (BEng, MEng, or MSc) or equivalent, with Chartered Engineer status (or demonstrable equivalent experience).
- Proven experience leading and developing highway engineering teams, including mentoring and supporting staff progression.
- Strong leadership skills, with the ability to build effective, collaborative relationships with clients, stakeholders, and multidisciplinary colleagues.
- Proficient in industry-standard design software, such as AutoCAD and Civil 3D.
- Extensive highways design experience, aligned with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and other applicable standards.
- Thorough understanding of Designer’s Duties under CDM and commitment to safe design principles.
- Experience in NEC contract procedures and/or project management, ensuring effective and compliant project delivery.
- Possession of a full UK driving licence is advantageous.
Rewards & benefits
Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards, and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial, and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Be rewarded. Find out more.
About AtkinsRéalis
We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data, and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers, and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.
Find out more.
Additional information
Security clearance
This role may require security clearance, and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role, please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.
We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive, and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.
#LI-UK#LI-ATKINS #LI-Transportation #LI-UKI
Worker Type
Employee
Job Type
Regular
At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds, and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion, or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.
“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
Skills