Lead Design Engineer

Job Specification – Principal Substation Secondary (P&C) Design Engineer

Job Title: Principal Substation Secondary (P&C) Design Engineer

Location: Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham or Epsom

Contract: 12 months

Sector: Power & Energy / Transmission

About the Role

We are seeking a Principal Substation Secondary / Protection & Control Design Engineer to provide technical leadership across major transmission-scale projects.

This role combines P&C technical leadership, team management, client engagement, bid ownership and business development.

You will lead P&C FEED and detailed design workstreams, provide technical assurance and develop the capability of the wider engineering team.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

Team Leadership

Project Delivery

Bids & Business Development

Technical Leadership

• Lead P&C FEED and detailed design for major transmission projects.
• Provide technical assurance across P&C design packages.
• Review protection schemes and protection philosophies.
• Review protection settings, coordination and relay configurations.
• Review SLDs, wiring diagrams and I/O schedules.
• Review substation automation architectures.
• Review control room layouts, marshalling cabinets and protection panels.
• Ensure compliance with client specifications and relevant standards.

Team Leadership

• Line manage engineers and provide technical mentoring.
• Support recruitment, resource planning and workforce development.
• Identify training and capability requirements.
• Develop junior engineers and future technical leaders.

Project Delivery

• Coordinate with Primary, Civil & Structural and Project Management teams.
• Manage interfaces with subcontractors and suppliers.
• Coordinate with relay manufacturers, SAS vendors and SCADA/control system integrators.
• Chair Design Review and Hazard Review meetings.
• Attend site visits, FAT and SAT activities.
• Provide technical support throughout project delivery.

Bids & Business Development

• Lead and support bids and proposals.
• Provide technical input, resource planning and cost estimates.
• Act as technical/tender lead for P&C packages.
• Respond to technical queries and client clarifications.
• Develop competitive technical solutions.
• Identify opportunities and support strategic business development.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships.

Essential Experience

• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Significant experience in substation Protection & Control design.
• Proven P&C experience on UK or international transmission projects.
• Strong FEED and detailed design experience.
• Experience leading technical teams and/or P&C workstreams.
• Strong knowledge of protection, control and substation automation.
• Experience preparing bids and cost estimates.
• Strong knowledge of IEC/IEEE standards.
• Strong client and stakeholder management skills.
• Chartered Engineer or working towards Chartered status.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• Willingness to travel to client sites.

Strongly Preferred

• National Grid experience.
• SSEN / SPEN experience.
• 275 kV/400 kV transmission experience.
• Protection and control technical authority experience.
• Experience with digital substations/SAS/SCADA.
• Relay configuration and protection settings experience.
• FAT/SAT and commissioning experience.
• Tender management experience.
• Business development/client relationship experience.
• Previous line management and mentoring responsibilities.