Control and Protection Engineer

Deploy Recruitment Group; Watford; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

[FTSE 250 company] is seeking an experienced Protection and Control Design Engineer to lead HV substation protection and control system designs. You will mentor junior engineers and collaborate with project managers, clients and multi-disciplinary teams on schemes up to 132 kV.

You will deliver protection, control and SCADA designs, ensuring safety, reliability and regulatory compliance, while supporting delivery from concept to detailed engineering and site commissioning.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Proven experience in control and protection design within the UK electricity distribution or transmission sector (11kV, 33kV, 132kV, 400kV).
• Familiarity with protection relays, relay configuration, logic programming and IEC 61850 engineering.
• Strong understanding of ENA, IEC and NPg standards and policies.

Responsibilities

• Develop protection application designs for feeders, transformers, and busbars from 11 kV to 132 kV.
• Configure relays, write setting files, implement IEC 61850 and DNP3 schemes.
• Prepare CT/VT specifications and manufacturer/NPg compliant drawings.
• Provide design reviews and liaise with ICPs and external teams.
• Conduct protection coordination studies and create settings calculations and schematics.
• Ensure designs comply with Northern Powergrid standards and industry regulations.
• Collaborate with internal teams and clients to meet schedules and quality.
• Provide technical support during project delivery and commissioning.

Skills

Protection & control design

Electrical engineering knowledge

Reading schematics

Protection coordination

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

DIGSILENT

ETAP

AutoCAD

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Protection and Control Design Engineer to lead and deliver high-quality engineering designs for HV substations and power infrastructure projects. Working for the specialist power engineering arm of a FTSE 250 company, you will play a key role in technical delivery, mentoring junior engineers, and working closely with project managers, clients, and multidisciplinary teams.

This role is available on a hybrid or remote basis, offering flexibility while remaining closely connected to project teams and clients.

HV Protection Design Engineer Role Overview:

The successful candidate will be responsible for delivering protection and control system designs for high-voltage (HV) distribution networks, supporting a range of schemes, including BESS, up to and including 132kV. The engineer will develop, validate, and integrate protection, control, and SCADA designs, ensuring ongoing safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance.

You will work within a multi-disciplinary engineering team and contribute to projects from concept design through to detailed engineering and delivery support.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop detailed protection application designs for feeders, transformers, and busbars at 11 kV–132 kV, including customer interface schemes
• Develop connection and tripping logic diagrams, configure relays and generate setting files, implement IEC 61850 and DNP3 communication schemes, and prepare programmable logic documentation
• Specify CTs/VTs, relays, panels, and multicore wiring per manufacturer and NPg standards
• Provide technical review and feedback on designs submitted by ICPs and external teams
• Conduct protection coordination studies, produce settings calculations, and prepare associated drawings and schematics
• Ensure all designs comply with Northern Powergrid technical standards and relevant industry regulations
• Liaise with internal teams, clients, and stakeholders to deliver projects to schedule and to the required quality standards
• Provide technical support during project delivery, including factory acceptance testing and site commissioning as required.

Candidate Requirements:

• Degree (or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline
• Proven experience in control and protection design within the UK electricity distribution or transmission sector (11kV, 33kV, 132kV, 400kV)
• Familiarity with protection relays, relay configuration, logic programming and IEC 61850 engineering
• Strong understanding of DNO technical standards; prior experience with Northern Powergrid requirements is advantageous
• Knowledge of ENA, IEC and NPg standards and policies
• Proficiency in relevant design and analysis software (e.g., DIGSILENT, ETAP, AutoCAD)
• Skilled at reading and understanding schematics, settings schedules, and manufacturer specifications
• Excellent technical, analytical, and communication skills, with a commitment to high-quality engineering outputs
• Driving licence

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Protection and Control Design Engineer to join an organisation with a proud track record of providing HV design services to some of the largest organisations in the UK T&D sector.

• salary based on skills and experience required for the role