Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Water Industry

Our company is looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to join our dynamic Water Consultancy team across the UK. You’ll work on AMP8 and AMP9 projects, ensuring exceptional water services in a collaborative environment.

RPS and Tetra Tech are actively engaged in several long‑term wastewater programmes across the UK, helping clients address major pollution and flooding challenges. Our wastewater consulting team undertakes a broad range of projects including urban drainage and water quality modelling studies, WINEP, SOAF, DWMPs, catchment investment planning, and the development of engineering solutions from feasibility through to outline and detailed design.

About The Team

RPS Water Consulting is a team of engineers, designers, modellers and data analysts providing asset management and operational strategy development to water industry clients, supporting business planning and delivery in an evolving industry that offers challenges and opportunities requiring innovation, dedication and teamwork.

About You

• You will be experienced in liaising with clients to understand their needs, interpret data, and develop project plans, coordinating multidisciplinary teams to ensure project objectives are met.
• You will produce technical outputs such as specifications, schedules, reports, and designs for pumping and aeration systems, and be familiar with collaborative planning reviews and design solutions.
• You will supply engineering inputs and produce design outputs in collaboration with other disciplines, including general arrangement drawings, 3‑D models, 2‑D plans, sections, and P&ID diagrams.
• You will demonstrate strong communication skills, delivering technical presentations to clients and design engineers and participating in workshops, safety reviews, HAZOPs, and ALMs.
• You will understand water and wastewater treatment processes, assess existing site infrastructure, and develop and deliver mechanical design solutions.
• By joining us, you will make a meaningful impact on millions of lives across the UK, work with the largest water companies, and contribute to a positive legacy for communities.

Your Responsibilities

• Balance your workload across a wide variety of projects from major long‑term frameworks with water companies and contractors across the UK.
• Seek to achieve positive outcomes for projects and the community.
• Work closely with senior and principal engineers and stakeholders to support project delivery.
• Act as a mentor and guide for less experienced team members, checking their work and providing technical governance and oversight.
• Interpret and understand technical drawings and supervise their production, ideally through AutoCAD and/or Inventor.
• Undertake asset condition surveys and prepare reports and recommendations.
• Contribute to the production of process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).
• Prepare mechanical design deliverables including calculations, reports, specifications, datasheets, drawings, schedules, and procurement documentation.
• Provide support so the team complies with the Designer duties under CDM, including the production of design risk assessments.
• Ensure quality assurance systems and procedures are followed and maintain high standards.
• Act as a project manager, package manager or design team leader as required.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• A strong technical understanding of mechanical engineering principles.
• Significant water industry experience.
• Proficiency in pump selection and pumping system design.
• Using P&IDs to create equipment, valve, and pipe schedules.
• Producing specifications, reports, and technical documentation.
• Complying with the Construction, Design & Management (CDM) Regulations and designing for safety.
• Experience with various contract procurement methods, ideally including NEC forms.
• Managing work to time, cost, and quality criteria.
• Supporting junior staff in their technical and personal development.
• The ability to travel to operational and construction sites, inspect mechanical equipment, and ensure safe practices.
• Knowledge of design tools such as AutoCAD or similar packages is an advantage but not essential.

Qualifications

• A degree‑level qualification in mechanical engineering or a closely allied subject, ideally IMechE‑accredited. Postgraduate qualifications are an advantage.
• Chartered engineer or working towards and nearing chartership.

What’s in it for you?

A personal development plan and a transparent career pathway put you in the driving seat of your career, and you’ll be supported as far as you want to go. We encourage and value diverse ideas, perspectives, and styles of thinking, building a community that puts people first and prioritises wellbeing. A career here is far from ordinary; you are a part of the solution.

Why RPS?

We’re a connected community working together to achieve exceptional outcomes. We understand the need to work flexibly, empowering our people to create the work‑life balance that’s right for them. Collaboration and social connection are valued, with agile offices and hybrid working offered as standard to meet client needs.

RPS, A Tetra Tech Company

Representing an exciting new chapter in our business, RPS became a Tetra Tech company on 24 January 2023. With 27 000 employees in more than 550 offices across 120+ countries on seven continents, Tetra Tech is a global leader in consulting and engineering services. As a Tetra Tech company, RPS offers market‑leading development and project opportunities to help solve the world’s most complex problems.

Mutual Dignity and Respect

We are committed to embedding mutual dignity and respect in all people processes, ensuring inclusive talent use without unnecessary barriers. This approach secures and develops the best talent for the company’s future.

Recruitment Agencies

We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners for recruitment. Speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on this list are not acknowledged. Please refer to our careers page for further information.