Civil Engineer

Principal Engineer Highways Engineer

• Location: Kirklees
• Job Type: Full-time

Join Kirklees Council as a Principal Engineer, where you will leverage your technical expertise and practical experience to manage and deliver a wide range of engineering projects. This role is pivotal in planning, feasibility, procurement, resourcing, and financial management of projects from minor works to large-scale, multi-agency transportation schemes. You will lead teams within the StreetScene Service or Strategic Investment & Regeneration, ensuring operational delivery across various sectors.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Deliver engineering projects efficiently, ensuring value-for-money, innovation, and adherence to technical and project requirements.
• Manage operational service delivery through periods of change and work effectively in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Lead and manage site-based teams across planned, reactive, drainage, and street lighting works, including evening, night, and flexible working models.
• Attend progress meetings, public consultations, and meetings with Councillors.
• Motivate, support, and develop junior staff.
• Oversee financial accounts and resource management for allocated projects, applying project management methodologies to ensure delivery to programme, budget, and quality standards.
• Manage responses to adverse weather, particularly winter operations.
• Produce high-quality technical reports and engage with internal directorates, partner organisations, statutory undertakers, and the community.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Degree or Master's in Civil Engineering (or equivalent professional competency).
• Extensive experience across all stages of scheme planning and construction.
• Strong understanding of Health & Safety, CDM, IEE Regulations, and BS7671.
• Experience managing engineering teams, including performance and absence management.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and GIS mapping systems, with an understanding of AutoCAD and engineering design workflows.
• Strong engineering judgement and problem-solving capability.

Personal Attributes:

• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions.
• Customer-focused with excellent relationship-building skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to seasonal, evening, and night working requirements.
• Accountable for the delivery of projects and team outputs.
• Competent, hard-working, respectful, creative, and committed to achieving high standards.