HV Substation Design Engineer – Transmission, Distribution & Private Networks

NEN Consulting PTY LTD; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

NEN Consulting is seeking an HV Substation Design Engineer to join our Melbourne CBD engineering team. You’ll lead the primary design of HV substations across private/customer, distribution, and transmission projects, from concept through to commissioning.

Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you’ll collaborate with senior engineers, project managers, and clients on major data centre and infrastructure projects, ensuring alignment with AS 2067 and NSP standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical).
• 5+ years’ experience in HV substation primary design, including transformer specification and substation layouts.
• Experience at distribution level (11–22 kV) and at least one of sub-transmission / transmission (66 kV+) or private customer substations.
• Working knowledge of AS 2067, earthing design and Australian NSP design standards.
• Full Australian working rights.
• CPEng, or eligibility, and RPEV (Registered Professional Engineer of Victoria) or RPEQ.
• Experience with AusNet, CitiPower/Powercor, Jemena or United Energy design standards or contestable works.
• Data centre, grid connection, renewables or BESS project experience.
• Use of PowerFactory, ETAP or CDEGS / SafeGrid; ability to review AutoCAD / MicroStation drawings.
• Consultancy experience, including fee proposals.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and review substation primary designs: single line diagrams, general arrangements and layouts, busbar arrangements, cable schedules and equipment specifications.
• Size and specify power transformers, HV switchgear (AIS and GIS), HV cables and associated primary plant.
• Carry out earthing and lightning protection design to AS 2067 and ENA EG-0 / EG-1.
• Coordinate the primary design with protection and control (secondary), civil and structural disciplines.
• Prepare design calculations — fault levels, cable and conductor ratings, insulation coordination — and technical reports.
• Apply Safety in Design and verify designs against NSP standards, AS 2067, AS/NZS 3000 and other relevant standards.
• Support tender evaluations, factory acceptance testing and site inspections.
• Provide technical input to fee proposals and bids.

Skills

HV substation design

Transformer specification

Substation layouts

11–22 kV distribution

66 kV+ transmission

AS 2067 earthing design

NSP standards knowledge

Coordination across design disciplines

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical)

Tools

PowerFactory

ETAP

CDEGS / SafeGrid

AutoCAD

MicroStation

Job description

About us

NEN Consulting is a Melbourne-based utilities and infrastructure consultancy. We help major infrastructure projects, data centre developers and property developers de-risk their utilities engagement, from grid connections and HV substation engineering to data centre power, private and embedded networks, and public lighting design. Our engineers, consultants and designers bring over 100 years of combined industry experience, and we are small enough to stay hands‑on with every client and project.

About the role

We are looking for an HV Substation Design Engineer to join our Melbourne CBD engineering team. You’ll lead the primary design of HV substations across three network types:

Private / customer substations — HV intakes and customer‑owned substations for data centres and large loads

Distribution — 11 kV and 22 kV substations, kiosks and zone substation works delivered to DNSP standards, including contestable works

Transmission — 66 kV to 500 kV terminal station and connection works delivered to TNSP and AEMO requirements

Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you’ll own assigned design packages from concept through detailed design, construction support and commissioning, working with senior engineers, project managers, network service providers and clients.

What you’ll do

• Prepare and review substation primary designs: single line diagrams, general arrangements and layouts, busbar arrangements, cable schedules and equipment specifications
• Size and specify power transformers, HV switchgear (AIS and GIS), HV cables and associated primary plant
• Carry out earthing and lightning protection design to AS 2067 and ENA EG-0 / EG-1
• Coordinate the primary design with protection and control (secondary), civil and structural disciplines
• Prepare design calculations — fault levels, cable and conductor ratings, insulation coordination — and technical reports
• Apply Safety in Design and verify designs against NSP standards, AS 2067, AS/NZS 3000 and other relevant standards
• Support tender evaluations, factory acceptance testing and site inspections
• Provide technical input to fee proposals and bids

About you

Essential

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical)
• 5+ years’ experience in HV substation primary design, including transformer specification and substation layouts
• Design experience at distribution level (11–22 kV) and at least one of sub-transmission / transmission (66 kV+) or private customer substations
• Working knowledge of AS 2067, earthing design and Australian NSP design standards
• Full Australian working rights
• CPEng, or eligibility, and RPEV (Registered Professional Engineer of Victoria) or RPEQ
• Experience with AusNet, CitiPower/Powercor, Jemena or United Energy design standards or contestable works
• Data centre, grid connection, renewables or BESS project experience
• Use of PowerFactory, ETAP or CDEGS / SafeGrid; ability to review AutoCAD / MicroStation drawings
• Consultancy experience, including fee proposals

You’ll also be a clear communicator who can work independently, manage your own design packages and explain technical issues to clients and contractors.

Why join NEN

Help build NEN’s HV substation and grid connections practice

Work on major data centre, transmission and distribution projects from day one

A small, experienced team that invests in your development, including support toward CPEng / RPEV

Melbourne CBD office