Primary Design Team Leader HVDC

GE Vernova; Stafford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

GE Vernova seeks a Primary Design Team Leader HVDC to own end-to-end primary design of HVDC and HV/EHV substations across European markets, coordinating with civil, protection and control, system studies, valves, and building services teams.

You will lead a team of HVDC primary design engineers, mentoring and delivering high-quality outputs on time, while liaising with clients and suppliers and managing budgets and design changes.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical/Power/Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
• HVDC or HV substation design experience (10+ years preferred).
• Familiarity with IEC/IEEE HVDC standards and high‑voltage equipment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver primary designs for HVDC converter stations and HV/EHV substations (AIS, GIS) for major European transmission projects, in accordance with applicable standards.
• Develop and review a fully integrated 3D model, general arrangement drawings, section drawings, and layout designs.
• Review and approve vendor drawings and specifications, ensuring alignment with project requirements.
• Ensure high-quality and timely delivery of engineering outputs.
• Perform and oversee primary design calculations, including busbar sizing, short circuit force analysis, SAG-tension, cantilever strength, and grounding design.
• Lead, manage, and coordinate the primary design of HVDC projects and a team of HVDC primary design engineers, ensuring effective workload distribution, technical development, and delivery of project objectives.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and coaching to team members, fostering growth within the HVDC engineering discipline.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders, including cross-functional teams, clients, and suppliers, to resolve technical queries and deliver fully integrated substation designs.
• Manage design budgets, track engineering time spent, and ensure on‑time delivery of design outputs to procurement, manufacturing, and site erection stakeholders.
• Oversee subcontracted design work packages, coordinate with partners and key suppliers, and identify and flag scope or design changes while supporting cost optimisation across all design phases.
• Present at project design reviews, provide regular progress reporting to senior management, and contribute to lessons‑learned processes to drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with applicable European and national regulations, including health and safety standards, contract specifications, and relevant European directives.
• Ensure quality assurance, design governance, and best practices in design for safety throughout the project lifecycle.

Skills

Excellent communication

Team leadership

Contract specs understanding

Education

Degree in Electrical/Power/Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent)

10+ years HVDC/substation design experience

Tools

CAD

BIM/3D tools (Revit, Navisworks)

Job description

Job Description Summary

Are you ready to shape the future of Europe's power infrastructure on some of the most complex energy projects on the continent?

GE Vernova is seeking a Primary Design Team Leader HVDC to join our HVDC team.

Job Description

About the Role

As the Primary Design Team Leader HVDC, you will own the end-to-end primary design of HVDC and HV/EHV substation projects, ensuring compliance with customer specifications and regulatory standards across European markets. You will coordinate with cross-functional partners, including civil, protection and control, system studies, valves, and building services teams, to deliver fully integrated designs that meet project milestones. A special focus shall be given to engineering quality, safe‑by‑design principles, and technical mentoring of your team.

Key Responsibilities

Design & Delivery

• Lead and deliver primary designs for HVDC converter stations and HV/EHV substations (AIS, GIS) for major European transmission projects, in accordance with applicable standards.
• Develop and review a fully integrated 3D model, general arrangement drawings, section drawings, and layout designs.
• Review and approve vendor drawings and specifications, ensuring alignment with project requirements.
• Ensure high-quality and timely delivery of engineering outputs.
• Perform and oversee primary design calculations, including busbar sizing, short circuit force analysis, SAG-tension, cantilever strength, and grounding design.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, manage, and coordinate the primary design of HVDC projects and a team of HVDC primary design engineers, ensuring effective workload distribution, technical development, and delivery of project objectives.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and coaching to team members, fostering growth within the HVDC engineering discipline.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders, including cross-functional teams, clients, and suppliers, to resolve technical queries and deliver fully integrated substation designs.
• Manage design budgets, track engineering time spent, and ensure on‑time delivery of design outputs to procurement, manufacturing, and site erection stakeholders.
• Oversee subcontracted design work packages, coordinate with partners and key suppliers, and identify and flag scope or design changes while supporting cost optimisation across all design phases.
• Present at project design reviews, provide regular progress reporting to senior management, and contribute to lessons‑learned processes to drive continuous improvement.

Compliance & Quality

• Ensure compliance with applicable European and national regulations, including health and safety standards, contract specifications, and relevant European directives.
• Ensure quality assurance, design governance, and best practices in design for safety throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Electrical/Power/Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
• Preferred: 10+ years' experience in HVDC and/or HV substation design, with demonstrable team leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of European TSO transmission standards and practices, and relevant distribution standards.
• Proficiency in CAD and awareness of BIM/3D tools (Revit, Navisworks) is advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience in HVDC converter station and/or substation design covering both tender and execution phases.
• Familiarity with applicable contract specifications, quality standards, safety requirements, and safe-by-design principles.
• Excellent communication and team leadership skills, with the ability to engage European clients, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
• Knowledge of HVDC converter topologies (LCC and/or VSC/MMC) and their application in transmission systems.
• Experience with insulation coordination and main circuit equipment specification and sizing (e.g., converter transformers, reactors, capacitors, surge arresters, circuit breakers).
• Familiarity with IEC/IEEE standards applicable to HVDC systems and high‑voltage equipment.
• Engineering cost estimation, resource planning, and tendering experience.
• Ability to review and analyse customer specifications, prepare technical clarifications, and manage technical queries.

About the Team

The North and South Europe Grid System Integration (GSI) team delivers a wide range of high-voltage transmission projects, including the connection of new generation and grid stability projects.

About GE Vernova Grid Solutions

Grid Solutions, a GE Vernova business, serves c