Principal Engineer - Smartgrids
About the job
- Significant knowledge and a track record in Smartgrids, distribution grid and private networks engineering, and/or renewable generation connection delivery.
- A minimum 2:1 degree in Electrical Engineering or a Renewable Energy discipline.
- Membership of a professional engineering body, such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
- Chartered Engineer status with an appropriate professional engineering body, or the ability to achieve this in future.
- Significant knowledge and a demonstrable track record in developing and delivering Smartgrid, distribution grid and private network and/or renewable generation connection projects, including understanding multidisciplinary delivery challenges.
- Significant knowledge and a demonstrable track record of supporting clients through different design phases while coordinating relevant stakeholders.
- Experience managing and coordinating project design changes with the Project Management team.
- Demonstrable experience delivering multidisciplinary Smartgrid, distribution grid, private network and/or renewable connection projects.
- Knowledge of Grid, Distribution Network Operator, British, International Electrotechnical Commission and Energy Networks Association standards.
- Knowledge of modelling, analysis and calculation software used to validate and verify designs.
- Awareness of project delivery cycles and differing client and customer delivery requirements.
- Awareness of the roles of Engineering, Procurement and Construction; Independent Power Contractor; and Independent Distribution Network Operator in renewable generation connection projects.
- Awareness of net-zero carbon and decarbonisation processes, including electric vehicle charging, electric boilers and air-source heat pumps.
- High-level knowledge of battery energy storage systems and their implementation.
- Awareness of grid export and import capacity connection requirements, the G99 application process and Grid Code compliance.
- Awareness of pre-construction, construction and post-construction support processes.
- Awareness of Construction Design and Management requirements and the principal contractor role.
- Ability to plan and strategise competently and confidently.
- Ability to manage ethical and diversity issues.
- Ability to communicate new concepts and ideas to technical and non-technical colleagues effectively in spoken and written English.
- Ability to manage teams and develop staff to meet changing technical, environmental and managerial needs.
- Ability to implement quality-management processes and demonstrate continuous improvement.
- Strong consulting skills, including project management and client relationship management at senior-management level.
- Ability to use an evidence-based approach to problem-solving and contribute to continuous improvement.
- Ability to maintain and extend a sound theoretical approach to introducing and exploiting new and advancing technology.
- Ability to participate in the creative and innovative development of engineering technology and continuous-improvement systems.
- Extensive consulting experience on large-scale, highly complex projects in a client-facing role.
- Ability to identify, review and select techniques, procedures and methods for undertaking engineering tasks.
- Ability to conduct appropriate design-related research and assess its relevance within the area of responsibility.
- Awareness and implementation of sustainable-development best practices.
- Provide technical leadership within the Smartgrids team, including serving as technical engineering lead on distribution network design, private network design, renewable generation connection design, and electrical systems control and automation projects.
- Establish and consolidate client-facing relationships, assist the workstream lead in delivering the region’s technical capability, and support multidisciplinary project delivery.
- Support development of Arcadis capability in Smartgrids and build and maintain an engineering professional reputation for the individual and Arcadis.
- Lead within project teams by providing direction, managing and coordinating work, and leading delivery.
- Work with the Smartgrids lead, Human Resources, and internal and external resources to implement team training, encourage growth, provide direction, and facilitate professional development.
- Manage multidisciplinary technical project delivery in accordance with management systems to meet time, quality, budget, programme, and health and safety targets.
- Manage client relationships to ensure engineering delivery meets technical compliance and client expectations.
- Champion client care and proactively work with clients to provide resource and capability support for delivery.
- Promote the regional and global culture of the Arcadis Smartgrids business.
- Provide temporary embedded support to major clients as required.
- Promote continual improvement in safety, health and environmental performance and lead by example.
- Build client relationships to identify and realise new business opportunities as part of Smartgrids business development.
- Ensure client delivery meets expectations and customer satisfaction while meeting Arcadis project commercial objectives.
- Engage and champion the involvement and inclusion of Arcadis Global Engineering Capability Design resources, facilitating two-way performance feedback with project teams.
- Provide Smartgrids subject-area technical leadership and support as required.
- Assist the Smartgrids lead in evaluating the technical competence of staff proposed for projects and identifying support, mentoring, or training needed to upskill them.
