Electrical & Instrumentation Operations Engineer (Chelmsford)

National Gas; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy company in the UK is seeking an E&I Operations Engineer to provide technical leadership across operations. You will oversee the permit-to-work system, ensuring safe operations, and will lead a team of technicians. The ideal candidate will have skills in electrical/instrumentation engineering and strong leadership qualities. This role offers a competitive salary and benefits, including a bonus, pension scheme, and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive salary and performance bonus

Double-match pension scheme

Generous holiday allowance

Flexible benefit scheme including healthcare

Professional development support

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading teams in a technical environment.
• Strong knowledge of engineering policy and procedures.
• Experience in safely setting people to work under a permit system.

Responsibilities

• Lead and plan work for technician teams.
• Drive defect resolution and mitigate risks.
• Conduct competence assessments to ensure team capability.

Skills

Technical skills

Leadership qualities

Safety consciousness

Excellent project management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Minimum HNC in Electrical or Instrumentation Engineering

IOSH Managing Safely qualification

Working towards Incorporated Engineer status

Job description

E&I Operations Engineer

£53,500 to £62,500 plus up to 6% bonus, overtime, standby allowance, and company car

Chelmsford

On‑site 5 days a week at the Chelmsford site and other sites across the zone.

About us

National Gas is securing Britain’s energy. We transport gas throughout Great Britain, repair and maintain gas pipelines, and manage the meters that allow millions of homes and businesses to access the energy they need. We are the national gas network, providing secure energy to power Britain, achieve net zero, and maintain our industrial competitiveness.

About the role

As an Operations Engineer specialising in electrical and instrumentation, you’ll provide technical leadership across an operational area within the East region. Acting as the Authorising Engineer, you will oversee the permit‑to‑work system across all disciplines, ensuring safe and effective control of operations. You’ll be the key point of technical escalation, accountable for asset performance, operational safety, and team competence.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading and planning work for a team of technicians, ensuring efficient delivery of maintenance and operational tasks.
• Driving defect resolution and mitigating operational risks within your engineering discipline, working hands‑on with technicians and operatives.
• Providing technical leadership, coaching, and supervision aligned to your discipline.
• Issuing multi‑discipline permits to work for routine and non‑routine operations, including those governed by electrical safety rules.
• Acting as Duty Engineer on a 24/7 standby rota (approx. 1 week in every 4 or 5), providing technical support for the East region. Additional compensation applies.
• Conducting competence assessments and workplace evaluations to ensure team capability within your discipline.
• Using asset performance data to prioritise maintenance interventions.
• Ensuring compliance with Health, Safety, and Engineering standards.
• Contributing technical input to design studies, focusing on safe working design, maintainability, and whole‑life cost.
• Acting as incident controller during planned and emergency situations.

About you

You’ll be a technically skilled and safety‑conscious engineer with strong leadership qualities and proven experience in leading teams. You’ll thrive in hands‑on environments and be passionate about maintaining high standards of safety and operational excellence. You’ll build sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders and demonstrate high personal standards of integrity and commitment. You’ll also show a strong commitment to both personal and process safety, ensuring that safety is embedded in everything you do. You’ll be confident in making decisions that impact asset performance, team competency, and operational success. You’ll take pride in developing, motivating, and coaching your team to achieve their full potential.

Key requirements & experience

• Minimum HNC (or equivalent) and strong knowledge and experience in an electrical or instrumentation engineering discipline (or relevant experience)
• Understanding of engineering policy, procedures, and statutory regulations related to transmission assets
• Experience in safely setting people to work within a formal permit system
• Excellent project and financial management skills
• Knowledge of gas entry/exit procedures under GSMR and the Network Code
• IOSH Managing Safely qualification
• Working towards Incorporated Engineer status - desirable
• Full UK car driving licence

Security clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer

• Competitive salary and annual performance bonus
• Double‑match pension scheme (max. company contribution 12%)
• Generous holiday allowance (26 days + bank holidays)
• Flexible benefit scheme, incl. private healthcare, dental insurance, technology plans, and more
• Financial protection with 10x salary death in service and financial support if you’re unable to work due to long‑term illness or injury
• Excellent family friendly provisions such as maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
• Professional development opportunities inc. financial support to help you cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions
• Employee assistance programme offering free confidential professional counselling 24/7
• Inclusive, supportive, and forward‑thinking workplace

Inclusive recruitment

At National Gas, we are disability confident, and we are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve. We celebrate the different experiences our colleagues bring to our organisation and strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply. Please let us know of any reasonable adjustments you need to perform your best.