Principal Engineer - Water

Principal Engineer - Water

As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable, innovative, and future-ready water infrastructure solutions, we are seeking a seasoned Principal Engineer – Water to join our expanding team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This senior technical role sits within our Transport & Infrastructure business unit and focuses on the design and delivery of large-scale water, hydrology, and wet utilities projects across Saudi Arabia.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive expertise in water infrastructure design, whether in wet utilities or hydrology, along with a strong background in coordinating with multidisciplinary teams on major infrastructure and land development projects. Prior, in-depth KSA project experience is essential to ensure compliance with local authority requirements and to navigate regional design and approval processes effectively.

This is an exciting opportunity for a high-caliber professional to influence complex programmes, shape technical excellence, and drive innovative approaches in one of the region’s most dynamic markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the end-to-end design and delivery of major water infrastructure projects, including potable water, stormwater drainage, foul sewerage, TSE/irrigation networks, and hydrological systems.
• Provide technical leadership in hydrology, hydraulic modelling, and wet utilities design in alignment with local authority standards and international best practices.
• Manage and coordinate multidisciplinary teams, ensuring seamless integration between civil, structural, environmental, transport, and other engineering disciplines.
• Deliver high-quality technical outputs, including design reports, modelling outputs, specifications, drawings, tender documents, and engineering studies.
• Steer client engagement, presenting design solutions, providing subject-matter expertise, and ensuring superior stakeholder communication.
• Guide authority submissions and interface with local authorities, ensuring compliance and timely approvals.
• Mentor and develop junior and mid-level engineers, promoting technical excellence and knowledge transfer within the team.
• Support project managers in planning, budgeting, risk management, and overall technical strategy for major programmes.
• Drive quality assurance by ensuring adherence to internal quality management processes and health & safety standards.
• Contribute to business development, including proposal preparation, bid support, technical presentations, and client relationship building.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends in water engineering to integrate sustainable and innovative solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related discipline (Master’s degree preferred).
• 12-15+ years of experience in water infrastructure design, hydrology, or wet utilities engineering, preferably within an engineering consultancy.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale water or wet utilities projects specifically within KSA, with strong knowledge of relevant authority standards, manuals, and approval processes.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing multidisciplinary teams and overseeing complex infrastructure project delivery.
• Advanced proficiency in hydrological and hydraulic modelling tools and software such as InfoWorks, EPANET, WaterGEMS, SewerGEMS, StormCAD, Civil 3D, and similar platforms.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills, including client-facing leadership and presentation capabilities.
• Ability to navigate the local regulatory landscape and maintain strong working relationships with local authorities.
• Commitment to innovation, sustainable design, and continuous improvement.