- Take technical line-management responsibility for team-member development and performance management.
- Support recruitment and participate in the selection and interview process for new engineering staff within the Smartgrids team.
- Lead the design of innovative engineering solutions for clients that resolve complex problems alongside the Smartgrids team lead.
- Coach and mentor engineering professionals to support development of Arcadis talent.
- Perform independent technical review and assurance for major projects.
- Encourage innovative and entrepreneurial thinking among team members.
- Manage new-project tendering and proposal processes, coordinating multidisciplinary design input in accordance with Arcadis governance.
- Promote effective and efficient bid management and lead or contribute to go/no-go discussions.
- Provide technical input to individual bids to support high-quality, successful pursuits.
- Keep current with industry-sector, technical, and legislative developments and seek opportunities to build a strong national professional profile through conference presentations, publications, and technical committees.
- Maintain Continuing Professional Development records and make them available for audit by the professional institution.
About the company
Arcadis is a global design, engineering, and consultancy firm that creates and manages natural and built assets. It operates across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific, serving governments, public agencies, and private companies. Its four business areas—Places, Mobility, Resilience, and Intelligence—cover sustainable buildings and urban development, transportation infrastructure, climate adaptation, and data-driven digital solutions to optimize asset performance. The company earns fees for its integrated services that combine planning, design, engineering, and advisory work. Arcadis differentiates itself through its global reach and its integrated, multi-disciplinary approach that links physical design with data analytics and digital insights to deliver high-value solutions. Its goal is to help clients create and maintain sustainable, resilient, and efficient assets while improving decision-making and performance across complex projects.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Watermael-Boitsfort, Belgium
Founded
1888
Get referred to Arcadis
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Arcadis and Autodesk expanded collaboration on September 28, 2026, accelerating AI-enabled delivery.
- Virginia Beach picked Arcadis for the Windsor Woods pump station on September 30, 2026.
- Arcadis targets mid-single-digit growth and mid-to-high-teens EBITDA by 2029.
What critics are saying
- Arcadis will divest most architecture and China, risking revenue loss and integration distraction.
- Management cut 1,000 FTEs for 2027 after 1,100 2025 cuts, signaling chronic margin weakness.
- WSP's September 2026 takeover approach shows Arcadis remains a potential break-up target.
What makes Arcadis unique
- Arcadis combines engineering judgment with Autodesk AI and MCP workflows, retaining client-owned knowledge.
- Its resilience franchises win climate adaptation work, including Virginia Beach's 2026 flood-control program.
- The firm spans design, consultancy, and environmental services across 30-plus countries.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Benefits
Hybrid Work Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
10%1 year growth
10%2 year growth
10%Egis UK & Ireland picks energy director. 1 hour Egis UK & Ireland has appointed Mark Docherty as energy director, with a focus on the grid and renewables. Docherty joins from Arcadis. Based in Edinburgh, Docherty brings 38 years of experience in the energy sector. At Arcadis, he was global offshore wind practice lead and partner, as well as UK sector leader for networks and energy. He has also held senior leadership roles at several key industry players, including Turner & Townsend, SSE and Scottish Power. In his new role, Docherty will lead the expansion of Egis's energy offering across the UK and Ireland, while helping to support the firm's wider global energy ambitions. Covering grid and renewables, he will focus on building team capacity and supporting clients and communities through the challenges of energy transitions, electrification, digitalisation and security of supply. Docherty's appointment comes as governments and network operators across the UK and Ireland place greater priority on energy security, increasing demand for grid and renewables expertise. Joanne Moran, sustainable resources director, UK & Ireland, said: "Energy is an important part of our business in the UK and Ireland, and Mark's appointment gives us the leadership to accelerate its growth. His experience across offshore wind, networks and major infrastructure programmes will strengthen the support we offer our clients, while his strong track record of building teams and securing new business will be central to our plans."
