Principal Cable System Design Engineer (Transmission & Distribution)

AECOM; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Career development opportunities

Job summary

AECOM is seeking a Principal Cable System Design Engineer to lead the delivery of HV/EHV cable projects within the Transmission & Distribution team. This senior role drives technical excellence and engages with clients across the UK and internationally.

You will develop routing and modelling, oversee installation methods, validate calculations, and mentor the team while collaborating with civil, OHL, substation, and marine engineers.

Qualifications

• Leading HV/EHV cable system design projects and teams.
• Experience in routing, burial, thermal and mechanical modelling.
• Familiarity with National Grid TPs, IEC and CIGRÉ guidelines.
• Regulated quality environments; liaising with TSOs/DNOs.
• Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary engineers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of large HV/EHV cable projects from concept to completion.
• Develop routing, burial, and performance modelling for cables.
• Provide input on ratings, installation, jointing, and system integration.
• Validate calculations: ampacity, short-circuit, EMC and induced voltages.
• Engage with clients and senior stakeholders, ensuring technical assurance.
• Coordinate civil, OHL, substation, and marine inputs for cohesive design.
• Drive project execution, manage risks, and oversee QA/QC reviews.
• Conduct 3rd-party inspections and vendor oversight as needed.
• Mentor team members and support capability growth in cable systems.
• Support business development with proposals and client pitches.

Skills

HV/EHV cable design

Technical leadership

Multi-disciplinary coordination

Client engagement

Design review & mentorship

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

CEng ( Chartered Engineer )

Tools

CYMCAP

WinCable

Cable analysis tools

Job description

• Full-time
• State/Province: Manchester
• Business Group: DCS
• Legal Entity: AECOM Infrastructure and Environment UK Limited
• Business Line: Energy
• Work Location Model: Hybrid
• Operating Group: International
• Primary Location: UK - Manchester, Level 4 - 100 Emban

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Due to a fantastic period of growth, we are seeking a Principal Cable System Design Engineer to join our expanding Transmission & Distribution (T&D) team within AECOM. This is a senior role within the business, with responsibility for driving technical excellence, leading complex projects, and supporting strategic client engagement across a broad portfolio of high-voltage infrastructure schemes.

As a Principal Engineer, you will play a critical role in the planning, design, and delivery of cable systems across multiple voltage levels.Our clients include Transmission System Operators, Distribution Network Operators, private developers, and international energy majors across the UK and globally.

You will be a trusted advisor to clients, and contribute to developing our technical standards, innovation strategy, and digital delivery approach within the cable engineering space.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to some of the most exciting infrastructure and energy transition projects in the world including National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade.

Here’s what you will do:

• Assist with leading the deliveryof large-scale HV/EHV cable system projects from concept to completion, ensuring quality, safety, and innovation throughout the lifecycle.
• Develop and oversee HVcable system designs, including routing, burial risk assessments, thermal, electromagnetic, and mechanical performance modelling.
• Provide expert-level input into cable system ratings, installation methodologies, jointing arrangements, cleating design, and system integration in challenging environments.
• Guide and validate complex calculations including ampacity, short circuit forces, EMC, induced voltages, and thermomechanical forces to meet compliance with National Grid TPs, IEC, and CIGRÉ standards.
• Undertake client and stakeholder engagement, providing technical assurance, strategic direction, and value-engineered solutions on high-profile infrastructure programmes.
• Manage coordination between disciplines, including civil, structural, OHL, substation, and marine engineering inputs, to ensure cohesive and integrated design solutions.
• Drive project execution, managing technical risks, interfaces, and quality reviews while supporting procurement, construction, and commissioning phases.
• Conduct 3rd-party inspections, FAT/SAT witnessing and vendor oversight for cable and ancillary equipment.
• Champion mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and technical development within the wider team, supporting capability growth in cable systems engineering.
• Support business development activities, including proposals, bid reviews, and client presentations.

Driving excellence.

At AECOM, we are dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration within our Transmission and Distribution team. We believe that technology should empower you so that you can focus on creative problem-solving, successfully manage complexity and deliver exceptional results. By embracing advanced automation tools, we seek imaginative thinkers who are excited about leveraging these tools to drive efficiency and enhance our projects. Join us in shaping the future of infrastructure, where your unique insights and creativity will play a vital role in our success!

Enjoy the Perks.

At AECOM, you'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Demonstrated experience as a technical leader in HV/EHV cable system design.
• Proven track record in design, specification, and installation of complex cable systems including tunnel, urban, and constrained environments.
• In-depth understanding of international and UK-specific standards, particularly National Grid TPs, IEC, and CIGRÉ guidelines.
• Experience working in regulated, quality-assured environments—preferably with National Grid, SSE, EirGrid, or equivalent TSO/DNOs.
• Strong ability to coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams and engage with senior stakeholders across the project lifecycle.
• Excellent communication, client-facing, and team leadership/mentorship skills.
• Commitment to fostering innovation, digital delivery, and sustainability in design.

Desirable Certifications & Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Electrical Engineering or related field; MSc/MEng advantageous.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or working towards.
• National Grid CDAE certification or similar.
• Experience with cable system software (e.g., CYMCAP, WinCable) and advanced analysis tools.

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at [e-mail] . At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives.

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options.Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry‑leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility.As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are aDisabilityConfidentEmployer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long‑term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [e-mail] if you would like to apply through theDisabilityConfidentInterview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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