Lead Design Engineer

Advance Training & Recruitment Services; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Advance Training & Recruitment Services is seeking a Principal Substation Secondary (P&C) Design Engineer to lead protection and control design on major transmission-scale projects. You will drive FEED and detailed design, provide technical assurance, and develop the engineering team across multiple sites in the UK.

The role requires Chartered Engineer or progress toward chartership, strong P&C knowledge, and experience with IEC/IEEE standards. Travel to client sites is expected.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Significant experience in substation Protection & Control design.
• P&C experience on UK or international transmission projects.
• Strong FEED and detailed design experience.
• Experience leading technical teams and/or P&C workstreams.
• Strong knowledge of protection, control and substation automation.
• Experience preparing bids and cost estimates.
• Strong knowledge of IEC/IEEE standards.
• Strong client and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across major transmission-scale projects.
• Lead P&C FEED and detailed design workstreams with technical assurance.
• Review protection schemes, settings, and relay configurations.
• Mentor engineers and support recruitment and workforce development.
• Coordinate interfaces with project teams, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Lead bids, proposals and technical/tender inputs.
• Develop competitive technical solutions and client relationships.

Skills

P&C design

Electrical engineering

Leadership

Client management

Standards IEC/IEEE

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering

Chartered Engineer status or working towards

Job description

Job Specification – Principal Substation Secondary (P&C) Design Engineer

Job Title: Principal Substation Secondary (P&C) Design Engineer

Location: Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham or Epsom

Contract: 12 months

Sector: Power & Energy / Transmission

About the Role

We are seeking a Principal Substation Secondary / Protection & Control Design Engineer to provide technical leadership across major transmission-scale projects.

This role combines P&C technical leadership, team management, client engagement, bid ownership and business development.

You will lead P&C FEED and detailed design workstreams, provide technical assurance and develop the capability of the wider engineering team.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Lead P&C FEED and detailed design for major transmission projects.
• Provide technical assurance across P&C design packages.
• Review protection schemes and protection philosophies.
• Review protection settings, coordination and relay configurations.
• Review SLDs, wiring diagrams and I/O schedules.
• Review substation automation architectures.
• Review control room layouts, marshalling cabinets and protection panels.
• Ensure compliance with client specifications and relevant standards.

Team Leadership

• Line manage engineers and provide technical mentoring.
• Support recruitment, resource planning and workforce development.
• Identify training and capability requirements.
• Develop junior engineers and future technical leaders.

Project Delivery

• Coordinate with Primary, Civil & Structural and Project Management teams.
• Manage interfaces with subcontractors and suppliers.
• Coordinate with relay manufacturers, SAS vendors and SCADA/control system integrators.
• Chair Design Review and Hazard Review meetings.
• Attend site visits, FAT and SAT activities.
• Provide technical support throughout project delivery.

Bids & Business Development

• Lead and support bids and proposals.
• Provide technical input, resource planning and cost estimates.
• Act as technical/tender lead for P&C packages.
• Respond to technical queries and client clarifications.
• Develop competitive technical solutions.
• Identify opportunities and support strategic business development.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships.

Essential Experience

• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Significant experience in substation Protection & Control design.
• Proven P&C experience on UK or international transmission projects.
• Strong FEED and detailed design experience.
• Experience leading technical teams and/or P&C workstreams.
• Strong knowledge of protection, control and substation automation.
• Experience preparing bids and cost estimates.
• Strong knowledge of IEC/IEEE standards.
• Strong client and stakeholder management skills.
• Chartered Engineer or working towards Chartered status.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• Willingness to travel to client sites.

Strongly Preferred

• National Grid experience.
• SSEN / SPEN experience.
• 275 kV/400 kV transmission experience.
• Protection and control technical authority experience.
• Experience with digital substations/SAS/SCADA.
• Relay configuration and protection settings experience.
• FAT/SAT and commissioning experience.
• Tender management experience.
• Business development/client relationship experience.
• Previous line management and mentoring responsibilities

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.