Principal/Associate Mechanical Engineer

Location/s: Bristol, Cardiff, Newport; UK
Recruiter contact: Nicola Coyle

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business division
The Water Utilities Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to the UK and Ireland's water and wastewater challenges. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations, preventing urban flooding, and improving the health of our rivers and coastal environments. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies to outline and detailed design. Together, we deliver best-in-class solutions to our clients while offering diverse and technically stimulating opportunities to our people.

Overview of the role

Mott MacDonald is a market leader in the UK water sector, being a key supplier to major water companies and delivering a wide variety of engineering and advisory projects in support to the challenges faced by the sector. Our Water Consultancy Division has ambitious growth plans in line with AMP8 investment needs and we are proud of our strong reputation in the industry which is allowing us to expand our business. Having been appointed to a large UK water consultancy framework in 2024, we are looking for a Mechanical Discipline Lead to support the delivery of our water and wastewater programmes. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will be the figure head for the Mechanical Engineering discipline within the framework. You will have the opportunity to steer the technical direction of discipline related activities, working closely with our Client and our other discipline leads. You will own the technical quality of the deliverables created by engineers/consultants and manage technical problem solving. You will also be expected to hold a key relationship with equivalent discipline leads for the client, leveraging this to help resolve technical issues and blockers.

The scale of investment required in AMP8 is both a significant challenge but a major opportunity to provide a long-lasting legacy to our client and their region. It also requires new more efficient ways of delivering our services and for the successful candidate to demonstrate their ability to identify and implement innovations that maintain delivery to programme and commercial targets.

Key elements of the role will include taking a lead on and managing the following activities:

• Accountable for technical quality of the deliverables created by their discipline, including the competency of their discipline’s staff and quality assurance processes
• Challenge of the client’s technical standards and the acceptance of waivers and deviations, relevant to their discipline
• Ensures their discipline discharges its duties as a Designer under CDM
• Co-ordinates Mechanical resources across the framework alongside design managers and project technical leads
• Develops relationships and maintains regular communication with the relevant client technical stakeholders relevant to their discipline

The role is expected to develop and evolve in line with the framework requirements and the candidates’ own skills and development areas. It also offers the opportunity to develop the next generation of talent within our business.
 

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Chartered Status (CEng) with a recognised Professional Institution
• Proven ability to lead a portfolio of technical projects, ensuring compliance with relevant quality assurance and technical standards and supporting the development of less experienced staff
• Demonstrable technical experience in infra and non-infra mechanical design
• Strong communication skills with experience in effective collaboration across internal multi-disciplinary teams with other technical disciplines
• A drive to be abreast of professional development and knowledge of current and emerging technical solutions
• Good understanding of designers’ responsibilities under CDM
• Flexibility to travel regularly for client meetings

Desirable:

• Experience with NEC PS contracts
• Proven project management experience
• UK water sector experience in delivering programme of works

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working  

We are happy to talk openly about flexible working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace. 

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.