Principal Structural Engineer - Manchester

We’re looking for a Principal Structural Engineer to take a key leadership role across high‑profile, technically complex projects spanning aviation, nuclear, defence, industrial, rail, public sector, power and specialist infrastructure sectors, leading multiple structural design teams. If you thrive on technical authority, guiding others, and delivering complex structural solutions with confidence, this role offers real influence, autonomy, and challenge.

Reporting to an Associate Director / Associate Engineer, you’ll play a central role in shaping and assuring structural output across some of our most visible and demanding projects.

• →Leading structural design delivery across high‑profile projects or several smaller, coordinated workstreams
• →Managing and developing structural project teams, ensuring the right capability, resourcing, and technical oversight
• →Overseeing the production and approval of high‑quality structural deliverables, including calculations, drawings, specifications, reports, and digital models
• →Acting as a technical authority for structural design, reviewing work, providing technical direction, and ensuring engineering excellence
• →Developing delivery programmes, managing budgets, and maintaining robust commercial and change control
• →Supporting tenders, fee proposals, and technical scopes for projects of varying scale and complexity
• →Reporting project performance, risks, and insights to senior leadership
• →Driving innovation, sustainability, and constructability in structural design solutions
• →Promoting Safe Together behaviours and contributing to Perfect Delivery standards
• →Mentoring engineers and supporting the growth of capability and confidence across teams

• Chartered Engineer (CEng MIStructE or CEng MICE)
• Proven experience leading structural design teams on high‑profile or complex projects
• Strong understanding of UK structural design codes, standards, and assurance processes
• Broad structural engineering expertise, which may include:
  • Steel, concrete, masonry, and timber building structures
  • Foundations and substructures
  • Structural analysis, assessment, and remediation
  • Site investigations
• High proficiency in structural analysis and design software, with the ability to review and validate complex models
• Strong commercial awareness, including budgeting and change management
• Experience working within fully integrated, multidisciplinary design teams
• Sound understanding of CDM responsibilities and structural safety obligations
• CSCS card, eligibility for SC clearance, and a full UK driving licence

If you’re looking for a role where your structural expertise carries real weight, your leadership shapes delivery, and your work contributes to high‑profile projects with genuine impact, this could be a strong next move.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to security clearance. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by various factors. The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain security clearance for this role as required by our clients and sectors. 

Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

We’ve been innovating in design, engineering and project delivery since 1957 and operate from 14 locations for a truly European reach. For more about our company story, see: About | BakerHicks. 

BakerHicks. A Morgan Sindall Group company.