Principal Architect

Job Description

Mott MacDonald

We’re a global engineering, management, and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.

We are proud to be a one of Glassdoor’s top employers to work for in the UK, as well as being recognised as a Top Inclusive Company in the UK.

Our values: Progress, Respect, Integrity, Drive, Excellence.

About the business unit:

The Energy unit delivers services to clients globally across several sectors including hydropower, nuclear, waste, renewable generation and transmission & distribution networks. Together we provide integrated engineering and project management services across the project lifecycle – from concept and design to construction and operations, to decommissioning or repowering and life extension. Together with our clients, we’re helping to deliver the energy transition globally.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Principal Architect to join our Energy Unit within the Nuclear, Civil, and Defence division. This is a unique opportunity to take a leading role in shaping technology driven projects while advancing your own career.

We’re looking for candidates that are creative, detail oriented, with exceptional technical expertise, project management skills, and a proven ability to lead teams and deliver results. In this role, you’ll provide technical leadership, guide bids and proposals, and coordinate multidisciplinary resources on high profile projects in the Nuclear industry. You’ll collaborate with talented teams across the UK, working alongside clients and specialists to deliver innovative, technically excellent solutions.

About you

In this role, you’ll:

• Design Brief Development: Lead client meetings to establish design criteria, collaborate on functional area schedules, and advise on process flows, facility costs, and budget estimates.
• Conceptual Design: Develop site and facility layouts, create conceptual designs with all functional requirements, and provide flow diagrams, reviews, and project estimate input.
• Front-End Design: Refine concept designs with clients and teams, ensure all functional requirements are incorporated, and provide cost input for proprietary elements.
• Detailed Design: Produce or oversee detailed design documentation for tendering and construction, ensuring multidisciplinary coordination.
• Statutory Approvals: Guide clients on planning and building regulations, liaise with authorities, submit applications, and perform CDM-compliant design risk assessments.
• Tender Stage: Advise on work package divisions, subcontractor selection, tender preparation, and analysis of tenders.
• Construction Support: Respond to technical queries during construction to support the management team.
• Management: Coordinate with project managers on deliverables, timelines, and resources, monitor progress, approve designs, and manage scope changes.
• Collaboration: Maintain client relationships, support project and engineering managers, coordinate with other project disciplines, and foster key internal and external relationships.

What We're Looking For:

• Extensive post qualification experience of working within highly regulated industry (preferably nuclear)
• Design-led approach with good experience leading large-scale projects from inception to planning submission
• Experience of leading projects post planning through to completion
• Proven and effective inter-personal and communication skills
• Post part 3 / Qualified Architect with ARB registration
• Member of Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

Please be advised that offers for this role are conditional upon obtaining the appropriate level of Security Clearance.

#LI-EH1

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working

Happy to talk Flexible Working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.