Design & Development Engineer

Design & Development Engineer (East region)

£48,500 to £57,500 + up to 6% bonus + company car

*Company car is subject to business mileage. Full details will be shared later in the process.

East region (Hub: Peterborough)

Working pattern: Hybrid (on-site minimum 3 days a week)

Travel: Regular (within region inc. central hub in Peterborough)

Location requirement: Based within the East region and within a reasonable travelling distance of operational sites

Some flexibility for home working may be available, where appropriate.

About us

National Gas is securing Britain’s energy. We transport gas throughout Great Britain, repair and maintain gas pipelines, and manage the meters that allow millions of homes and businesses to access the energy they need. We are the national gas network, providing secure energy to power Britain, achieve net zero, and maintain our industrial competitiveness.

About the role

Shape the design and direction of critical infrastructure by defining how projects are engineered from the outset.

You’ll develop early-stage CAPEX project scopes across our mechanical and civil plant portfolio, bringing engineering insight and technical clarity that guides investment decisions and supports delivery through the full project lifecycle.

Why this role matters

This role sits at the centre of a wide-ranging CAPEX programme that maintains and upgrades essential gas transmission assets. Your work ensures that projects are grounded in robust engineering design, accurate data, and clear feasibility from day one – supporting safe, reliable, and future-ready infrastructure.

You’ll take ownership of early-stage development while remaining connected to downstream design and delivery. By translating survey findings, operational requirements, and stakeholder input into well-defined technical scopes, you’ll help avoid risk, improve constructability, and drive better project outcomes across the programme.

This is a role for someone who combines strong engineering judgement with a practical approach to project development – someone who enjoys shaping solutions early, influencing stakeholders and seeing designs progress into delivery.

What you'll be doing

• Develop clear, evidence-based project scopes for early-stage CAPEX interventions across mechanical and civil assets
• Evaluate optioneering and feasibility outputs to define preferred engineering and delivery solutions
• Produce structured project definition documents including cost inputs (with estimating teams), risks, assumptions, and programme impacts
• Analyse survey data and asset condition information from site visits to validate project drivers
• Plan and conduct site surveys to gather technical data, verify constraints, and assess risks
• Coordinate stakeholder input across engineering, operations, estimating teams, suppliers, and contractors
• Engage in Campaign Decision Panels (CDPs), aligning stakeholders to agree project direction and priorities
• Support AGI replacement and upgrade projects, contributing to scope development and technical decision-making
• Integrate constructability, safety, and delivery considerations through engagement with suppliers and contractors
• Maintain accurate project records to support seamless transition into detailed design and delivery phases
• Identify opportunities to improve and standardise early-stage project development approaches

About you

You’ll bring a strong engineering or design background, alongside experience contributing to project development in infrastructure or utilities environments. You’re comfortable working across disciplines, using technical insight to shape practical solutions and guide decision-making. You’ll be confident engaging stakeholders and translating complex data into clear, structured outcomes.

If you enjoy combining technical design thinking with real-world project impact and seeing your work progress from concept through to delivery, this role will suit you.

Key requirements & experience

Essential

• Working knowledge of engineering principles within gas transmission, infrastructure, or similar environments
• Understanding of technical standards, design fundamentals, and CDM principles
• Ability to interpret survey results, asset condition data, and feasibility assessments
• Strong analytical skills to develop evidence-based engineering recommendations
• Experience producing structured technical documentation (scope, risks, costs, assumptions)
• Effective communication skills and experience engaging with stakeholders including operational teams and estimators
• Experience contributing to feasibility, surveys, design development, or early-stage project activities
• Relevant engineering qualification (HNC/HND/Degree) or equivalent experience
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable

• APM or PRINCE2 qualification (or working towards)
• Experience working with suppliers/contractors to assess constructability and delivery constraints
• Exposure to AGI assets, upgrades, or replacement programmes
• Experience coordinating multi-disciplinary inputs across complex infrastructure projects
• Proven ability to improve or standardise project development processes

Security clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer

• Competitive salary and annual performance bonus
• Company car - subject to business mileage
• Double-match pension scheme (max. company contribution 12%)
• Generous holiday allowance (26 days + bank holidays)
• Flexible benefit scheme, inc. private healthcare, dental insurance, technology plans, and more
• Financial protection with 10x salary death in service and financial support if you’re unable to work due to long-term illness or injury
• Excellent family friendly provisions such as maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
• Professional development opportunities inc. financial support to help you cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions
• Employee assistance programme offering free confidential professional counselling 24/7
• Inclusive, supportive, and forward-thinking workplace

Inclusive recruitment

At National Gas, we are disability confident, and we are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve. We celebrate the different experiences our colleagues bring to our organisation and strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply. Please let us know of any reasonable adjustments you need to perform your best.

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