Lead Electrical Engineer (Primary, Secondary & Protection)

Syscon; Newcastle; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Syscon, part of the Borg Group, seeks a Lead Electrical Engineer to provide technical leadership across HV substations and customer connection projects. You will oversee primary, secondary and protection system designs, mentor engineers, and drive engineering excellence.

This role focuses on safe, compliant, innovative solutions across a diverse HV portfolio, with responsibilities spanning design reviews, stakeholder engagement, and contributing to tenders and project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical/Power) accredited by Engineers Australia.
• Extensive HV primary, secondary and protection systems design experience for substations and/or HV customer connection projects.
• Strong knowledge of primary plant selection and layout, protection philosophies, relay coordination, fault studies, arc flash assessments, CT zone application, AS 2067, IEC 61850 and HV design standards.
• Experience preparing technical designs, managing submissions and obtaining approvals from network authorities, clients and other stakeholders.
• Hands‑on experience configuring protection relays using SEL, ABB or Siemens platforms, and supporting testing, commissioning and energisation.
• Demonstrated leadership with ability to mentor engineers and designers across multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of HV primary, secondary and protection designs for substations and customer connections.
• Act as the technical authority across projects, reviewing calculations, specs, drawings and deliverables.
• Manage submissions and approvals with network authorities, clients and project teams.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineers and designers.
• Support tenders, estimating, commissioning and energisation activities, plus risk management.
• Drive standards, design processes and quality systems to meet Australian standards.

Skills

HV systems design

Protection systems design

Substations

Engineering leadership

Mentoring

Stakeholder management

Relay coordination

AS 2067

IEC 61850

DNP3

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical/Power) accredited by Engineers Australia

Tools

SEL AcSELerator

ABB CAP 505/531

Siemens DIGSI

Job description

Ready to take the lead on critical HV infrastructure projects and help shape Syscon's engineering capability?

Syscon is seeking an experienced Lead Electrical Engineer to provide technical leadership across substation and HV customer connection projects while delivering primary, secondary and protection system designs. You'll mentor engineers and designers, drive engineering excellence, and play a key role in delivering safe, compliant and innovative solutions across a diverse pipeline of HV infrastructure projects.

As part of the Borg Group, you'll benefit from long‑term stability, significant investment and genuine career growth opportunities.

What you'll be doing

• Lead the development and delivery of HV primary, secondary and protection system designs for substations and customer connection projects, ensuring engineering solutions are safe, compliant and fit for purpose.
• Act as the lead technical authority across projects, providing guidance to engineers and designers while reviewing and approving technical calculations, specifications, drawings and engineering deliverables.
• Manage technical submissions, stakeholder engagement and approvals with network authorities, clients and project teams, ensuring successful project outcomes.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineers and designers, supporting technical development and engineering excellence.
• Support project delivery and business growth through technical input to tenders, estimating, commissioning, energisation activities, constructability reviews and management of technical risk.
• Drive engineering standards, design processes, verification and validation activities, ensuring compliance with Australian Standards, network requirements and quality management systems.

What we’re looking for

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical/Power) or equivalent, accredited by Engineers Australia, with extensive experience in HV primary, secondary and protection systems design for substations and/or HV customer connection projects.
• Strong knowledge of primary plant selection and layout, protection philosophies, relay coordination, fault studies, arc flash assessments, CT zone application, AS 2067, AS IEC 61850 and HV design standards.
• Demonstrated experience preparing technical designs, managing submissions and obtaining approvals from network authorities, clients and other key stakeholders.
• Hands‑on experience configuring protection relays using platforms such as SEL, ABB or Siemens, and providing technical support throughout testing, commissioning and energisation activities.
• Proven leadership experience with the ability to mentor engineers and designers while managing multiple concurrent projects and engineering deliverables.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and organisational skills, with a current Driver's Licence and White Card (or willingness to obtain).

Highly regarded

• Chartered Engineer (CPEng) and/or NER registration.
• Experience working with Transgrid, Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy or Essential Energy requirements.
• Experience with substation SCADA and communications systems, including IEC 61850 and DNP3.
• Experience with protection relay software including SEL AcSELerator, ABB CAP 505/531 or Siemens DIGSI.

Why join Syscon?

• Join a specialist engineering business backed by the scale and stability of the Borg Group.
• Be part of an exciting period of significant investment and growth, with ambitious plans for the future of Syscon.
• Take a senior role with the opportunity to shape engineering capability, mentor developing engineers and influence technical standards.
• Work across substation, customer connection, industrial, infrastructure and renewable energy projects with genuine technical variety.
• Join a business offering long‑term career opportunities as Syscon and the broader Borg Group continue to grow.