Principal Design Engineer
£71,000-£75,000 + Car Allowance | Watford

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Design Engineer to join a leading civil engineering contractor at their offices in Watford. My client delivers high-profile, high-value infrastructure projects and the Principal Design Engineer will play a key role in strengthening their design leadership team.

My client is looking for a Principal Design Engineer with in-depth understanding of temporary works and scaffold design. The remit covers full lifecycle design leadership, technical assurance and integration of scaffold and access systems into major civil engineering projects across the UK. The role demands precision, structural expertise, and disciplined coordination with project delivery teams.

Key Responsibilities
*Lead design and engineering stages for permanent and temporary works
*Produce and review scaffold and access designs in line with TG20, SG4, BS EN 12811 and related standards
*Coordinate with site teams, architects, structural engineers and specialist subcontractors
*Provide technical leadership to junior engineers and scaffold coordinators
*Undertake site visits to verify installations and resolve design or safety issues
*Participate in temporary works coordination, risk assessments and constructability reviews
*Ensure full CDM compliance and alignment of scaffold designs with project delivery plans
*Maintain up-to-date knowledge of scaffold technologies, materials and safety practice

Requirements
*Degree in Civil or Structural Engineering
*Chartered Engineer or working towards chartership
*Strong background in structural and temporary works design
*Specialist competence in scaffold design and access engineering
*Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit and structural analysis software
*Strong understanding of construction sequencing and temporary works constraints
*Proven leadership capability and multi-workstream management

Desirable
*Master’s degree in a relevant discipline
*Experience working in complex, multidisciplinary infrastructure environments

Benefits and Development
The Principal Design Engineer will be offered a position that includes excellent career prospects, the support of a friendly and experienced team, great work life balance and a generous salary and package that includes:
*Starting salary of £70,000 to £75,000
*Car allowance
*26 days annual leave + bank holidays
*Private pension contributions
*Private healthcare

If you’re a Senior Design Engineer looking for an opportunity to step up or a Principal Design Engineer with experience in temporary access solutions and looking for a new challenge, please get in touch with Matt Clegg at Gold Group for a confidential discussion.
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