Civil & Structural Engineer

Job Reference: JOB-90530

Published: 25-09-2026

Expiry Date: 23-10-2026

Country: United Kingdom

Location: Warrington, CheshireJob Type: Permanent, Full-timeWorking Arrangement: Fully site-based (5 days - Mon - Fri)Sector: Nuclear / Major Infrastructure

The Opportunity

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Engineer – Civil & Structural (Ground Engineering) / Tunnel Engineer to work with our client on a major nuclear infrastructure programme in Warrington.

This is a permanent, full-time, site-based opportunity supporting the delivery of complex tunnelling and underground infrastructure within the nuclear industry.

The successful candidate will work as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team, supporting the design, assessment and technical delivery of tunnels, shafts, underground structures and excavation support systems in a highly regulated and safety-critical environment.

Due to the nature of the project, candidates will need to be eligible to obtain the appropriate UK security clearance. Candidates must be able to satisfy the relevant clearance requirements to work on the programme.

We are ideally looking for candidates with previous experience in the nuclear industry or another highly regulated/safety-critical sector, such as energy, defence, major infrastructure or similar environments.

The Role

Working closely with the Lead Tunnel Engineer / Principal Engineer, you will support the delivery of tunnelling and underground infrastructure engineering design and assessment.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the Lead Tunnel Engineer / Principal Engineer in delivering tunnelling and underground infrastructure design and assessment.
• Producing and reviewing engineering calculations, numerical models, technical reports, specifications and design documentation.
• Developing design substantiation and technical justifications to meet project, regulatory and governance requirements.
• Undertaking feasibility assessments of tunnel construction methods.
• Assessing ground–structure interaction, excavation stability, tunnel linings, settlement and construction-stage behaviour.
• Working collaboratively with geotechnical, civil, structural, construction and wider multidisciplinary teams to develop integrated engineering solutions.
• Preparing scopes of work and managing third-party technical inputs where required.
• Participating in design reviews, technical assurance activities and resolving engineering queries.
• Ensuring designs comply with applicable codes, standards, quality requirements and CDM 2015 obligations.
• Supporting continuous improvement, knowledge sharing and mentoring graduate and early-career engineers.

About You

We are looking for a degree-qualified Civil, Structural or Geotechnical Engineer with relevant experience in tunnelling and underground infrastructure.

Ideally, you will have a background in the nuclear industry or another highly regulated, safety-critical environment and be comfortable working within rigorous engineering assurance, governance and quality processes.

You should have:

• A degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Proven experience in tunnelling and underground infrastructure engineering.
• Experience working within the nuclear, energy, defence, major infrastructure or another highly regulated/safety-critical sector.
• Experience of tunnelling design within an engineering consultancy or major project environment.
• Strong knowledge of geotechnical engineering design, excavation support systems and underground construction methodologies.
• Experience using advanced numerical modelling software such as PLAXIS or FLAC, including advanced constitutive soil models.
• Experience assessing complex loading conditions, ground movements, seismic effects and construction-stage behaviour.
• Experience with design substantiation, safety justification and engineering assurance.
• Experience using advanced structural analysis and numerical modelling.
• Familiarity with relevant codes and standards, including Eurocodes, BS EN standards and ITA guidance.
• Strong technical leadership, stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams and managing technical interfaces.

Professional Qualifications

You should ideally be Chartered or working towards Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, preferably through the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) or an equivalent professional institution.

Candidates who are on track to achieve Chartership within the next year are encouraged to apply. Candidates who are not pursuing Chartership should be able to demonstrate an equivalent level of professional competence through their relevant experience.

Nuclear & Security Clearance Requirements

This role will be supporting a major nuclear programme, so experience of working within the nuclear industry or another highly regulated/safety-critical sector is highly desirable.

Candidates must be eligible to obtain the required UK security clearance for the project. The successful candidate will be required to undergo the relevant security vetting and clearance process before undertaking certain project activities.

Previous experience of nuclear new-build projects would be particularly advantageous, although we will also consider engineers with strong transferable experience from other regulated sectors.

Why Consider This Opportunity

This is an opportunity to join a major nuclear infrastructure programme and work on technically challenging tunnelling and underground engineering packages.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Work on a significant UK nuclear infrastructure programme.
• Deliver complex tunnelling and underground engineering solutions.
• Work alongside experienced Principal and Lead Engineers.
• Operate within a highly regulated and technically demanding environment.
• Develop your technical and professional expertise.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Contribute to safety-critical infrastructure.
• Progress your career within the nuclear and wider regulated engineering sector.

If you are an experienced Tunnel, Civil, Structural or Geotechnical Engineer with relevant experience in nuclear or another highly regulated industry, and you are eligible to obtain the required security clearance, we would be keen to hear from you.