Associate Director Protection & Control (P&C) Design Engineer - UK Grid Network

Jacobs; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking an Associate Director Protection & Control Engineer to lead FEED and detailed design for high-voltage protection systems across transmission and renewable energy projects. You will oversee design interfaces, schemes, and settings, while guiding a growing P&C team and delivering client-ready packages.

The role demands Chartered Engineer status, UK design experience (132kV–400kV), and strong stakeholder engagement across multi-project contexts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Chartered Engineer through the IET.
• Extensive experience in P&C FEED and detailed design for high-voltage installations (132kV–400kV).
• Knowledge of National Grid and SSE design processes and standards.
• Experience across the full project lifecycle from feasibility to detailed design.
• Familiarity with protection and control systems for DNOs, BESS, windfarms, and HVDC.
• Ability to work flexibly across multiple projects and manage competing priorities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for Protection & Control systems across transmission and renewable energy projects
• Oversee interface design, protection schemes, control philosophies, and settings coordination
• Ensure quality assurance and timely delivery of design packages, bids, and client deliverables
• Manage and grow the P&C engineering team, including recruitment, onboarding, and capability development
• Monitor and improve team billability, utilisation, and performance metrics
• Support major bids and proposals, contributing to technical strategy and resource planning
• Undertake site visits and non-intrusive surveys as required for design or site support
• Chair design reviews, hazard reviews, and technical assurance meetings
• Identify and manage technical risks, ensuring compliance with CDM and safety standards
• Maintain and grow client relationships, supporting strategic business development and market positioning

Skills

Protection & Control

FEED & detailed design

HV Substations

Stakeholder communication

Multi-project management

Education

BEng/MEng Electrical Engineering

Chartered Engineer (IET)

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Jacobs is playing a leading role in the global energy transition. As our UK and Continental Europe team continues to expand, we are seeking a Associate Director Protection & Control Engineer to support a range of high-profile projects across our Power & Energy portfolio. This includes high voltage AIS and GIS Substations, transmission system assets, HVDC interconnectors, and energy storage systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for Protection & Control systems across transmission and renewable energy projects
• Oversee interface design, protection schemes, control philosophies, and settings coordination
• Ensure quality assurance and timely delivery of design packages, bids, and client deliverables
• Manage and grow the P&C engineering team, including recruitment, onboarding, and capability development
• Monitor and improve team billability, utilisation, and performance metrics
• Support major bids and proposals, contributing to technical strategy and resource planning
• Undertake site visits and non-intrusive surveys as required for design or site support
• Chair design reviews, hazard reviews, and technical assurance meetings
• Identify and manage technical risks, ensuring compliance with CDM and safety standards
• Maintain and grow client relationships, supporting strategic business development and market positioning

Here’s what you’ll need

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering
• Chartered Engineer through the IET
• Extensive experience in P&C FEED and detailed design for high-voltage installations (132kV–400kV)
• Knowledge of National Grid and SSE design processes and standards
• Experience across the full project lifecycle from feasibility to detailed design
• Familiarity with protection and control systems for DNOs, BESS, windfarms, and HVDC
• Ability to work flexibly across multiple projects and manage competing priorities
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills

Why Jacobs?

People are Jacobs’ greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent.

In addition to the benefits you’d expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations.

Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for Jacobs. We’re happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns and locations to suit you and our business.

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Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well-being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about ourJacobs Employee Networks here.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https//www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.