Arcadis to sell most of its architecture business and cut 1,000 staff following WSP's failed takeover bid. World's third biggest employer of architects to focus on sectors 'where structural demand is strongest' The Curv, a 60-storey passivhaus tower in Vancouver designed by Arcadis' architecture business Arcadis is planning to sell most of its architecture business and cut 1,000 full-time staff from its wider business as part of a restructure following a failed takeover bid by WSP. The consultant said it is "actively changing its portfolio" by concentrating investment in sectors and markets where "structural demand is strongest". Arcadis is currently ranked as the world's third biggest employer of architects, with 1,781 architects on its payroll out of a total headcount of around 34,000, according to this year's WA100 list of the world's biggest practices. It claimed its "rightsizing" strategy will see mid-single-digit revenue growth and increase its operating EBITDA margin by around 100 basis points to approximately 14.5% by 2027-2029. Arcadis unveiled plans for the restructure in its home city of Amsterdam at the end of last month, just a week after WSP formally abandoned its intended takeover of the firm. WSP said on 23 September that it had been "unable to engage" with Arcadis after having two bids that valued the Dutch consultant at around £3.8bn turned down over the summer. Sectors which Arcadis said it wants to focus on include transportation and energy and water, which account for a combined 53% of net revenues. It is targeting net revenue growth of mid to high single digits for transportation and high single digits for energy and water. The firm is also seeking high single digit growth in high-growth sectors such as industrial manufacturing and technology, which account for 21% of revenues. The sector includes data centres, life sciences and semiconductor manufacturing. But it plans to divest "non-core" assets including the majority of its architecture business and China operations including its activities in real estate and development, which account for 26% of its net revenues. Arcadis chief executive Heather Polinsky said the restructure is "designed to translate our strategic strengths into stronger growth, higher margins and cash generation". "We are building a more focused, higher-performing Arcadis that delivers sustainable value for shareholders, our people and our clients," Polinsky said. Chief financial officer Simon Crowe added: "The financial rationale is compelling: a more focused portfolio, a structurally lower cost base and disciplined capital allocation will support higher margins, stronger cash generation and sustainable shareholder returns." Arcadis' entry into the architecture sector stared with its acquisition of US practice RTKL in 2007, followed by its acquisition of Seattle-based Callison in 2014. It merged the two practices to form CallisonRTKL in 2015 with the business later referred to as CRTKL. Arcadis has long considered selling its architecture arm, first tabling the move in 2017 before recommitting to the sector before acquiring Canadian multi-disciplinary firm IBI Group in 2022. Arcadis then combined CRTKL and IBI Group to create its Architecture and Urbanism division. Most commented. No comments yet. You're not signed in.
WIFA advances Northern Gulf of California Desalination project. By Fernando Mares | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Mon, 10/05/2026 - 13:27 DIA assistant The Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) approved the appraisal scope for the 1.7 million m[3]/d Northern Gulf of California Desalination Plant, a cross-border project in Baja California led by a Sacyr-headed consortium. This initiative establishes a binational water exchange mechanism to alleviate severe regional drought while bypassing rigid delivery constraints under the 1944 Water Treaty, which triggered tariff threats and diplomatic disputes during the 2020-2025 delivery cycle. The project directly impacts infrastructure developers, municipal water authorities, and agricultural producers across northern Mexico and the southwestern United States navigating transboundary water security. The Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) Board of Directors approved the appraisal scope for the Northern Gulf of California Desalination Plant project on Sept. 16, 2026, marking another step in Arizona's evaluation of potential long-term water augmentation opportunities. The proposed cross-border water infrastructure project is led by Spanish group Sacyr as a partner within the EPCOR Water Innovation Partners team, in consortium with Arcadis and Plenary Americas US Holdings. The proposed project entails the construction of a seawater desalination facility in Baja California, Mexico, alongside a conveyance pipeline connecting to the Morelos Dam at the Mexico-US border. Under the proposed operational structure, the project would integrate desalinated water into the Colorado River system for distribution within Mexico. In exchange, a portion of Mexico's designated Colorado River water allocation would be redirected to Arizona. Preliminary engineering estimates indicate that the system could supply Arizona with up to 1.7 million m[3]/d between 2034 and 2039. The proposal aims to provide long-term resource diversification for Arizona, where prolonged drought conditions continue to strain traditional water sources. "Arizona must continue exploring a range of potential water supply solutions to meet the needs of future generations. Approving this project appraisal scope allows us to deepen our understanding of this proposal while maintaining our commitment