Principal Primary Design Engineer

Rashi Joshi; Australia; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Hays is actively recruiting a Principal Primary Design Engineer to lead HV primary system design for major infrastructure across Australia. You will oversee high-impact projects from concept through commissioning, ensuring compliant, robust designs and effective cross‑discipline integration.

Applicants should hold an Electrical Engineering degree with extensive HV design experience and strong knowledge of Australian standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering required.
• Extensive HV primary design experience (220kV+ preferred).
• Strong substation and transmission project exposure.
• Chartered status or working towards is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of HV primary systems (132kV–330kV+).
• Validate designs and resolve technical challenges to meet regulatory requirements.
• Oversee detailed design deliverables including layouts and specs.
• Apply RAM principles to improve system performance.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to teams.
• Coordinate with civil, structural, and secondary disciplines.

Skills

HV design

Substation exp

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Job description

Your new company Hays are working with a leading engineering and infrastructure organisation delivering complex energy and transmission projects across Australia. With a strong national pipeline, the business plays a key role in supporting the development and modernisation of the power network. Operating across EPC and D&C environments, the organisation delivers end-to-end solutions and offers exposure to projects from concept through to commissioning.

Your new role As a Principal Primary Design Engineer, you will take a technical leadership role in the design and delivery of high-voltage primary systems across major infrastructure projects. You will be responsible for developing high-quality, compliant designs, resolving complex engineering challenges, and ensuring integration across multidisciplinary teams. While substation projects will form a key part of your remit, you will also be exposed to broader transmission and grid infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Leading the design and development of HV primary systems (typically 132kV–330kV+)
• Validating designs and resolving technical challenges to meet performance, reliability, and regulatory requirements
• Overseeing detailed design deliverables including layouts, specifications, and technical documentation
• Applying reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) principles to improve system performance
• Providing technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams
• Coordinating with civil, structural, and secondary disciplines to deliver integrated design outcomes
• Supporting system integration, requirements management, and design verification processes
• Leading the resolution of complex technical issues, balancing cost, time, and quality constraints
• Driving design optimisation, constructibility, and innovative engineering solutions

What you'll need to succeed

• Degree in Electrical Engineering
• Extensive experience in HV primary design (220kV+ preferred)
• Strong substation and transmission project exposure
• Proven experience leading design delivery on large-scale projects
• Solid understanding of Australian standards and grid compliance
• Experience in EPC, utilities, or consultancies highly regarded
• Chartered (or working towards) highly regarded

What you’ll get in return

• Lead technical outcomes on large-scale infrastructure projects
• Influence design strategy and delivery across multiple project phases
• Competitive salary package aligned with seniority
• High level of ownership and technical influence
• Exposure to complex EPC project environments
• Work alongside experienced, high-performing engineering teams

At Hays, we value diversity and are passionate about placing people in roles where they can flourish and succeed. We welcome applications from all backgrounds.