Head of Technical Excellence

United Infrastructure Ltd; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Career development pathway

Chartership support

Company pension

Private Medical Cover

25 days annual leave

Job summary

United Infrastructure Power T&D Limited (UIPTD) seeks a Head of Technical Excellence to own the engineering excellence framework. You will provide strategic leadership, governance, and guidance to SMEs across Substations, OHL, Civil, and Underground Design, ensuring world-class engineering across UI projects.

With a Chartered Engineer status and active professional memberships, you will drive safety by design, compliance, and continuous improvement while shaping standards for the UK energy

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering.
• Minimum of 10 years in engineering design and leadership for HV PTD infrastructure.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration and active involvement in professional bodies.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and governance for UI's engineering excellence framework.
• Lead SMEs across Substations, OHL, Civil, and Underground Cable Design.
• Drive safety by design, compliance, and lifecycle safety across disciplines.
• Ensure outputs meet client specs, standards, and evolving best practices.
• Lead bids, tenders, and work-winning engineering input.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Governance

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Civil Engineering

Job description

Business Unit

United Infrastructure Power T&D Limited (UIPTD)

Role Summary

Job Title: Head of Technical Excellence

Reporting To: Engineering Director Power T&D

Business Unit: United Infrastructure Power T&D Limited (UIPTD)

Clients: SSE, SPEN, NGED, National Grid

Voltage Range: 66kV - 400kV

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Horsham, Glasgow, Warrington (hybrid working available)

Role Overview

The Head of Technical Excellence will own the engineering excellence framework within United Infrastructure (UI), providing strategic leadership, technical governance, and guidance to a high-performing team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Reporting directly to the Engineering Director, you will work collaboratively to ensure your team is perfectly positioned to provide world-class engineering support across all UI project teams. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape a multi-disciplinary technical team, driving industry-leading engineering standards and innovation across the UK energy landscape.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Technical Leadership & Governance

• Act as the senior technical authority for United Infrastructure’s multi-disciplinary power Transmission & Distribution (T&D) portfolios.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team of technical Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) spanning Substations, Overhead Lines (OHL), Civil Engineering, and Underground Cable Design.
• Drive a 'Safety by Design' approach across all engineering disciplines, nurturing a culture of compliance, technical diligence, and lifecycle safety.
• Advance and develop departmental tools, advanced design techniques, and workflows to increase design efficiency, specification development, and project execution.
• Maintain project compliance with UI’s Management System, company QA policies, and UK regulatory frameworks.

Project Execution & Technical Assurance

• Undertake senior technical governance and assurance roles on high-value, complex, multi-disciplinary project teams.
• Serve as the final technical quality sign-off and undertake technical quality assurance reviews on complex engineering designs when required.
• Ensure all engineering outputs meet client specifications, Eurocodes, British Standards, National Grid Technical (NGTS), SEE & NGED Specifications, and evolving industry best practices.
• Provide technical leadership and high-tier engineering input into bids, tenders, and work-winning strategies.

Industry Engagement & Professional Development

• Act as an industry ambassador for UI, maintaining a prominent profile within leading professional bodies and global industry working groups (e.g., IET, CIGRE, IEEE).
• Translate wider industry best practices, global technical trends, and client requirements (construction, O&M, decommissioning) into actionable UI engineering standards.
• Lead innovation initiatives across design and delivery teams to improve safety, optimize construction costs / timelines, and enhance overall engineering efficiency.

People & Capability Development

• Assume overall responsibility for resource planning, recruitment, onboarding, and competence management for the Technical Excellence division.
• Establish clear technical career paths and competence frameworks for the multi-disciplinary SME team.
• Provide supportive personnel management, focusing on continued professional development (CPD), mentoring, and identifying advanced training needs.
• Support other engineering managers to monitor staff performance through formal reviews and technical capability assessments.

Requirements

Essential Experience

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of 10 years of engineering design and leadership experience within high-voltage power transmission and distribution infrastructure.
• Professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) through a relevant institution.
• Active, high-level membership and involvement in professional engineering bodies (e.g., Fellow or Member of the IET, active contributor to CIGRE working groups).

Desirable

• Proven track record fulfilling the role of Contractor Design Approval Engineer (CDAE) or Principal Designer representative.
• Formal training in CDM 2015, Temporary Works, and Impressed Voltages within the electricity supply industry.
• Thorough knowledge of transmission & distribution procedures, technical guidance notes, and design handbooks.
• Deep understanding of UK Health, Safety, Environmental, and waste management legislation as it relates to major infrastructure design and construction.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, negotiation, and communication skills, with the ability to influence clients, government bodies, and senior executives.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to manage conflicting project deadlines and prioritize complex workloads autonomously.

What UIPTD Offers

• Competitive salary commensurate with level & experience
• Hybrid working arrangement (Dependent upon role)
• Structured career development pathway
• Professional membership and chartership support
• Company pension scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private Medical Cover

Join us at United Infrastructure and be part of our mission to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the complex infrastructure needs of the UK.