Principal Engineer - HV Substations

AECOM; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering firm in Manchester seeks a Principal Engineer HV Substations to lead technical discussions, ensure project delivery, and mentor junior staff. The ideal candidate will have experience in HV infrastructure design, client management, and commercial proposal development. Join a team working on groundbreaking projects, including the National Grid's Great Grid Partnership. Enjoy a hybrid work environment with opportunities for growth, competitive compensation, and benefits that support your family.

Benefits

Flexible work arrangements

Comprehensive well-being programs

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience with consultancy or utilities in the energy sector.
• Designing HV infrastructure at concept and detailed design stages.
• Understanding of electrical AC HV Plant infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Lead substation technical discussions with clients.
• Ensure technical delivery with engineering teams.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness in proposal development.

Skills

HV infrastructure design

Client relationship management

Safety in design

Education

Relevant degree in Engineering

Tools

Control systems

Transformers

Job description

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

About our Team

Our T&D team delivers HV design for electrical power projects at transmission and distribution voltage levels. The focus of this role is primary plant design for large-scale infrastructure, grid connections, and private networks at voltage levels normally between 132 kV to 400kV. Typical projects include feasibility, optioneering, FEED, detailed design, and design assurance on existing or new substations and other infrastructure.

Due to continued growth across a breadth of projects and clients, we are looking for an experienced Principal Engineer HV Substations (UK) to join the Transmission & Distribution business. This is a fantastic time to join us and apply your skills across a multi-disciplinary, innovative team and work within a varied portfolio of groundbreaking projects. One such project you will have the opportunity to work on is the UK National Grid’s Great Grid Partnership. Part of a £9bn Enterprise partnership that will connect clean energy to homes and businesses across England and Wales by 2030.

Start Here. Grow Here.

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Lead substation technical discussions with the client and internal multi-disciplinary teams to establish scopes, define interfacing and ensure delivery.
• Lead the technical delivery with engineering teams by agreeing approach, supporting scope understanding, monitoring progress and quality checking of deliverables prior to issue to client.
• Utilise knowledge of substation project/asset life‑cycle from a design perspective to successfully deliver client projects.
• Liaise with the project management team to produce resourcing forecasts and programmes.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness to carry out proposal development, monitor/manage project costs and enable opportunity identification.
• Build client relationships, understanding client requirements and perspectives, building trust and adopting a client orientated project delivery mindset.
• Drive the safety in design ethos within projects.
• Mentor and develop more junior staff to build team capability and capacity over the medium and long term.

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Previous experience with consultancy, contractor, or utility in the energy sector. Client experience with National Grid, SHET, SSE, SPT or any other transmission utility or developer in UK or Ireland.
• Experience designing HV infrastructure at concept and FEED and detailed design stages.
• Understanding of electrical AC HV Plant infrastructure and equipment both AIS and GIS.
• Working knowledge of National Grid standards and specifications.
• Proposal/Bid development experience, including leading multi-discipline proposals to completion.
• Experience of design & site construction review, the role is primary plant focused, but knowledge and understanding of secondary system design will be advantageous.
• Experience with Control systems, transformers, HVDC systems, interconnectors, HV Protection & Control knowledge and experience would be advantageous.
• Ideally CDAE / LCDAE approval.

If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you!

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!

For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn (Francesca Siddle)

About 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.

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

ReqID: J10140309

Business Line: Energy

Business Group: DCS

Strategic Business Unit: Europe & India

Career Area: Engineering

Work Location Model: Hybrid