Senior Drainage, Water & Infrastructure Engineer

About Fairhurst LLP -Fairhurst LLP is one of the UK's largest private multidisciplinary partnerships of consulting engineers, delivering civil, structural, geotechnical, environmental, transportation, planning, water, and landscape architecture services across 16 principal offices in the UK. Fairhurst specialises in providing cost effective, sustainable engineering solutions and prides itself on high-quality service delivery, technical excellence, and long-standing client relationships.

Role Overview - The Senior or Principal Drainage, Water & Infrastructure Engineer is responsible for delivering on a broad and diverse range of projects, including major infrastructure, masterplan development, and renewables/energy schemes.

The role requires strong technical capability, a commitment to high quality design, and an ambition to develop experience in both project and client management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical & Design

• Deliver high quality design work across drainage, water, and infrastructure projects.
• Apply advanced skills using Civils3D, MicroDrainage, Causeway Flow and/or InfoDrainage to oversee and produce accurate models, drawings, and technical reports.
• Develop practical and sustainable engineering solutions that respond to environmental, planning, and client requirements.
• Assist in technical reviews, ensuring designs align with best practice and project specifications.

Project Management

• Support the planning, coordination, and delivery of engineering tasks and project packages.
• Monitor progress, manage priorities, and contribute to forecasting, resources, and project reporting.
• Develop experience in commercial awareness, risk management, and programme control.
• Take ownership of assigned tasks and deliverables, ensuring compliance with deadlines and quality standards.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Attend meetings, workshops, and site visits (driving licence required).
• Communicate proactively with clients, consultants, contractors, and regulators.
• Represent Fairhurst professionally, clearly conveying technical information to varied audiences.
• Build strong, long term working relationships with partners and stakeholders.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all work meets Fairhurst's quality management processes and industry standards.
• Follow relevant legislation, design codes, and internal governance procedures.
• Maintain accurate records, transparent assumptions, and auditable design outputs.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.
• Support and guide junior team members, sharing knowledge and encouraging professional development.
• Assist in developing skills within the team and contribute to a positive, collaborative working environment.
• Principal Engineers may lead project teams, take on line management duties, or develop specialist areas of expertise.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications & Professional Requirements

• Principal Engineer: Chartered with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
• Senior Engineer: Near completion of Professional Review with ICE, committed to achieving chartership within 12 to 18 months.
• Strong experience in drainage, water, and infrastructure engineering across varied project types.
• High competence in Civils3D, MicroDrainage, Causeway Flow and/or InfoDrainage.
• Full UK driving licence (required for site work and client visits).

Core Competencies

Communication

• Communicates clearly, confidently, and professionally in writing and verbally.
• Able to present complex technical information effectively.

Problem Solving

• Strong analytical approach with the ability to develop evidence based solutions for water environment challenges.

Initiative

• Proactive, self motivated, and capable of progressing work independently.
• Identifies opportunities for improvement and contributes innovative ideas.

Accountability

• Takes ownership of tasks, demonstrating reliability and accuracy in technical outputs.

Organisation & Project Management

• Able to manage competing deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Strong planning, documentation, and time management skills.

Managing Resources

• Uses tools, data, and team support efficiently.
• Supports responsible and effective use of project resources.
• Builds positive, respectful relationships within multi disciplinary teams.
• Contributes to a collaborative, knowledge sharing culture.
• Comfortable working in dynamic project environments with evolving requirements.
• Embraces change and applies learning effectively.

Customer Service

• Provides responsive, solution focused support to clients.
• Demonstrates professionalism, reliability, and commitment to client needs.

Alignment with Fairhurst Group Values

• Excellence: Committed to delivering high quality, technically robust work.
• Lasting Relationships: Builds trust with colleagues, clients, and partners.
• Pure Thought: Applies clear, transparent reasoning and maintains professional integrity.
• Continuous Development: Engages in continual learning and development for personal and organisational growth.

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

• A collaborative, partner led environment with access to multidisciplinary expertise.
• Career and professional development and opportunities on high profile projects.
• Competitive salary and benefits, aligned to experience and location.
• A culture built on responsiveness, flexibility, and sustainable, value adding engineering.
• Competitive salary and excellent flexible benefits package
• Contributory pension, personal health care plan and life insurance
• 33 days annual leave (inclusive of Public Holidays) including annual leave purchase and buy-back scheme
• Bonus Schemes including loyalty bonus and qualifications award
• Interest free travel loan

You can learn more about our staff benefits here.

ETHOS

We, at Fairhurst, know that progress within the industry is all about people. That's why we're working together to build a better, more inclusive and diverse future for engineers and the engineering industry.

We are committed to providing a workplace that is respectful, fair and inclusive for all employees. We recognise the value of different perspectives and backgrounds, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone can contribute and succeed.