Our consultants are seeing first-hand just how acute the shortage of civil design engineers has become in the UK water sector. Across both permanent and contract roles, demand far outstrips supply, creating a real bottleneck for programme delivery. While engineers are one of the most mobile segments of the workforce, water increasingly struggles to compete with sectors such as renewables, nuclear and oil & gas.

For permanent roles, the picture is particularly challenging. Our consultants are finding that there simply aren’t enough candidates in the market, and those available have little incentive to move. Many civil design engineers are locked into long contracts inside IR35 with competitive packages, meaning they have no reason to switch to another inside IR35 role. This makes conventional recruitment strategies, including salary increases alone, largely ineffective.

On the contract side, shortages persist. What we’re seeing is that organisations applying blanket inside IR35 classifications are unnecessarily restricting their access to talent. Our consultants are helping clients carry out case-by-case IR35 determinations, ensuring roles that should be outside IR35 are correctly classified. This approach makes roles more attractive and opens access to a pool of civil design engineers who would otherwise remain in long-term engagements.

The reality is that civil design engineers are looking for clarity and fairness. A transparent, precise IR35 assessment is often the deciding factor in whether a candidate will even consider a move. Candidates respond to employers who demonstrate they understand the nuances of the role and provide certainty on commercial and compliance terms.

For permanent hires, our consultants are advising clients that pay alone is no longer enough. Clear career progression, project ownership, and defined development pathways are increasingly essential to attract civil design engineers. In many cases, we’re helping clients take a longer-term view, identifying contract talent who could transition into permanent roles once IR35 and engagement structures are optimised.

The shortage of civil design engineers is a strategic constraint on programme delivery. Our consultants believe that organisations that combine accurate IR35 assessments, targeted incentives, and structured career opportunities are likely to improve their chances of securing the talent needed for critical water sector projects. While not a guaranteed solution, we have seen this approach make roles more attractive and increase engagement with candidates. Importantly, leaving recruitment to the last minute almost always results in losing out on the best talent and paying higher salaries or day rates. Those that fail to adapt may continue to face delays, rising costs, and challenges in delivering some of the sector’s most important programmes. 

If you’re looking for your next specialist water engineering role, have a look at our job board.

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