We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this role is £53,713 per annum (subject to annual pay award negotiations), based on a 36-hour working week

We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity for a Principal Design Engineer to join our high performing Design Office, based in Guildford, with the opportunity of working out of other SCC offices.

This is a hybrid role, offering a flexible mix of home, office, and site-based working, tailored to the needs of the projects you'll be supporting. You can expect to be in the office or on site approximately two days per week.

Our Offer to You

26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

Reporting directly to one of our Design Leads, you will be a technical expert leading the design and delivery of infrastructure projects ranging from minor speed limit changes all the way up to £multi-million corridor improvement schemes. Active Travel is a major theme in our programmes – candidates will be expected to have experience designing schemes to LTN 1-20 standard. We work in close partnership with a number of internal teams and also with our term contractors Ringway and M Group.

You will need to demonstrate extensive experience of design, construction supervision and project / contract management, and will have an important role in the development of less experienced colleagues. You should have extensive, in depth experience of the relevant principles, practices and procedures in highway design, specification and standards, bills of quantities and item coverage, engineering construction, contract and project management. As part of the selection process, you will be asked about the projects you have been involved with, and your contribution to ensure that projects are delivered to time, quality and contract requirements, and that best practice standards were met.

Shortlisting Criteria

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

Your design engineering expertise, including evidence of your AutoCAD ability, along with relevant highway design packages.
The range and type of highway infrastructure schemes you have successfully designed and implemented.
Your knowledge of engineering design related legislation, practices and procedures.
Your relevant industry qualifications plus any Membership of any professional bodies.
Competency in the use of MS Office tools including Word and Excel.
Excellent communication and organisational skills.
Full clean driving license and access to a vehicle.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Details

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion contact:

Nick Healey, nick.healey@surreycc.gov.uk, 07581 363351

Zena Curry, zena.curry@surreycc.gov.uk, 020 8541 7168

The job advert closes at 23:59 on Wednesday 13th May 2026 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

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