Director – Substations (Primary Design) - UK Grid Network

Jacobs; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free medical cover

Enhanced parental leave pay

Professional development reimbursement

Flexible working hours

Job summary

A global engineering consultancy is seeking a Director for Substations in Bristol to define strategic direction and lead high-profile power projects. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Electrical Engineering, proven leadership in HV substation engineering, and strong commercial acumen. This role offers a competitive package including medical cover, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Recognised authority in HV substation engineering, including AIS/GIS and HVDC systems.
• Proven leadership across multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated success in team growth and recruitment.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the strategic direction of the Substation Primary capability.
• Ensure quality assurance and technical governance across all substation projects.
• Drive team performance metrics aligned with business objectives.

Skills

Leadership in large-scale infrastructure

HV substation engineering expertise (132kV–400kV)

Commercial acumen

Excellent communication

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent

Job description

Director – Substations (Primary Design) - UK Grid Network

Join to apply for the Director – Substations (Primary Design) - UK Grid Network role at Jacobs.

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 Director – Substations (Primary Design) 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

• Define and lead the strategic direction of Jacobs’ Substation Primary capability across the UK and Europe.
• Provide executive leadership on FEED and detailed design workstreams for National Grid and DNO clients.
• Ensure quality assurance, technical governance, and delivery excellence across all substation projects.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and development of engineering talent to support growth and delivery.
• Drive team billability, utilisation, and performance metrics aligned with business objectives.
• Oversee resource planning and ensure adequate training and capability development.
• Lead and support major bids, including technical strategy, resource alignment, and client engagement.
• Review and approve HV plant aspects including layouts, earthing, interlocking, busbar calculations, and specifications.
• Chair high‑level design reviews, hazard reviews, and technical assurance meetings.
• Attend site visits, FAT and SAT as required.
• Represent Jacobs in industry bodies and forums, influencing standards and best practices.
• Maintain and grow strategic client relationships, supporting business development and market positioning.

What you'll need

• Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• LCDAE/PD (TP137) and TP141 authorisation.
• Recognised authority in HV substation engineering (132kV–400kV), including AIS/GIS and HVDC systems.
• Proven leadership across large‑scale infrastructure programmes and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in bid strategy and client engagement.
• Demonstrated success in team growth, recruitment, and capability development.
• Excellent communication, strategic thinking, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence technical standards and contribute to industry innovation.

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 programme 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.

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.

Legal and Equality

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit VERCIDA.

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