At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

As a Principal Highways Engineer, you’ll help shape the delivery of some of the UK’s most significant transport projects. You’ll drive technical excellence, influence key design decisions, and mentor talented engineers to strengthen capability across the team. With room to innovate and improve how we work, you’ll champion smarter, safer and more efficient design approaches that enhance outcomes for our clients. From major national programmes to impactful local schemes, your leadership will play a vital role in elevating delivery performance and helping grow a future‑ready highways capability at Jacobs.

As part of this role, you will be responsible for the following:

• Drive technical excellence and ensure safety in design within team deliverables.
• Champion opportunities for automation and process efficiencies in all aspects of our work.
• Lead and mentor a small team of designers on projects.
• Generate bottom-up forecasts of project hours for your team or discipline by project, and escalate any scope changes impacting delivery.
• Coordinate the delivery of Civils highways design solutions within programme and budget constraints.
• Collaborate with discipline leads globally to provide an integrated and best practice service to our clients, challenging the status quo to innovate for the future.
• Line Management: While line management is not required for career progression at Jacobs, opportunities exist for those interested in people leadership to supervise staff locally and become a valued part of our team.

About the Opportunity:

Jacobs is a market leader in the transportation sector, working with major clients such as National Highways, Transport Scotland, the Welsh Government, and global contractors. Internationally, we contribute to some of the world's mega projects, including NEOM The Line and King Khalid International Airport. Domestically, we collaborate with councils and transport authorities in major towns and cities, offering you the chance to work on impactful local projects.

In the North, we are delivering schemes for Manchester Airport Group, United Utilities, Cheshire East Council, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. In the Midlands and South-West, we are engaged in frameworks for Worcestershire County Council, Birmingham City Council, Derbyshire County Council, and the West of England Combined Authority.

• Attained a relevant professional qualification, for example a degree in engineering /CEng/ IEng or equivalent qualifications
• Technical experience of delivering local and/or major highways projects or the land side alignment elements in adjacent markets such as Water or Aviation.
• Ability to lead small project teams effectively and support their technical development.
• Thorough understanding of commonly used design standards such as Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) or international equivalents.
• Sound knowledge of UK Health & Safety legislation and a passion for fostering safety and wellbeing.
• Ability to work independently and effectively within a global multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of the financial management and control of projects.

#UKTransportation #LI-DC1

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.