Principal Civil Engineer - Water at Mott MacDonald in IE

Location/s: Dublin, Cork, Galway; IE Recruiter contact: William Bates

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the Division

The Water Utilities Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to the UK and Ireland's water and wastewater challenges. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations, preventing urban flooding, and improving the health of our rivers and coastal environments. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies to outline and detailed design. Together, we deliver best-in-class solutions to our clients while offering diverse and technically stimulating opportunities to our people.

Overview of the role

Join our award‑winning OneWater team at Mott MacDonald!

Are you passionate about making a difference in the water sector? At Mott MacDonald, we are dedicated to our clients, our people, and the environment. Our Water Utilities Division is expanding, and we want you to be part of our dynamic and innovative team.

Why Join Us?

• Exciting projects: work on a diverse portfolio of water sector projects and frameworks in Ireland and the UK, delivering client‑centric solutions
• Career growth: benefit from excellent career progression opportunities, including pathways to Chartership and beyond
• Collaborative environment: join a dedicated team of industry‑recognised experts, working together to deliver value to key water utility clients like Uisce Éireann, NI Water, and other UK water companies
• Comprehensive involvement: engage in various stages of water and wastewater scheme development, from high‑level master planning to detailed design and commissioning
• Learning and development: take advantage of outstanding learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career
• Employee ownership: as one of the largest wholly employee‑owned companies globally, Mott MacDonald ensures that its people benefit directly from the company's achievements
• Our commitment: with a proud 70‑year track record in Ireland, we have secured numerous exciting framework appointments up to 2030 and beyond. This success allows us to grow our talented pool of water sector engineers in Ireland
• Your Role: As part of our agile Ireland and UK resource teams, you will undertake investigations and design across all stages of water and wastewater scheme development. You will work alongside industry experts to deliver innovative solutions for our clients

Be Part of Something Bigger: Join us in our mission to create sustainable and impactful solutions for the water sector. Together, we can make a difference.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply now and become a part of our OneWater Team at Mott MacDonald!

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Civil Engineering or other relevant degree
• Chartered Engineer status, or the ability to demonstrate strong alignment with the competencies of a Chartered Engineer (Engineers Ireland or equivalent)
• Proven track record of leading design teams in full compliance with PSDP, or equivalent, regulations
• Proven track record of leading technical delivery of multidisciplinary teams on water and wastewater projects ensuring technical and commercial success
• Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, comfortable with client‑facing engagement and mentoring of junior team members

Desirable:

• People management or line management experience, including mentorship and technical leadership
• Experience of working with Uisce Éireann, NI Water, Scottish Water, United Utilities, or equivalent, and prescribed bodies
• Strong digital capability (e.g. Copilot / AI, Civils 3D, SharePoint)
• Ability to travel to sites in various locations across Ireland and, if required, the UK

#LI-WB1

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

• Flexible working
• Pension matched up to 7% of base salary
• Competitive annual leave
• An annual professional institution subscription
• Life insurance
• Income continuance
• Enhanced Paternity leave
• Annual company performance bonus scheme – Subject to company performance
• Cycle to work scheme
• Travel TaxSaver tickets
• Commitment to Continuing Professional Development – we are accredited by Engineers Ireland
• Mentoring and support for career development and progression

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.