Principal Engineer - Water

Role Overview

Principal Engineer – Water at WSP Middle East, based in Dubai/Sharjah. This senior technical role sits within the Transport & Infrastructure business unit and focuses on the design and delivery of large-scale water, hydrology, and wet utilities projects across the Emirate.

Company Overview

WSP is a global team of more than 69,000 employees working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world. The organization is committed to delivering sustainable, innovative, and future-ready water infrastructure solutions.

Role Purpose

To lead the end-to-end design and delivery of major water infrastructure projects, provide technical leadership in hydrology and wet utilities design, and influence complex programmes while shaping technical excellence and driving innovative approaches in the region's most dynamic market.

Key Responsibilities

Project Design & Delivery

• 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.
• Deliver high-quality technical outputs, including design reports, modelling outputs, specifications, drawings, tender documents, and engineering studies.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical leadership in hydrology, hydraulic modelling, and wet utilities design in alignment with local authority standards and international best practices.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends in water engineering to integrate sustainable and innovative solutions.
• Drive quality assurance by ensuring adherence to internal quality management processes and health & safety standards.

Team & Stakeholder Management

• Manage and coordinate multidisciplinary teams, ensuring seamless integration between civil, structural, environmental, transport, and other engineering disciplines.
• Steer client engagement, presenting design solutions, providing subject-matter expertise, and ensuring superior stakeholder communication.
• Mentor and develop junior and mid-level engineers, promoting technical excellence and knowledge transfer within the team.

Regulatory & Authority Interface

• Guide authority submissions and interface with local authorities, ensuring compliance and timely approvals.
• Navigate the local regulatory landscape and maintain strong working relationships with local authorities.

Programme Support

• Support project managers in planning, budgeting, risk management, and overall technical strategy for major programmes.
• Contribute to business development, including proposal preparation, bid support, technical presentations, and client relationship building.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related discipline; Master's degree preferred.
• 10–12+ 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 the UAE, with strong knowledge of relevant authority standards, manuals, and approval processes.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing multidisciplinary teams and overseeing complex infrastructure project delivery.

Skills & Competencies

• 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.
• Commitment to innovation, sustainable design, and continuous improvement.

Additional Information

• Flexible working arrangements available, including work from home, part-time, and flexible start and finish times.
• Competitive pay.
• First class medical cover.
• Generous annual leave.
• Paid professional subscriptions.