Principal/Associate River Engineer

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

We are looking for an experienced Principal/Associate River Engineer to join our fantastic UK Water team. We work nationally and internationally, with regulators, governments, water companies, river and wildlife trusts, estate managers and developers in all industries. Here, you will be responsible for high quality project delivery and engineering for Nature schemes, working with a team delivering all stages of planning, managing, modelling, designing and supervising the construction of nature recovery, rewilding and river restoration schemes. 

What your new role will entail;

• Environmental engineering for nature recovery, nature restoration, re-wilding, and geomorphology / hydromorphology schemes
• River and wetland restoration
• River and watercourse engineering, detailed design, compliance with CDM Regulations
• Preparing designs, design safety, work schedules and specifications for contractors
• Supervision of contractors and construction works
• Project management

A selection of our current and recent projects includes:

• Re-meandering detailed design and construction supervision for the River Breamish, part of the River Till-Tweed SSSI and SAC in Northumberland.
• Re-meandering detailed design and construction supervision for the River Eye SSSI in Leicestershire.
• Nature recovery, river restoration and countryside management for large estates in Northumberland.
• Weir removals and fish passes across England, Wales and Scotland, including around Internationally Designated Sites.
• River basin scale restoration planning for the Environment Agency and multiple water companies.
• Programmes of WFD, BNG and MoRPh surveys for river restoration across the UK and Ireland.
• River management plans, river crossing designs, and landslide and flood hazard analysis in New Zealand

Being part of the team;

All members of the Water Environment team take an active role in client contact and commercial aspects of our projects. Health, safety, and environmental considerations underpin all of our work.

Our Water Environment team are multi-disciplinary with specialists in geomorphology, hydrology, hydro-ecology, water quality and hydrogeology, comprising 60 surface water specialists and a further 25 hydrogeologists.

Here's what we're looking for:

• Degree in relevant subject (e.g. civil engineering).
• Proven experience in river and waterway restoration, ensuring compliance with design standards.
• Highly experienced in project management and delivery.
• CDM and design safety leadership
• Excellent communication, engagement and leadership skills with multi-disciple technical teams, clients and stakeholders.

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives. 

If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you! 

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [email protected]  if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

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