Head of Cables Design

Iberdrola; Cambuslang; Hybrid; GBP 82,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus (up to 30%)

Car allowance (£450/month)

Private medical cover

Job summary

SP Energy Networks, part of the Iberdrola Group, is recruiting for Head of Cables Design – Core Projects in Cambuslang with a hybrid pattern. You will lead the Cables Design function within SP Transmission, shaping Scotland’s energy future and delivering value-driven engineering solutions for projects from £100k to over £100m.

You’ll manage a growing team, champion standardisation, and collaborate with Design Houses and contractors to ensure safety, quality, and performance while aligning with

Qualifications

• Chartered Engineer status with a relevant degree.
• Expert knowledge of transmission cable systems.
• Experience introducing new technologies and improvements in complex infra.
• CDM and Health & Safety regulations knowledge.
• Experience with Design Houses and contractors to drive quality.
• Proven leadership of professional engineering teams.
• Strong stakeholder management with senior technical, commercial and project stakeholders.
• Experience with long-term resource planning, forecasting and budgeting.
• Ability to drive standardisation, efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills for senior forums.
• Strategic direction and informed decision-making on complex technical matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and operational leadership for the Cables Design function.
• Act as a senior technical authority for Cables and provide guidance on complex engineering matters.
• Lead teams delivering cost-effective, end-to-end design solutions for transmission projects.
• Drive standardised design solutions across SP Transmission.
• Champion continuous improvement to reduce cost and carbon.
• Ensure compliance with HSEQ policies and regulatory requirements.
• Lead long-term planning and coordination of Cables Design resources.
• Build relationships with Design Houses and contractors.
• Represent the Cables function in internal and external technical forums.

Skills

Chartered Engineer

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Transmission cables knowledge

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Head of Cables Design – Core Projects

Location: Cambuslang office (with hybrid working pattern). Occasional travel required for business needs.

Salary + benefits: Salary from £82,400 - £103,000 + annual bonus (up to 30%), car allowance (£450 per month) and family private medical cover.

Full-time | Permanent: 37 hours per week

Closing date: Tuesday 6th October 2026

Create a better future, quicker!

Join SP Energy Networks as Head of Cables Design , leading the Cables Design function within our SP Transmission business and playing a key role in shaping the future of Scotland’s transmission network.

This is an exciting opportunity to provide strategic and technical leadership across our growing portfolio of transmission projects, developing innovative, value-driven engineering solutions that will support the transition to Net Zero.

You’ll lead a growing team of engineering professionals, driving consistency, innovation and continuous improvement across Cables Design. Balancing technical excellence with commercial awareness, you’ll help reduce whole-life asset costs and carbon while ensuring our designs meet the highest standards of safety, quality and performance.

As a senior leader within Engineering Design, you’ll also play an important role in long-term investment and resource planning, working closely with internal stakeholders, Design Houses and contractors to deliver the infrastructure needed for Scotland’s energy future.

What you’ll be doing

• Provide strategic direction and operational leadership for the Cables Design function within SP Transmission’s Core Projects business.
• Act as a senior technical authority for Cables, providing expert guidance on complex engineering and design matters.
• Lead teams of professional engineers delivering cost-effective, end-to-end design solutions for transmission projects ranging from £100,000 to over £100 million.
• Drive greater efficiency and consistency across SP Transmission through the development and implementation of standardised design solutions.
• Champion continuous improvement, identifying and implementing new technologies and engineering solutions that reduce cost and carbon and support more sustainable project delivery.
• Ensure compliance with HSEQ policies, engineering standards and regulatory requirements, promoting a culture built on safety and technical excellence.
• Provide expert direction on regulatory and legislative changes, ensuring evolving requirements are effectively reflected in engineering policies and procedures.
• Lead the long‑term planning and coordination of Cables Design resources across the Core Projects portfolio.
• Build strong relationships with Design Houses and contractors, ensuring high-quality outputs and performance.
• Represent the Cables function within internal and external technical forums, supporting knowledge sharing and cross‑disciplinary collaboration.
• Provide direct leadership to two Design Managers and a Design Lead, with responsibility for developing and growing the wider team in line with future demand.
• Ensure effective training, coaching and mentoring is in place to build capability and support continued professional development across the function.
• Contribute to programme investment planning, forecasting and budget management across a significant portfolio of transmission projects.

