Principal Design Engineer - Structures

About the Role

The role involves leading and reviewing designs for bridges, retaining walls, low‑rise buildings, and temporary works such as propping, scaffolding, crane platforms, and formwork. You will provide expert technical input during design, tendering, and delivery phases to ensure constructability, safety, and cost efficiency, and you will identify and implement innovation opportunities in materials, technology, and construction methods. You will manage internal and external design teams, ensuring design integrity, quality, and compliance with project specifications and standards, and you will lead the development of temporary works designs on complex build‑only projects. Supporting site teams through construction monitoring, inspection test plans, and quality assurance, you will also mentor and coach junior engineers, graduates, and cadets to build technical capability across the business. • Lead and review designs for bridges, retaining walls, low‑rise buildings and temporary works (propping, scaffolding, crane platforms, formwork). • Provide expert technical input during design, tendering and delivery to ensure constructability, safety and cost efficiency. • Identify and implement innovations in materials, technology and construction methods. • Manage internal and external design teams, ensuring design integrity, quality and compliance with specifications and standards. • Develop temporary works designs for complex build‑only projects. • Support site teams through construction monitoring, inspection test plans and quality assurance. • Mentor and coach junior engineers, graduates and cadets. • Represent Downer in industry forums, technical groups and thought‑leadership initiatives. • Work on complex, nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸design review
• ▸bridge design
• ▸temporary works
• ▸innovation
• ▸team management
• ▸construction monitoring

What You Bring

We’re looking for a highly experienced and Chartered Principal Design Engineer to provide technical leadership across a range of complex structural and temporary works projects. In this senior role, you’ll work closely with our National Lead, project teams, clients, and subcontractors to ensure practical, buildable, and cost‑effective design outcomes that enhance site productivity and safety. You’ll be part of Downer’s Infrastructure Delivery Business Unit, collaborating nationally with technical specialists and mentoring emerging engineers – strengthening Downer’s position as a leader in innovative and efficient structural design. Representing Downer within the wider industry, you will contribute to forums, technical groups, and thought‑leadership initiatives. To be successful, you should be a chartered structural engineer with a BE (Civil) or equivalent qualification, CPEng status and Engineers New Zealand membership, and at least 10 years of experience in permanent and temporary works design on civil infrastructure projects. Strong problem‑solving skills, an innovative mindset, demonstrated leadership in mentoring and stakeholder management, excellent communication and report‑writing abilities, and a full Class 1 driver’s licence are also required. At Downer, you will join a team that values technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation while shaping New Zealand’s infrastructure for future generations. • Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) with Engineers New Zealand membership (MEngNZ or FEngNZ). • BE (Civil) or equivalent engineering qualification. • Minimum 10 years of structural engineering experience on civil infrastructure projects. • Proven expertise in permanent and temporary works design and construction methodology. • Strong problem‑solving, innovative mindset and sound judgement. • Demonstrated leadership, collaboration and stakeholder management skills. • Excellent communication and report‑writing abilities. • Full Class 1 driver’s licence.

Requirements

• ▸cpeng
• ▸be civil
• ▸10 years
• ▸structural
• ▸problem solving
• ▸leadership

Benefits

Downer offers opportunities to work on complex, nationally significant projects, career progression, professional development, mentoring programmes, Marram Health Care benefits, discounted holiday homes, and a culture that champions safety, sustainability, and excellence. • Career progression, professional development and mentoring programmes. • Access to Marram Health Care benefits and discounted holiday homes.

Work Environment

Hybrid