Principal Engineer

We adopt a 'name blind' approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made - please note that this also includes any CV uploaded. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.

Organisation

Kirklees

Directorate

Place

Service Area

Highways & Streetscene

Hours

37

Number of Jobs

1

Location(s)

Huddersfield and surrounding areas

Position type

Permanent

Grade

Grade

Salary

£38,220 - £45,091

Enhancements / additional payments details

To be determined.

The Teams

Our Highways Design, within our Major Design and Section 278 business line, has a vacancy for a Principal Engineer. The roles will contribute to the delivery of a portfolio of multi-million-pound civil engineering schemes, as well as supporting infrastructure for new developments.

The teams work in a busy environment where no two days are the same. It provides concept, preliminary, and detailed designs, as well as construction, for a wide range of major projects. The 278 team focus on designing and delivering schemes linked to new and exciting developments across Kirklees.

Join us and you'll be working in a team to design and deliver civil engineering schemes that support the infrastructure of Kirklees.

As a Principal Engineer, you will provide project management and technical leadership on projects. In doing so, you will support our contract commitments whilst ensuring technical excellence and coordination between disciplines. You will have the opportunity to undertake line management duties, mentor and direct junior team members, and support them in their professional development.

You will possess the appropriate qualifications and relevant experience in project delivery. The role would suit a self-motivated individual looking to advance their career in a dynamic team.

What can we offer?

• Basic salary plus a market rate supplement (role dependent)
• Hybrid working between home and work, with up to 2-3 days per week working from a Town Centre base in newly refurbished offices.
• Career progression through the grades
• Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on-the-job experience.
• A friendly and supportive team environment
• Excellent contributory pension scheme
• A range of family-friendly policies, including flexible working
• Access to our employee healthcare service, including physiotherapy and counselling.
• Staff shop initiative offering extensive high street discounts.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Use of Council vehicle or paid mileage for site work

We'd like to hear from you if you are:

• Able to think logically and laterally, solving problems creatively.
• Able to act with initiative and to take responsibility.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently and within a team.
• Positive with a proactive 'can-do' attitude
• Able to demonstrate experience in a similar role.
• Wanting to further your career and continually develop.

Here's what your role

The roles will focus on the effective design and delivery of a portfolio of schemes and include:

• Design and delivery of schemes - provide feasibility, concept, preliminary and detailed design, community engagement, project delivery and construction management services on a wide range of major projects and private developments.
• Oversee - Plan and develop engineering tasks concerned with unique problems, including exploration of subject area, definition of scope and selection of problems for investigation and development of novel concepts and approaches. Checking, reviewing and overseeing the work of others.
• Provide Expertise - Offer knowledge and expertise to the design team on all aspects of multi-disciplinary projects, from conceptual phases to implementation. Mentoring and coaching team members and taking responsibility for the technical development of staff.
• Ensure Quality - Working through the complexities of our Major and Private projects, overcome problems in collaboration with our clients. Ensure our schemes are delivered to the highest quality in line with the Council's quality procedures and Project Delivery System. Delegating work to team members, programming deliverables and monitoring progress.
• Collaborate - Support a team of multi-disciplinary teams to deliver integrated designs and build effective relationships with our technical teams and Clients. Liaise with key clients and be capable of discussing design / technical solutions to stakeholders, including technical and non-technical Clients. Liaising with the Group Engineer and the Operations Manager to ensure projects are adequately resourced.
• Preparation of contract documents and coordination with the procurement team.
• NEC Project Manager
• Principal Designer under Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015

For more information regarding the requirements needed for the role you are interested in, please refer to the Job Profile attached to this advert.

This role includes travelling to and between sites, which requires a full and valid driving licence and completion of a Kirklees Council driving assessment from Grade 5 onwards.

What the team say about the role

Our people and our diversity are our biggest strengths, and we ensure inclusion is at the heart of our policies, processes and practices. We offer flexible working to everyone and the ability to work remotely when needed. We are a people focused employer and we care about our colleagues and part of that is to help every employee to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

We're all about finding potential and transferable skills are always welcome So even if you don't tick every box, please apply and we can have a chat. We want to hear from candidates from all backgrounds and experiences.

Get in Touch

If you have any questions or want to discuss any of the roles further, please contact Beth Wrafter on and they will put you in touch with one of our Group Engineers/Operational Manager

Kumaravel Kurusamy is the manager for this role, please contact them on for an informal discussion, or if you need any more information.

We know there's a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and we encourage applications from people with all differing abilities. So, if you need any support completing an application form, or any other format for the application or Job Description please contact the Recruitment Team for help by phone: and ask for 'Recruitment'.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Closing date

10 November 2025, 11:55 PM