Principal Engineer - PDM

The role of a Principal Engineer - PDM can be very varied, duties will include but are not limited to:

- Project Delivery Leading a project as a Project Leader. Working within an agreed budget, raising and/or resolving any budgetary concerns and ensuring profit targets are maintained.
- Drafting fee proposals, negotiating additional fees with the client, where appropriate.
- Autonomously representing Buro Happold and providing consultancy advice to clients, architects and collaborators.
- Attending and chairing meetings with architects, planners, contractors, government agencies etc. in a consultative capacity as part of a single and/or multi-disciplinary team.
- Be alert to commercial risks and opportunities and take immediate and necessary action to manage.
- Driving project performance, service delivery and technical and commercial outcomes and undertaking reviews, ensuring client delivery is above expectation.
- Ensure risks are proactively identified, assessed and managed to avoid adverse impacts on the project.
- Leadership Lead the design, analysis and consultancy on projects as guided by the PL/PD.
- Coach, mentor and support junior employees to ensure they can be as effective and successful as possible.
- Collaboration Establish a solid internal and external network to contribute to work winning through bidding for projects and repeat work. Where appropriate, set personal work winning targets and promote other Buro Happold service offerings.
- Work in a multi-discipline environment interfacing with and delivering projects through the wider team (core disciplines, specialists, architects and client).
- Technical Competence Propose multiple creative solutions to challenges, articulating and documenting the benefits/shortfalls of each to the client while taking into consideration other disciplines requirements.
- Produce reports, presentations, models and drawings as required.
- Quality assurance Understand and follow all internal quality assurance procedures, ensuring that they are rigorously applied across all projects; actively seek to improve processes and engage with the QA team to implement these.
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)



and ongoing learning to enhance productivity through improved processes, procedures and systems.

Your skills and experience

As an experienced Principal Engineer - PDM, we would expect that you will be able to demonstrate:

- Required Skills: Contributes to the development of innovative solutions and collaborates with team members to implement them effectively.
- Fosters a supportive environment for learning and creativity by sharing knowledge and encouraging team engagement.
- Builds understanding of sector trends and client needs to support business development efforts in alignment with team goals.
- Identifies project risks and opportunities, and communicates them clearly to clients and internal stakeholders.
- Maintains strong working relationships with internal teams and external partners to support project delivery.
- Embraces digital tools and computational engineering methods to improve design efficiency and quality.
- Shares relevant commercial and technical insights during team meetings and encourages open dialogue and idea exchange.
- Participates in regular project reviews, providing timely feedback and ensuring alignment with client expectations.
- Supports the delivery of projects with a focus on technical quality, timely execution, and client satisfaction.
- Keeps informed about market trends and how they may impact project delivery and client needs.
- Helps manage project risks and supports mitigation strategies in collaboration with senior leadership.
- Acts as a positive role model, promoting a collaborative and inclusive team culture.
- Communicates project goals and updates clearly, encouraging input and participation from all team members.
- Demonstrates flexibility in leadership knowing when to delegate and when to take initiative.




- Encourages technical excellence within the team and supports participation in external industry forums and events.
- Assists in recruitment efforts by helping evaluate candidates for technical and cultural fit.
- Understands key project challenges technical, contractual, and financial and supports junior team members in navigating them.
- Participates in internal and external forums to represent the team and contribute to knowledge sharing.
- Develops expertise in a specific technical area and contributes to outreach activities to build the firm's reputation.

Desirable Skills:

- Supports financial success of projects through effective planning and resource management.
- Proactively contributes to cost recovery efforts and helps improve project financial performance.
- Assists in reporting on project and team performance to senior leadership.
- Contributes to performance reviews and lessons learned across projects to support continuous improvement.

Required Experience:

- Hands-on experience and track record of design delivery of minimum 2 Aviation projects in the region.
- Experienced technical and project design delivery; track-record of exceptional delivery over a sustained period within the industry (typically 12+ years).
- Must have excellent command on business communication.
- Preferably Chartered Engineer with international institutions
- Preferably have worked on international projects.
- Must be proficient in a global matrix organisation.

Required Qualifications and Accreditations:

- Degree in Engineering in Civil/Structures discipline
- Professional Accreditation of a recognised and relevant organisation
- Proven experience in a comparable role as a lead designer and/or project manager on large, complex, multi-discipline projects
- Strong facilitation and team leadership capability
- Effective communication capability
- Understanding of relevant policy and regulation
- Strong external network to support you in the role

Disclaimer: This job posting has been aggregated from external source. Role details, content, and availability are subject to change. Applicants are advised to confirm the latest information directly on the company website before applying.

📌 Principal Engineer - PDM - Structures (Mumbai)
🏢 Buro Happold
📍 Mumbai