Principal / Senior Civil Utilities Engineer

Job Description

Overview

Design solutions that shape communities, infrastructure and the future.

At AtkinsRéalis, our Design & Advanced Technology practice brings together some of the UK's most diverse engineering and design expertise to tackle the most complex challenges facing our clients and communities.

We're looking for a Principal / Senior Civil Utilities Engineer to join our growing London & South team, helping to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions across major infrastructure, transportation, energy, water, aviation and development projects.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Chartered Civil Utilities Engineer to lead the planning, design, coordination, and delivery of utility infrastructure solutions across a diverse portfolio of projects. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership for utility diversions, protection strategies, asset coordination, and utility infrastructure design associated with major infrastructure, development, transportation, energy, water, and industrial projects.

The role requires close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, utility providers, contractors, developers, and regulatory authorities to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective utility solutions throughout the project lifecycle.

When you join us, you'll become part of a collaborative community of experts who challenge conventional thinking and push the boundaries of engineering excellence.

You'll benefit from:

• Working on some of the UK's most complex and high-profile projects.
• Exposure to a wide variety of sectors and clients.
• Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams across the UK and internationally.
• Opportunities to influence project outcomes from concept through to delivery.
• A culture that encourages innovation, technical excellence and professional growth.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements that support work-life balance.
• Structured career development and opportunities to progress into technical or people leadership pathways.
• We offer hybrid working which involves 3 days per week being office/site based. This position can be based from either our London Nova or Epsom offices.

Your role

• As a Chartered Civil Utilities Engineer, you'll play a key role in delivering technically excellent solutions while supporting the growth and development of multidisciplinary project teams.

Technical Leadership

• Lead utility engineering activities from feasibility through detailed design and construction support.
• Develop utility strategies for major infrastructure and development projects.
• Undertake utility assessments, capacity reviews, diversion feasibility studies, and conflict identification and GIS data management capabilities.
• Coordinate statutory undertakers, utility companies, and asset owners to secure technical approvals.
• Design utility networks including:
  • Water mains.
  • Wastewater and sewerage systems.
  • Surface water drainage interfaces.
  • Gas distribution infrastructure.
  • Electrical distribution networks.
  • District energy and specialist utility systems.
  • Telecommunications infrastructure.

• Review and interpret utility records, asset protection requirements, and survey information.
• Lead utility clash detection and utility coordination using BIM and digital engineering tools.
• Ensure designs comply with relevant standards, legislation, and industry best practice.

Project Delivery

• Manage utility work packages across multidisciplinary projects.
• Prepare scopes, fee estimates, programmes, and resource forecasts.
• Monitor project progress, budgets, risks, and deliverables.
• Support project managers in delivering projects safely, on programme, and within budget.
• Manage interfaces between utility infrastructure and civil engineering disciplines including highways, drainage, earthworks, and structures.
• Provide technical support during construction, commissioning, and asset handover.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a primary point of contact with utility companies, local authorities, clients, contractors, and regulators.
• Lead utility technical workshops and design review meetings.
• Manage utility approval processes and negotiate technical agreements where required.
• Support planning applications, development consents, and regulatory submissions.

Health, Safety and Quality

• Promote a strong safety culture across all engineering activities.
• Ensure compliance with CDM Regulations and other applicable legislation.
• Undertake design risk assessments and contribute to hazard elimination and mitigation.
• Ensure all deliverables meet quality management requirements and technical governance procedures.

Team Development

• Mentor graduate and early-career engineers.
• Support the development of utility engineering capability and technical excellence.
• Contribute to recruitment, training, and professional development initiatives.
• Promote knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across project teams.

About you

• We're interested in people who are technically strong, commercially aware and genuinely enjoy collaborative working.
• Experience in civil engineering design and project delivery.
• A degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered status (or actively working towards professional accreditation).
• Experience working within multidisciplinary project environments.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A passion for solving complex engineering challenges.
• A commitment to innovation, sustainability and technical excellence.
• Proven experience in utility engineering and coordination on major infrastructure or development projects.
• Experience working with utility companies, statutory undertakers, and asset owners.
• Strong understanding of utility diversion and asset protection processes.
• Experience preparing utility reports, drawings, specifications, and design packages.
• Knowledge of utility surveys including PAS 128.
• Experience of multidisciplinary project delivery environments.
• Strong understanding of construction methodologies and utility installation technique

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Civil Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, Utility Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with:
  • Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), or
  • Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), or
  • Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), or equivalent recognised professional institution.
  • Full UK driving licence (desirable).
• Most importantly, we're looking for someone who is excited by the opportunity to work with experts from different disciplines and contribute to projects that no single discipline could deliver alone.
• Returning to work following a career break or looking for part time opportunities? Please apply.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Rewards and benefits – Careers at AtkinsRéalis

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.

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Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.