Principal Design Engineer

Derby
1 week ago
Create job alert

Principal Design Engineer – Infrastructure & Environmental Projects

 Location: Coventry

 Salary: Competitive + Bonus + Excellent Benefits

Are you a senior engineering professional ready to lead the delivery of complex infrastructure and environmental design projects?

Our client, a nationally recognised organisation with a major capital investment programme aimed at improving treatment facilities, environmental outcomes, and long-term infrastructure resilience. With a growing internal design capability and over 300 technical specialists, we’re looking for a Principal Design Engineer to help shape and deliver innovative, sustainable solutions across a diverse portfolio.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a Principal Design Engineer, you’ll lead multidisciplinary design teams and provide technical direction on major infrastructure and treatment-related projects. Whether your expertise is in civil, mechanical, electrical, or process engineering, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring designs meet the highest standards for safety, performance, and sustainability.

Your responsibilities will include:

Leading the design process from early feasibility through to detailed design
Ensuring designs meet regulatory, technical, and operational requirements
Mentoring and supporting engineers across disciplines
Championing innovation and sustainable engineering practices
Working collaboratively with internal teams and external delivery partners
Acting as a senior technical authority within your field of expertise

What You’ll Bring

We’re seeking an experienced design engineer who brings both deep technical knowledge and strong leadership capability.

You’ll also have:

A degree in engineering (civil, mechanical, electrical, or process) or a related field
Chartered status or working towards (e.g., ICE, IMechE, IET, IChemE)
Experience delivering large infrastructure or treatment projects
A solid understanding of industry design standards and regulatory frameworks
Proven ability to lead and influence multidisciplinary teams
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills

Experience within the water or utilities sectors is advantageous but not essential — your ability to lead and deliver high-quality designs is what counts.

What’s In It For You?

This role offers far more than a job — it's a chance to help drive meaningful infrastructure change while progressing your career in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment. Benefits include:

28 days’ holiday plus bank holidays (with the option to buy/sell up to 5 days)
Annual bonus scheme
Leading pension scheme with double-matched contributions (up to 15%)
Electric vehicle scheme and exclusive retail discounts
Family-friendly policies and two paid volunteering days per year

Lead the design of a better future.

Apply now and bring your expertise to projects that make a real-world difference

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Design Engineers - Water

Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

Principal Electrical Design Engineer

Associate Principal Engineer - Mechanical Design

Electrical Design Engineer

Associate Principal Mechanical Engineer

Get the latest insights and jobs direct. Sign up for our newsletter.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Rural-Remote Semiconductor Jobs: Innovation Beyond Urban Borders

A Fresh Outlook for Semiconductor Professionals Mention semiconductor jobs and many people instantly visualise state-of-the-art fabrication plants (fabs), sterile cleanrooms, and corporate campuses in or near big tech cities. While it’s true that silicon chips do require advanced manufacturing sites, the shift towards remote work—amplified by digital collaboration tools, cloud-based design systems, and global talent needs—now enables many roles in the semiconductor sector to exist beyond traditional urban technology corridors. At SemiconductorJobs.co.uk, we’re seeing an uptick in opportunities for professionals seeking “tech jobs by the sea” or “semiconductor remote countryside” positions. Newer tools and processes allow chip designers, EDA (Electronic Design Automation) specialists, and supply chain coordinators, among others, to operate from locations they prefer—be that a scenic rural hamlet or a rugged coastal town. The quest for a balanced, more affordable life is drawing highly skilled chip engineers, application developers, and managers out of city centres and into the UK’s picturesque regions. If you’ve ever pictured finishing a complex circuit design review, then stepping outside to rolling hills or the sound of ocean waves, this article is for you. Read on to discover why rural or coastal living doesn’t mean sacrificing cutting-edge career prospects, how to navigate potential challenges, and how to find (or create) your dream rural-remote semiconductor role.

