Senior Design Engineer

Job Specification – Principal Substation Primary (HV Plant) Design Engineer

Job Title: Principal Substation Primary (HV Plant) Design Engineer

Location: Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham or Epsom

Contract: 12 months

Charge Rate: £100 per hour

About the Role

We are seeking a Principal Substation Primary (HV Plant) Design Engineer to provide senior technical and engineering leadership across major electricity transmission projects.

This is a senior consultancy position combining technical leadership, team management, client engagement, project delivery, tender management and business development.

You will lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for major transmission projects and provide expert technical assurance across HV primary plant design.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for transmission substation projects.
• Provide technical authority and assurance for HV primary plant design.
• Review HV layouts, elevations and equipment arrangements.
• Review earthing designs and technical reports.
• Review HV busbar calculations.
• Review HV equipment specifications.
• Ensure compliance with client specifications, standards and project requirements.
• Line manage engineers and provide mentoring and career development.
• Support recruitment, resource planning and workforce development.
• Identify training and capability requirements.
• Develop junior and senior engineering capability within the team.

Project & Interface Management

• Coordinate with Primary, Secondary, Civil & Structural and Project Management teams.
• Manage interfaces with subcontractors, suppliers and manufacturers.
• Chair Design Review and Hazard Review meetings.
• Attend client meetings, site visits, FAT and SAT activities where required.
• Manage technical issues and competing project priorities.

Bids & Commercial

• Act as Tender Manager for HV plant packages.
• Lead technical submissions and technical offers.
• Prepare resource plans and cost estimates.
• Develop technical methodologies and scopes.
• Work with commercial and project management teams to produce competitive bids.

Client & Business Development

• Build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Identify opportunities for additional work.
• Engage with clients to understand requirements and develop solutions.
• Support strategic growth of the HV Electrical Engineering capability.
• Represent the business in client and industry environments.
• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Proven transmission substation experience in the UK or internationally.
• Strong FEED and detailed design experience.
• Experience managing technical teams.
• Strong knowledge of HV equipment and substation design.
• Experience preparing bids and cost estimates.
• Strong knowledge of relevant electrical codes and standards, including IEC/IEEE.
• Strong client and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under tight deadlines.
• Chartered Engineer or demonstrably working towards Chartered status.
• Willingness to travel to client sites.

Strongly Preferred

• National Grid experience.
• SSEN / SPEN experience.
• 275 kV and/or 400 kV experience.
• Technical authority/design authority experience.
• FAT/SAT and commissioning exposure.
• Previous line management responsibility.