Principal Design Engineer

Vallum Associates; Manchester; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Vallum Associates in Manchester is seeking a Principal Consultant to lead the Power Systems Engineering team. You will act as technical lead across substation projects from 11kV to 400kV, delivering design, protection, and control expertise for utilities, industrial and commercial clients.

The role requires exceptional leadership, mentoring junior engineers, and hands-on delivery of FEED, concept and tender work, with a strong emphasis on UK standards and grid code compliance.

Qualifications

• 15+ years experience in transmission/distribution engineering or 10+ years with a relevant Master’s/PhD
• Strong substation engineering experience across 132kV–400kV
• Experience with protection and control, SCADA and client-facing leadership

Responsibilities

• Lead substation engineering projects from 11kV up to 400kV
• Take technical ownership of primary/physical design, Protection & Control and SCADA deliverables
• Produce and review electrical designs, calculations, specifications and technical reports
• Lead FEED, concept and tender-stage engineering
• Review supplier designs and support FAT/SAT activities
• Ensure designs comply with UK, IEC, ENA, BS, IEEE and ANSI standards
• Provide input into budgets, programmes, risks and change management
• Lead client meetings and multidisciplinary design activities
• Mentor junior engineers and guide teams
• Support continuous improvement of engineering standards and tools

Skills

Protection & Control

SCADA

Client-facing

Technical leadership

Mentoring engineers

Communication

Project leadership

Education

Master's degree / PhD in relevant field

Chartered Engineer (CEng) or IEng

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

Job description

A leading engineering and consultancy business is looking for a Principal Consultant to join its Power Systems Engineering team in Manchester.

You’ll act as a technical lead across substation engineering projects, supporting both project delivery and tenders for utility, industrial and commercial clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead substation engineering projects from 11kV up to 400kV.
• Take technical ownership of primary/physical design, Protection & Control and SCADA deliverables.
• Produce and review electrical designs, calculations, specifications and technical reports.
• Lead or support FEED, concept and tender-stage engineering.
• Review supplier designs and documentation and support FAT/SAT activities.
• Ensure designs comply with relevant UK, IEC, ENA, BS, IEEE and ANSI standards.
• Provide technical input into project budgets, programmes, risks and change management.
• Lead client meetings, technical workshops and multidisciplinary design activities.
• Work closely with Protection & Control, Civil/Structural and other engineering disciplines.
• Provide technical mentoring and guidance to junior engineers and consultants.
• Support continuous improvement of engineering standards, processes and tools.

What We’re Looking For

• 15+ years’ experience in transmission/distribution engineering, or 10+ years with a relevant Master's/PhD.
• Strong substation engineering experience, ideally across 132kV–400kV.
• Experience in one or more of:
• Protection & Control
• SCADA
• Strong knowledge of UK electrical standards, regulations and utility environments.
• Experience with:
• Single-line diagrams and substation layouts
• CT/VT selection and calculations
• Power cable systems
• Protection & Control / secondary systems
• Strong client-facing, technical leadership and communication skills.
• Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical teams.
• AutoCAD and MicroStation experience required.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or IEng.
• CDM and construction safety knowledge.
• Experience with installation and commissioning.