to a thoughtful, transparent, and financially prudent evaluation process," said Jonathan Lines, Board Chair, WIFA. Within the consortium structure, Arcadis will be the lead engineering firm, while Sacyr will oversee construction, operation, and maintenance. Financial development will be managed jointly by Sacyr and Plenary Americas. The proposal is among several projects reviewed under WIFA's Long-Term Water Augmentation Fund, following the Aug. 19, 2026, approval of the South Bay Potable Reuse and California Groundwater Recovery projects. WIFA utilizes a phased evaluation framework where the initial phase involves preliminary studies covering the technical, financial, environmental, cultural, and regulatory viability of the plant and pipeline. WIFA's approval authorizes only this early step to gather data and reduce uncertainty; future funding requests will be considered separately based on study results. Mexico-US Bilateral Water Challenges The push for alternative cross-border water delivery mechanisms comes as the underlying framework governing binational water sharing, the 1944 Water Treaty, faces heightened political and hydrological friction. Under the agreement, Mexico is required to deliver a minimum of 431.7 million m[3] of water per year over five-year cycles, totaling 2,158.6 million m[3] from the Rio Grande basin. However, persistent drought over the past years constrained availability, leaving Mexico at just 29.2% of its required delivery volume near the end of the 2020-2025 cycle, as reported by MBN. This shortfall sparked diplomatic tensions throughout 2025, with US President Donald Trump raising the prospect of tariffs and sanctions over pending deliveries, while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged diplomatic resolution and highlighted regional drought constraints. Bilateral discussions yielded temporary agreements in late 2025 and a commitment in February 2026 for Mexico to supply at least 432 million m[3] annually to ensure predictable delivery flows. A study by University of Michigan researchers Vianey Rueda and Andrew Gronewold published in the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management notes that while the Colorado River framework has been dynamically adapted through subsequent negotiations, the treaty's Rio Grande provisions remain structurally rigid. Historical resimulations show that Mexico can only fulfill these fixed obligations without harming local communities during prolonged periods of above-average streamflow. As climate volatility and regional demand strain traditional river basins, flexible binational arrangements, such as the Sacyr-led desalination exchange at the Morelos Dam, offer a pragmatic model to decouple long-term water security from rigid historical treaty allocations.
Arcadis to collaborate with Autodesk on AI tools for design and engineering. Arcadis is the first global design firm to partner with software giant Autodesk to develop artificial intelligence tools and agents to provide direct assistance in design and engineering tasks...
Arcadis selected by GBCA to develop Biodiversity Net Gain Calculator. NewsSeptember 29, 2026 Katherine Serplet Marketing & Communications Director, Australia Arcadis has been appointed by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) to develop a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Calculator and supporting guidance that will support the development of a practical, transparent and nationally consistent approach to measuring biodiversity outcomes across the built environment. The framework will support development at building and precinct scales, helping project teams to consistently assess biodiversity value before and after development and demonstrate biodiversity outcomes, including through Green Star Buildings and Green Star Communities. The project will combine Arcadis' global Biodiversity Net Gain expertise with Australia's unique ecological, regulatory and cultural context. By incorporating local ecological knowledge, First Nations perspectives and Green Star requirements, the framework is being designed to support broad industry adoption while delivering meaningful biodiversity outcomes. Arcadis brings experience in biodiversity assessment and framework development internationally, together with local ecological, sustainability and First Nations expertise. The methodology will build on established Biodiversity Net Gain principles while remaining practical, proportionate and accessible for industry users. Andrea Vargas, Principal Consultant at Arcadis said: "There is growing interest across the built environment in understanding and improving biodiversity outcomes; however, the approaches currently used can vary depending on project type, jurisdiction and assessment requirements. This project provides an opportunity to develop a practical approach that supports greater consistency and transparency within the Green Star framework. By combining Arcadis' global Biodiversity Net Gain expertise with local ecological knowledge and First Nations perspectives, we can help create a framework that delivers meaningful outcomes for nature, communities and future generations." The project aligns with Arcadis' commitment to accelerating a planet-positive future and reinforces Arcadis' ongoing focus on nature-positive outcomes and sustainable development. By helping establish a nationally consistent methodology for biodiversity assessment, the framework has the potential to influence how biodiversity is considered across future buildings, precincts and infrastructure projects throughout Australia. Katherine Serplet Marketing & Communications Director, Australia