Lead Secondary Design Engineer

Hunter Philips Executive Search; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hunter Philips Executive Search is supporting a leading international power and energy organisation in appointing a Lead Secondary Design Engineer. You will own the complete secondary engineering scope for HV/EHV substations and HVDC projects, including protection/control and auxiliary systems.

You will coordinate multidisciplinary teams, from tender to commissioning, and manage interfaces across engineering packages while driving technical decisions and successful integration across project

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Typically six or more years of relevant HV/EHV experience.
• Hands-on experience in secondary systems design and integration.
• Knowledge of protection and control systems including CT/VT calculations.
• Experience coordinating multiple engineering packages and external subcontractors.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across secondary engineering for HV/EHV substations and HVDC projects.
• Oversee protection and control design, and auxiliary AC/DC systems.
• Coordinate interfaces between secondary systems, grid automation and related packages.
• Own engineering activities from tender through commissioning and close-out.
• Lead geographically dispersed engineering teams and subcontractors.
• Manage design deliverables, schedules and resources to meet specifications.
• Review manufacturer drawings, panel interfaces and technical documentation.
• Identify and resolve design challenges and interface issues throughout the lifecycle.
• Support site testing and commissioning to resolve design-related issues.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes and technical quality.

Skills

HV/EHV design

Protection & control

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Sector: Transmission & Distribution / HV & EHV Substations / HVDC

Employment Type: Permanent

The Opportunity

Hunter Philips is supporting a leading international organisation within the power and energy sector in the appointment of a Lead Secondary Design Engineer.

The organisation specialises in advanced grid technologies, power transmission and distribution infrastructure, supporting the modernisation of electricity networks and the integration of renewable energy.

This technical leadership opportunity offers the chance to contribute to complex HV/EHV substation and HVDC projects, taking responsibility for the complete secondary engineering scope, including protection and control, auxiliary systems and technical integration.

The successful individual will coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams, designers and external partners, taking ownership of engineering activities from tender stage through to commissioning and project close-out.

The organisation is seeking an experienced engineer with strong practical secondary design knowledge, capable of managing technical interfaces, influencing engineering decisions and ensuring the successful integration of multiple systems throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across secondary engineering activities for HV/EHV substations and HVDC projects.
• Oversee protection and control design, auxiliary AC/DC systems and wider secondary engineering integration.
• Coordinate technical interfaces between secondary systems, grid automation, STATCOM and associated engineering packages.
• Take ownership of engineering activities from tender and detailed design through to installation, testing, commissioning and close-out.
• Lead and coordinate geographically dispersed engineering teams, designers and external subcontractors.
• Manage engineering deliverables, design schedules and resource requirements, ensuring compliance with customer specifications and technical standards.
• Oversee manufacturer drawings, panel interfaces and technical documentation throughout project execution.
• Identify and resolve technical challenges, design changes and interface issues throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provide technical support during site testing and commissioning, ensuring design-related issues are resolved effectively.
• Support continuous improvement in engineering processes, technical quality and project delivery.

Experience & Requirements

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Typically six or more years of relevant engineering experience within HV/EHV substation environments.
• Strong hands-on experience in secondary systems design, engineering and integration.
• Sound technical knowledge of protection and control systems, including CT/VT calculations.
• Practical understanding of auxiliary systems, including AC/DC interfaces and their integration within substation designs.
• Experience coordinating multiple engineering packages, manufacturers and external design subcontractors.
• Experience working on HV substation projects.
• Demonstrable ownership of secondary engineering activities across multiple stages of the project lifecycle.
• Background within Transmission & Distribution, EPC contracting or major power infrastructure project delivery.
• Ability to lead technical teams, coordinate engineering interfaces and resolve complex design challenges.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management and technical problem-solving skills.
• Experience delivering greenfield substation projects would be advantageous.
• HVDC experience would be beneficial; however, candidates with strong AC substation backgrounds are equally encouraged to apply.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Global Industry Presence: Join a major multinational engineering organisation with an established international presence and extensive expertise across power transmission, grid infrastructure and advanced energy technologies.
• At the Forefront of Grid Innovation: Work within a business helping shape the future of electricity networks through the development and deployment of advanced grid technologies and HVDC solutions.
• Major International Projects: Contribute to complex, high-value engineering programmes supporting the modernisation and expansion of critical power infrastructure.
• Technical Leadership: Take ownership of complete secondary engineering systems, influencing technical decisions and coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Long-Term Career Development: Benefit from opportunities to strengthen technical expertise and progress towards Team Lead, Engineering Manager or Project Engineering Manager positions.
• Energy Transition: Play a meaningful role in strengthening electricity networks and enabling the integration of renewable energy across major infrastructure projects.
• Flexible Working: Benefit from a hybrid working arrangement that supports collaboration, flexibility and work-life balance.

Take the Next Step

If you are an experienced Secondary Design Engineer with strong expertise in HV/EHV substations, secondary systems integration and technical project delivery, this is an opportunity to advance your career within a globally established organisation at the forefront of power infrastructure.