Senior/Principal Mechanical Engineer - Building Services

Are you excited about understanding, interpreting, and navigating complex engineering issues? Are you motivated by creating sustainable change that benefits society and nature? Are you a curious and open-minded person?

If this sounds like you, or you’re curious to learn more, then this role could be the perfect opportunity. Join our Building Services team as our new Senior / Principal Mechanical Engineer and work with us to close the gap to a sustainable future.

Your new role

As our new Senior / Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will work as part of a collaborative team, manage your own project work, undertake and oversee design to the required standards, and maintain excellent levels of client service. 

You will contribute to a team with a strong focus on technical delivery, client care and sustainable outcomes. You will work on a wide variety of projects, with opportunities to contribute to international signature projects where appropriate. We have a supportive and collaborative culture and are looking for personable, curious and technically capable people to strengthen our team. We have a strong focus on digital and parametric design and believe the future of our industry lies in working smarter, sharing knowledge and continuously improving how we deliver. 

Core responsibilities: Senior Engineer 

• Lead larger mechanical work packages and act as Mechanical Discipline Lead on less complex and lower-risk projects. 

• Represent Ramboll at design team and client meetings, working autonomously while communicating technical matters clearly to technical and non-technical audiences. 

• Develop design strategies and deliver work across the full spectrum of design stages, including detailed design, specifications and supervision of works on site. 

• Exercise independent engineering judgement when selecting and applying appropriate standards, codes and design approaches. 

• Plan and manage your own workload and the deliverables of junior team members in accordance with the Ramboll Project Model, agreed programme, scope and budget. 

• Coordinate mechanical design activities with other disciplines and, on suitably sized projects, support the coordination of engineers from complementary disciplines. 

• Complete detailed designs, undertake technical and quality reviews, and supervise and check the work of others. 

• Identify technical, programme, commercial, health and safety, Building Safety Act and CDM risks, developing proportionate solutions and escalating where appropriate. 

• Understand and manage the agreed scope for your discipline, identify change promptly and support appropriate change control and project governance. 

• Support preparation of straightforward fee and scope proposals, project variations and tender submissions. 

• Build effective client and collaborator relationships, support high levels of client satisfaction and identify opportunities for repeat work or additional services. 

• Mentor and support graduates and junior engineers, providing clear direction, constructive feedback and opportunities for development. 

• Champion sustainable and regenerative design outcomes, including use of Ramboll sustainability tools and reviews on your work packages. 

• Apply digital and parametric design tools where they add value, and contribute to workflow improvement, innovation and knowledge sharing within the discipline. 

Additional responsibilities: Principal Engineer 

In addition to the Senior responsibilities above, a Principal Engineer will be expected to: 

• Act as an experienced Mechanical Discipline Lead on larger or medium-risk projects and, where appropriate, lead whole low-risk projects with support from the Project Owner. 

• Act as the primary day-to-day client and design point of contact for projects within your responsibility, coordinating responses with minimal supervision. 

• Take responsibility for the technical and financial leadership of your projects or discipline, including scope, quality, resources, cost, programme, change and project governance. 

• Project manage projects of increasing complexity, including multidisciplinary projects where appropriate, setting a coordinated programme of work and clear accountabilities for the project team. 

• Lead or support scope and fee discussions, prepare proposals for increasingly complex opportunities and manage project variations with appropriate senior support. 

• Develop a practical understanding of project financial performance, including fee levels, billing, cash flow, write-ups or write-downs and profitability, and mentor junior staff in commercial awareness. 

• Plan and ensure completion of appropriate quality assurance activities across the responsible disciplines, reviewing all deliverables prepared by junior team members and addressing weaknesses, omissions and improvements. 

• Actively develop client relationships and business opportunities, helping to convert leads, secure repeat work and support strategic selling activities. 

• Provide technical guardianship within the team, supporting regional technical implementation, sharing lessons learned and contributing to service-line and national discipline networks. 

• Lead sustainable design reviews, influence the project brief and design, and promote sustainable, regenerative and low-carbon alternatives. 

• Lead, coach and mentor project team members and, where applicable, line manage individuals through clear objectives, development plans and regular feedback. 

• Represent aligned building-services disciplines appropriately in client discussions and coordinate integrated solutions across the wider project team. 

• Coordinate and lead delivery teams across local offices and the Ramboll Engineering Centre (REC), ensuring effective communication, quality assurance and efficient project delivery. 

About you

From the moment you start at Ramboll, we will support your personal and professional development so that you can continue to grow with the company. For this role, the following qualifications, skills and capabilities will help set you up for success: 

• A qualified mechanical or building-services engineer with a proven and demonstrable track record in the discipline. 

• A CIBSE, IMechE or other relevant Engineering Council accredited honours degree, or an HNC in an applicable discipline with commitment to continued higher education and professional development. 

• For appointment as Senior Engineer: professionally registered, or actively working towards IEng or CEng status. 

• For appointment as Principal Engineer: Chartered Engineer status with CIBSE, IMechE or another relevant institution, or demonstrable equivalent competence where agreed. 

• Strong technical knowledge across relevant building-services design stages, with the ability to work independently and apply sound engineering judgement. 

• Experience of leading mechanical design packages or acting as discipline lead, appropriate to the level of appointment. 

• The ability to inspire confidence internally and externally and use this to strengthen client relationships. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex matters clear and accessible. 

• Commercial awareness, including scope, fee, programme, resources, change and project risk, appropriate to the level of appointment. 

• A commitment to mentoring others, collaborative working and Ramboll values. 

• A strong interest in sustainable design, innovation, digital delivery and parametric design tools. 

What we can offer you

• Commitment to your development 

• Leaders guided by our Leadership Principles 

• A culture that welcomes you as the unique person you are 

• Inspiration from colleagues, clients, and projects 

• The long-term thinking of a foundation-owned company 

Ready to join us?

Please submit your application with your up-to-date CV. We invite diversity in all its forms and encourage applicants from all groups to apply.

Thank you for taking the time to apply! We look forward to receiving your application.

Work at the heart of sustainable change with Ramboll in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Ramboll is a global architecture, engineering, and consultancy company. As a foundation-owned people company, founded in Denmark, we believe that the purpose of sustainable change is to create a thriving world for both nature and people. So, that’s where we start, and how we work. Our history is rooted in a clear vision of how a responsible company should act, and being open and curious is a cornerstone of our culture. Ramboll in the United Kingdom and Ireland has a proven track record of sustainable and responsible business and is a top ten engineering, environmental and sustainability consultancy in the UK, with more than 1,500 employees across 16 offices. Ramboll experts deliver innovative solutions across Buildings, Transport, Environment & Health, and Energy. In 2024, Ramboll was included in the Sunday Times list of Best Places to Work. 

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of what we do. At Ramboll, we believe that diversity is a strength and that different experiences and perspectives are essential to creating truly sustainable societies. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive work environment where everyone is able to flourish and reach their potential. We also know how important it is to achieve the right balance of where, when, and how much you work. At Ramboll, we offer flexibility as part of our positive and inclusive approach to work. We invite applications from candidates of all backgrounds and characteristics. As a Disability Confident Committed employer, Ramboll ensures opportunities are accessible to candidates with disabilities. Please let us know if there are any changes we could make to the application process to make it more comfortable for you. You can contact us at job.advert.accessibility@ramboll.com with such requests.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.