Development Engineer

National Grid Plc; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid overtime

Annual bonus

Market supplement

Pension scheme

26 days holiday

Life insurance

Professional fees support

Family care

Wellbeing apps

Career development

Job summary

National Grid plc is seeking a skilled OHL Development Engineer to lead multi-disciplinary teams through all project phases for overhead line investments across the UK. You will ensure cost-effective, safe, and compliant delivery in line with National Grid processes and RIIO planning.

The role involves optioneering, FEED/ECI contractor oversight, and collaboration with Portfolio Engineering to feed regulatory and business plans.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in engineering discipline.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Understanding of RIIO regulatory framework.
• Proficient knowledge of CDM, Safety and Environmental Regulations.
• Proficient project management and governance skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the scheme team during pre-construction phases.
• Develop cost-efficient, safe solutions compliant with CDM and SHESQ.
• Perform site and condition assessments supporting registration, cost estimation and tendering.
• Lead FEED/ECI Contractors when required and manage contracts.
• Monitor investment portfolios and provide financial forecasts.
• Support tendering with NEC4 Project Specific Scopes and Site Information.
• Act as Client’s Delegated Representative and Principal Designer under CDM.
• Capture lessons learned and manage system outages and resource requests.

Skills

Engineering degree

UK driving licence

RIIO knowledge

CDM & SHESQ

Contract management

Project governance

Transmission systems knowledge

Project management

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

NEC4 familiarity

Job description

Help shape the future of the UK’s critical national infrastructure.

Are you ready to take the lead on complex, high-value projects that power the country?

We’re looking for OHL Development Engineers to join our Overhead Line team. As an authorised engineer, you will lead a multi-disciplined investment team through the project setup, option selection, development, sanction, tender, and contract award phases of overhead line investments. We have a wide variety of portfolios related to overhead lines such as reconductoring, fittings replacement, steelwork replacement, V strings and substation overheads, hotwiring, substation overhead line turn ins and diversions, tower painting, vegetation management and tower foundation upgrades. Asset health, load related and customer connection drivers all form part of the vast portfolio of overhead line investments that we develop.

You will undertake optioneering and engineering works to ensure that optimal cost, fit-for-purpose, and safe delivery solutions are planned and prepared for delivery in accordance with National Grid processes and procedures, fulfilling the business’s regulatory, stakeholder, and customer commitments. Additionally, you will support the development of the RIIO-T3 business plan.

This role is a national role, and it will require some travel to our various locations depending on project and team requirements. We’re happy to discuss any additional flexibility in working patterns or requirements that you feel could help to make this job work for you!

What You’ll Do:

• Appoint and lead the scheme team during pre-construction phases, ensuring timely stakeholder engagement and agreement on investment selection and development.
• Develop optimal, cost-efficient, safe solutions in line with CDM Regulations and SHESQ requirements, documenting all design, hazard, and risk issues.
• Conduct site and condition assessments, supporting registration, cost estimation, tendering, contract award, risk mitigation, and innovation for project delivery.
• Assess, appoint, and lead FEED or ECI Contractors when required, managing their activities, budgets, and contractual issues effectively.
• Support the Portfolio Engineer in monitoring investment portfolios, providing accurate and timely financial forecasts for regulatory and business planning.
• Lead and support the tendering process, producing competent NEC4 Project Specific Scopes and Site Information along with relevant procurement documentation.
• Act as the Client’s Delegated Representative and Principal Designer under CDM Regulations, maintaining authorisation per National Grid procedures and ensuring high-quality project data.
• Incorporate lessons learnt from past investments and ensure timely submission of system outage and resource requests for optimised project planning.

What You’ll Have:

• Degree or equivalent in engineering discipline, or relevant experience.
• A full UK driving licence.
• Proficient understanding and demonstrable working knowledge of key business processes and governance.
• Demonstrable technical knowledge of the Electricity Transmission System and the transmission assets.
• Understanding of RIIO mechanisms and the way that National Grid delivers revenue under the regulatory framework.
• Proficient knowledge in Contract Management and demonstrated Commercial acumen
• Proficient knowledge of the application of CDM, Safety and Environmental Regulations.
• Proficient project management skills including management of time, cost, safety and risk.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At National Grid, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person for our growing business in this role or another one.

What You'll Get:

Up to £66,000 dependent on experience.

Plus:

• Paid overtime or TOIL depending on project requirements along with overnight mobility payments.
• Annual Bonus (based on personal and company performance) and annual salary review.
• £4500 per annum market supplement allowance.
• Competitive contributory pension scheme (we double-match your contribution to a max company contribution of 12%.
• 26 days holiday (plus the opportunity to buy more each year)
• Life Insurance at 10 x your basic salary.
• Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions, course fees, books, exam fees and time off for study leave – relevant to your role.
• Family care benefits including a back-up care service for when your usual care arrangements fall through (six paid days each year as standard with the option to purchase further days).
• Access to apps which support health, fitness and wellbeing.
• Career development, ongoing training and support, career progression and plenty of opportunity to progress!

Further Information:

This is a hybrid working role with travel required. The closing date for this vacancy is midnight 20th November 2026, with interviews due to take place from 2nd December 2026 onwards. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

About Us:

Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry. To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

Safety, Health, Environment and Resilience

National Grid operates in both the UK and US, with a broad portfolio of energy businesses dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and sustainable power.

From electricity and gas transmission to advancing clean energy and modernising grids, our work covers every aspect of the energy system.

Our energy flows through absolutely everything we do

Life here at National Grid is more than just our purpose or our values, it’s everything we put into everything we do. It’s our commitment to diversity and inclusion; how we help our employees learn and grow; and how we partner with and support the communities where we live and work. It’s all this, and so much more.

We leverage our collective strengths to do meaningful BIG work so that we can be at the heart of a fair and affordable energy future.

We offer a competitive base salary, with annual reviews to ensure it reflects the market rate for your role, skills, knowledge, and experience.

Incentive Pay

Depending on your role, you'll be eligible for an annual performance bonus that rewards your contribution to our success. Your bonus is a percentage of eligible earnings and may vary each year.

Recognition

Our global recognition program lets you thank and reward colleagues for their contributions, along with career milestone awards to celebrate key achievements.

Retirement

We offer a generous pension plan with company contributions up to 12%. For every £1 you contribute, we'll add £2. You can also make extra voluntary contributions to boost your retirement savings.