Engineer (Highways and Drainage)

Type
Full-Time, Permanent
Country
United Kingdom
Location
Bristol, Derby
Application deadline
29 November 2026
Req ID
61878

 

Engineer (Highways and Drainage)

Derby/ Bristol

Permanent

Office/Home Hybrid Working

 

Do you want to impact the strategy for sustainable infrastructure? Can you contribute alongside our team of design experts? Are you looking to advance your career in Infrastructure? Then this is the place to apply your knowledge and curiosity to enable a better tomorrow.

 

If you enjoy solving technical challenges, working within multidisciplinary teams and developing your skills across a range of infrastructure projects, we'd love to hear from you.

 

Create Solutions that will enable a better tomorrow

We are growing our Infrastructure Design team and are seeking a Engineer (Highways and Drainage) to support the delivery of multidisciplinary infrastructure projects across the UK.

 

Our work spans highways, rail, water, energy and development infrastructure, and you’ll contribute to the design and coordination of integrated, sustainable and buildable solutions while developing your technical skills under the guidance of experienced engineers and project leaders.

 

You’ll work on projects from concept through to construction, designing and coordinating highways and drainage elements and collaborating with specialists from other disciplines to deliver practical, well-integrated outcomes.

 

In addition, as part of this role, you will initially be seconded to a major national infrastructure programme, providing you with valuable on-site experience within a dynamic and fast-paced project environment (HS2). This will form a key part of your role for at least the first 12 months, offering exposure to complex engineering challenges and collaborative, multidisciplinary working.

 

Your key responsibilities:

  • Develop infrastructure designs across highways, rail, drainage, utilities, power distribution and related civil infrastructure disciplines from concept through to detailed design
  • Prepare and review calculations, technical drawings, specifications, and design reports, ensuring high standards of quality and accuracy.
  • Coordinate with engineers, technicians and other disciplines to develop integrated and buildable engineering solutions
  • Support engagement with clients, local authorities, contractors and statutory undertakers.
  • Support project managers in managing programme, resource and commercial objectives.
  • Undertake site visits and provide construction-phase support where required.
  • Apply relevant standards, regulations and CDM requirements, including undertaking and reviewing design risk assessments.
  • Mentor, support and develop junior engineers and technicians through technical guidance, coaching and review of their work.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of technical standards, digital delivery and engineering best practice across the team.

 

 Your skills. Our team. Together we design the future.

The first step to success in this role is that you are eager to collaborate with the people around you, whether they are colleagues, partners, or customers. Developing ties with others is something you do by acting respectfully and delivering on your promises. And you never get set in your ways but keep exploring new insights and ways to improve.

On top of that, you’ll:

  • Have a degree in civil engineering (or equivalent)
  • Be working towards Chartered Engineer (CEng), Incorporated Engineer (IEng), or equivalent.
  • Have experience in at least one infrastructure discipline, such as highways, drainage, utilities, development infrastructure or power distribution, together with an understanding of how these disciplines interact within multidisciplinary projects.
  • Have experience using industry-standard infrastructure design and modelling software such as Civil 3D, InfoDrainage, MicroDrainage or equivalent tools.
  • Be familiar with relevant industry standards, and have a sound understanding of CDM Regulations, specifically the designer’s requirements and requirements regarding the design risk assessment process
  • Have experience working collaboratively with technicians and other specialists to produce coordinated design solutions.
  • Understand the importance of programme, budget and commercial objectives and contribute to achieving successful project outcomes.
  • Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills in English
  • Hold a full UK driving licence

 

 

A place to work and so much more

At COWI, we work together with our customers to shape a sustainable and liveable world. We do it by applying our knowledge and curiosity – and sometimes even our courage – to create the solutions the world needs today to enable a better tomorrow. We support our customers’ transition towards increased sustainability. We strive to lead by example by embedding environmental management, social responsibility and good governance into our business practices and the options we provide to our customers.

 

We value differences and development and cultivate an environment of belonging and having fun. Because that is what brings out the best in you, at work and at home.

 

With offices primarily located in the Nordic region, the UK, North America and India, we are currently more than 7,500 people who bring their expertise in engineering, architecture, energy and environment into play.

 

What we also offer:

To us, a fair reward is more than a competitive salary. We want to take care of our people professionally and personally as well.   

Some of our benefits include: 

  • 28 days' holiday plus all UK bank and public holidays
  • Formalised development plans and yearly promotion opportunities
  • Private health care, for you and a contribution from you for your immediate dependents
  • Flexible and hybrid working conditions
  • Hybrid working with flexibility to split your time between home and office, typically 3 days per week in the office.
  • Active support towards professional qualifications through structured mentoring, technical training, professional review preparation and payment of up to two professional institution subscriptions.
  • Group personal pension scheme – salary exchange
  • Life assurance
  • Maternity Leave: 1-20 weeks full pay, 21-26 weeks half pay, 27-39 Statutory (SMP) 40-52 weeks unpaid (eligibility criteria will apply)
  • Paternity Leave: 12 weeks full pay (eligibility criteria will apply)

 

Optional benefits include:

  • Cycle-to-work scheme
  • Electric vehicle lease
  • Corporate gym membership  
  • Annual Rail card (available for under 30s)

 

Got more questions?

If you have any unanswered questions about the role or what we have to offer, please reach out to our Talent Acquisition Specialist- Abhinav Khanna at abkn@cowi.com

 

Get to know us even better at our website, www.cowi.com, where you can learn more about our projects, our strategy, what we want to achieve and what life is like at COWI.

 

Equal opportunity employer.

COWI provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

 

#Li-Hybrid

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