Quantum-Enhanced AI in Semiconductors—Powering the Next Era of Microelectronics

The semiconductor industry is the backbone of modern technology, underpinning everything from smartphones and cloud servers to automotive electronics and advanced robotics. Over decades, semiconductor manufacturing has followed Moore’s Law, consistently increasing transistor density while reducing cost. Yet as we approach sub-nanometre scales, conventional semiconductor techniques face monumental challenges in design, fabrication, and materials science. Coupled with soaring demand for more powerful and energy-efficient chips, the industry must explore breakthroughs beyond classical approaches. Enter quantum computing—a frontier technology harnessing the strange properties of quantum mechanics to perform certain computations at potentially exponential speed-ups. Paired with Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum hardware might expedite complex tasks like design-space exploration, lithography simulation, advanced testing, and yield optimisation. If harnessed effectively, quantum-enhanced AI could help transcend the current limits of chip performance and open new architectural paradigms for next-gen electronics. In this article, we will: Examine the current state of the semiconductor industry, including why classical methods are hitting bottlenecks. Introduce quantum computing fundamentals—why qubits differ from bits and how they could boost AI. Explore how quantum-enhanced AI can address semiconductor challenges, from chip design to supply chain optimisation. Highlight real-world pilot projects, potential near-term successes, and the main hurdles (like noisy quantum hardware). Discuss the emerging career paths and skill sets that will be crucial for professionals aiming to stand out in an era of quantum-driven semiconductor innovation. Whether you’re a semiconductor engineer, a data scientist in chip R&D, or simply curious about the intersection of hardware and quantum technologies, read on. Quantum-enhanced AI might reshape every aspect of semiconductor design, fabrication, and testing, propelling electronics into uncharted territory. The semiconductor industry is the backbone of modern technology, underpinning everything from smartphones and cloud servers to automotive electronics and advanced robotics. Over decades, semiconductor manufacturing has followed Moore’s Law, consistently increasing transistor density while reducing cost. Yet as we approach sub-nanometre scales, conventional semiconductor techniques face monumental challenges in design, fabrication, and materials science. Coupled with soaring demand for more powerful and energy-efficient chips, the industry must explore breakthroughs beyond classical approaches. Enter quantum computing—a frontier technology harnessing the strange properties of quantum mechanics to perform certain computations at potentially exponential speed-ups. Paired with Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum hardware might expedite complex tasks like design-space exploration, lithography simulation, advanced testing, and yield optimisation. If harnessed effectively, quantum-enhanced AI could help transcend the current limits of chip performance and open new architectural paradigms for next-gen electronics. In this article, we will: Examine the current state of the semiconductor industry, including why classical methods are hitting bottlenecks. Introduce quantum computing fundamentals—why qubits differ from bits and how they could boost AI. Explore how quantum-enhanced AI can address semiconductor challenges, from chip design to supply chain optimisation. Highlight real-world pilot projects, potential near-term successes, and the main hurdles (like noisy quantum hardware). Discuss the emerging career paths and skill sets that will be crucial for professionals aiming to stand out in an era of quantum-driven semiconductor innovation. Whether you’re a semiconductor engineer, a data scientist in chip R&D, or simply curious about the intersection of hardware and quantum technologies, read on. Quantum-enhanced AI might reshape every aspect of semiconductor design, fabrication, and testing, propelling electronics into uncharted territory.

Semiconductor Jobs at Newly Funded UK Start-ups: Q3 2025 Investment Tracker

From smartphones and electric vehicles to cloud servers and cutting-edge AI, semiconductors are the invisible engines driving our digital world. Demand for advanced chips has skyrocketed, prompting a worldwide race to develop next-generation semiconductor materials, designs, and manufacturing methods. Here in the UK, a potent combination of academic research, venture capital, and innovative start-ups places the country at the forefront of semiconductor technology. In this Q3 2025 Investment Tracker, we spotlight the newly funded UK start-ups blazing a trail in semiconductors. We’ll examine who they are, how much they’ve raised, and—crucially for job seekers—the roles they’re looking to fill. We’ll also show you how to register on SemiconductorJobs.co.uk, a dedicated platform connecting semiconductor professionals with the UK’s fastest-growing chip companies. Whether you’re a silicon design engineer, process technician, or a commercial manager with semiconductor experience, read on to discover fresh opportunities.