Principal Designer / Design Manager (Energy)
WSP in the UK & Ireland
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
WSP in the UK & Ireland is seeking a Principal Designer for HV/EHV infrastructure projects. You will lead the design phase, manage multidisciplinary teams, and ensure health, safety and regulatory compliance across 11kV to 132kV schemes.
The role emphasises design governance, risk management, and collaboration with clients and suppliers. You will shape robust, buildable solutions while maintaining programme and budget objectives, with hybrid working across UK offices and sites.
Qualifications
- Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent with HV/EHV experience.
- Proven CDM Principal Designer experience and design risk knowledge.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary design teams through full lifecycle.
- Strong HV/EHV substations knowledge, incl. 11kV–132kV.
- Understanding of relevant standards, legislation, and safety by design.
Responsibilities
- Undertake the CDM Principal Designer role for HV/EHV projects.
- Lead and coordinate the design phase with multidisciplinary teams.
- Review technical specs for substation upgrades and new builds 11kV–132kV.
- Ensure robust, buildable, compliant design solutions.
- Manage design risk and health/safety throughout the lifecycle.
- Chair design reviews, hazard workshops, and stakeholder sessions.
- Provide design governance and assurance per requirements.
- Support construction phase with design leadership and changes.
- Monitor design performance against programme and budget.
- Build strong client/supplier relationships on CDM matters.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.
Our Networks Engineering team supports some of the UK's largest electricity transmission and distribution organisations, delivering critical infrastructure projects that maintain and enhance the reliability, resilience and performance of the power network. As a Principal Designer, you'll play a key role in the safe and successful delivery of HV and EHV substation projects, providing CDM leadership and design governance from concept through to construction. Working across new-build, refurbishment and network reinforcement schemes from 11kV to 132kV, you'll lead multidisciplinary teams to develop technically robust, compliant and buildable solutions while ensuring health, safety and risk management remain at the forefront of the design process.
- Undertake the statutory role of CDM Principal Designer for HV and EHV projects, ensuring compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and effective management of health, safety, and welfare throughout the design phase.
- Lead and coordinate the project design phase, managing multidisciplinary design teams, suppliers, contractors, and stakeholders to ensure safe, coordinated, and compliant design delivery.
- Oversee the development and review of technical specifications and design deliverables for substation upgrades and new build projects from 11kV up to and including 132kV.
- Ensure that design solutions are technically robust, buildable, maintainable, and aligned with project requirements, programme objectives, and budget constraints.
- Manage the design risk process, facilitating the identification, assessment, elimination, reduction, and communication of foreseeable health, safety, and operational risks throughout the project lifecycle.
- Review and challenge designs produced by internal teams, clients, and suppliers to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, standards, client specifications, and industry best practice.
- Prepare, maintain, and coordinate pre-construction information and support the development of the Health and Safety File in accordance with CDM requirements.
- Chair and facilitate design review meetings, hazard workshops, and stakeholder engagement sessions to ensure effective communication, collaboration, and resolution of design issues.
- Provide design governance and assurance, ensuring that design outputs meet quality standards and are delivered in accordance with contractual, regulatory, and client requirements.
- Support project delivery during the construction phase by providing design leadership, managing design changes, and ensuring that any residual design risks are appropriately assessed and communicated.
- Monitor and drive design performance against programme, quality, safety, and commercial objectives, ensuring successful project outcomes.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, suppliers, and internal teams, acting as a trusted advisor on CDM and design management matters.
- Degree, HNC, or equivalent qualification in Electrical Engineering, with significant experience in the design and delivery of HV and EHV infrastructure projects.
- Proven experience undertaking the role of Principal Designer under the CDM Regulations, with a comprehensive understanding of design risk management and construction health and safety requirements.
- Demonstrable experience leading and coordinating multidisciplinary design teams through all stages of the project design lifecycle.
- Strong technical knowledge of HV and EHV substations, including AIS and GIS installations from 11kV up to and including 132kV.
- Experience managing the design of new substations, network reinforcement schemes, refurbishment, and retrofit projects of varying size and complexity.
- A thorough understanding of relevant engineering standards, legislation, and technical policies relating to HV and EHV substations, including electrical clearances, earthing, and safety by design principles.
- Experience facilitating design risk reviews, hazard identification workshops, and ensuring that risks are eliminated or reduced through the design process.
- Ability to review, challenge, and assure designs produced by internal teams, third parties, and suppliers to ensure compliance with legislative, regulatory, technical, and client requirements.
- Experience engaging with clients, contractors, suppliers, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes.
- Strong understanding of substation plant specifications, protection and control systems, cable systems, and associated equipment sufficient to provide effective technical leadership and assurance.
- Experience preparing or reviewing cost estimates, design programmes, and managing design deliverables to meet quality, commercial, and programme objectives.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, coordinate, and motivate project teams.
Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.
We are one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 11,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.
At WSP, we understand that work is just one aspect of your life. It’s important to make time for you, your family, friends, interests and your community. Our hybrid working policy offers the flexibility to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK.
We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work so that our work represents the fullest spectrum of society. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP. We have our employee resource groups bring together employees and allies with different backgrounds to promote a culture of inclusivity.
We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme. Our Virtual GP service gives you access to an NHS or Irish Medical Council GP at a time and place that suits you – giving you peace of mind and quick access to medical advice when you need it most. We also provide reasonable workplace adjustments for those in need. Additionally, you can benefit from the Gymflex scheme, which offers up to 40% off annual gym memberships through our WSP flexible benefits program, as well as a comprehensive menopause support package.
To enhance work-life balance, WSP offers the “WSP My Hour,” allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the flexibility to make up the time earlier or later that day. We also provide part-time and flexible working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.
We understand the importance of development and training to you. That’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training
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