What you’ll bring

• Chartered Engineer status, supported by a relevant degree and extensive experience within engineering design.
• Expert technical knowledge of transmission cable systems, with significant experience in their design and/or installation.
• A strong track record of introducing new technologies, engineering solutions and improvements within complex infrastructure environments.
• Expert knowledge of CDM and Health & Safety regulations, with experience applying and promoting best practice within engineering design.
• Substantial experience working with Design Houses and contractors and successfully driving quality and performance.
• Proven leadership capability, with the ability to guide, motivate and develop professional engineering teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and a track record of building effective relationships with senior technical, commercial and project stakeholders.
• Experience of long‑term resource planning, forecasting and budget management within major engineering or infrastructure programmes.
• The ability to contribute to expenditure forecasting across large‑scale capital investment programmes.
• A proven ability to drive standardisation, efficiency and continuous improvement across engineering functions.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to represent your function at senior‑level internal and external forums.
• The ability to provide clear strategic direction and informed decision‑making on complex technical, regulatory and engineering matters.

What’s in it for you

As well as an attractive salary which is reviewed annually, you can also enjoy a number of other benefits. With our pension scheme, we’ll double match your contribution up to a company contribution of 10%.

At ScottishPower, we believe it’s the little things we do in life that make a big difference. From helping you look after your family’s wellbeing, save for your future and take personal steps for climate action – our benefits are designed to help you do just that - so that you have everything you need to take care of your world – today and tomorrow.

That’s why our benefits include:

• 36 days annual leave
• Holiday Purchase - perfect your work/life balance with extra annual leave
• Equity Plans
• Payroll Giving and Charity Matched Funding
• Technology Vouchers - save more and spread the cost of your technology purchases
• Electric Vehicle Schemes - to help you transition to green/clean driving
• Cycle to Work scheme and Public Transport Season Ticket Loans
• Healthcare benefit options including: Dental Insurance, Private Medical Insurance, Health Cash Plan and annual Health Assessments
• Life Assurance (4x salary)
• Access to Savesmart financial wellbeing assistance
• Plus shopping, leisure, restaurant and gym discounts, and unique employee deals on travel insurance and more

Why SP Energy Networks

SP Energy Networks is part of the Iberdrola Group, one of the world’s largest integrated utility companies and a world authority in wind energy. We keep electricity flowing to homes and businesses through Central and Southern Scotland, North Wales and in the North West of England. We operate over 4000km of cables and lines that make‑up the transmission network - engaging infrastructure like wind farms into the electricity system. It’s a role that puts us right at the heart of Scotland’s goal to be Net Zero by 2044. And we’re taking it very seriously. We’re investing >£5.5 billion into our transmission network, directly enabling the rapid growth needed in renewable energy. With diverse opportunities across our businesses and a focus on investing in our own internal talent, ScottishPower can offer people real career opportunities that meet personal and professional goals, in a global organisation.

Inclusion, diversity, and a social purpose are at the heart of everything we do. Combined with our values, they bring us into a stronger, more sustainable business with direct links to the communities we serve. It takes all types of people to build a large‑scale business like ours, so whatever your background, you’ll fit right in.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments or accommodations in our recruiting processes for candidates with disabilities, long term conditions, mental health conditions, or who are neurodivergent or require pregnancy‑related assistance. If you need assistance, please reach out to [e-mail].

Due to the level of this position, successful candidates will be required to complete additional background checks and any offer is subject to passing such checks.

Mobility

Please note that any applicant who is not a citizen of the country of the vacancy will be subject to compliance with the applicable immigration requirements to legally work in that country. If/when required, the Company will support the employee with the necessary Immigration requirements.