Lead Project Engineer

Lead Project Engineer

Overview

Our client is seeking an experienced Lead Project Engineer to coordinate and manage multi‑discipline engineering activities across large capital infrastructure projects. The role is responsible for driving safe, compliant, and high‑quality engineering delivery from early optioneering and design through to project delivery, in accordance with governance and assurance requirements.

This position plays a critical role in ensuring engineering scope is delivered to programme, quality, and safety expectations, while effectively managing technical risk and stakeholder engagement.

Role Details

• Location: Home based, with occasional site visits for meetings
• Contract Length: 12 months (with potential extension)
• Security Clearance: BPSS
• Hours: Full‑time
• Rate: £750 per day (PAYE Umbrella)
• Interview Format: Microsoft Teams

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership & Coordination

• Coordinate all engineering inputs and outputs across the project lifecycle, from optioneering and initial design through to delivery.
• Chair regular engineering coordination meetings to drive design progress and collaboration between engineering disciplines.
• Chair engineering risk meetings to identify, manage, and mitigate engineering, safety, quality, and programme risks.
• Drive design maturity and ensure engineering scope is delivered to required quality, safety, and programme milestones.
• Coordinate engineering activities to ensure readiness for each project gate in line with Large Capital Projects Governance.

Design Assurance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with engineering standards, specifications, and policies; where non‑compliance is unavoidable, support the Deviation from Specification process.
• Coordinate and lead gated assurance activities, including:
• Site visits
• Senior Reviews
• Operational Engagement
• HAZID, HAZOP, and HAZCON workshops
• Design Authority and Technical Authority Reviews (as required)
• Prepare and manage key gate documentation, including:
• Design Management Plan
• Design Risk Management Index (DRMI)
• Design Authority Reports
• Support Project Assurance Reviews (PAR), including submission of documentation and close‑out of actions and feedback.

Risk, Change & Technical Control

• Manage engineering risk registers and ensure risks are appropriately mitigated or escalated.
• Manage design changes in accordance with change control processes, preparing and coordinating all required documentation.
• Manage and maintain the Technical Query (TQ) register throughout delivery.
• Escalate engineering decisions, risks, and issues to Senior Engineers and Engineering Managers as appropriate.

Contractor & Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate contractor engineering deliverables and ensure timely review, technical assurance, and sign‑off.
• Coordinate engineering inputs into Works Information (WI) packages.
• Work closely with Operations, Asset Management, Project Assurance, Design Authorities, and external contractors to ensure alignment and compliance.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience coordinating multi‑discipline engineering teams within large, regulated infrastructure or utility environments, ideally within electricity transmission or distribution.
• Demonstrable experience managing engineering inputs through optioneering, concept, early design, and delivery phases.
• Strong capability in chairing and facilitating engineering design and risk meetings to drive collaboration and decision‑making.
• Significant experience managing engineering and design risk, including HAZID, HAZOP, and HAZCON activities.
• Proven ability to drive design maturity and deliver engineering scope to agreed quality, safety, environmental, and programme requirements.
• Sound knowledge of engineering standards, policies, and specifications, with experience managing deviations where necessary.
• Experience managing design changes and engineering change control processes.
• Strong understanding of gated project governance and assurance within large capital projects.
• Proven experience preparing and managing Design Management Plans, DRMI, Works Information inputs, and Design Authority Reports.
• Confident managing Technical Queries and coordinating timely technical responses during delivery.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience engaging senior engineers, operational teams, assurance functions, and contractors.
• Ability to make balanced technical judgements and escalate risks and decisions appropriately.
• Demonstrable experience supporting Project Assurance Reviews (PAR).

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