Principal Protection and Control Engineer

Mott MacDonald; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension contributions matching 4.5%–7%

Life assurance up to 4x salary

Annual bonus schemes

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Principal Protection & Control Engineer to join the Power Transmission & Distribution team. The role involves leading protection design, fault studies, relay configurations, and commissioning guidance across global projects within the energy sector.

You will engage with clients, prepare tender specs, ensure compliance with UK safety rules, and work within a hybrid setup. A degree is required with Chartered status preferred; experience in UK National Grid

Qualifications

• Qualified to degree level and ideally Chartered Engineer status.
• Knowledge of relay designs and UK practices; experience on international projects.
• Excellent communications skills.
• UK Transmission & Distribution experience.
• Extensive Protection and Control in Electrical Engineering.
• Desirable: National Grid TP141 Commissioning Engineer/Officer.
• HV equipment knowledge; IEC61850 protection systems.
• Experience in North American Protection standards and practices.
• Must achieve design authorisation from UK National Grid and safety rules.

Skills

Relay designs knowledge

UK Transmission & Distribution

Communication skills

Protection & Control experience

International projects experience

TP141 commissioning qualifications

Education

Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer desirable

Tools

IEC61850 protocol knowledge

Job description

Location/s: York/Brighton/Glasgow/Altrincham

About The Role

Mott MacDonald has an exciting opportunity for a Principal Protection & Control Engineer to join our expanding Power Transmission & Distribution team. The successful candidate will havve followng functions.

Project Development

• Work on diverse, industry-leading projects
• Develop innovative solutions for power transmission grid systems
• Ensure security of electricity supply
• Develop integration of renewable energy sources
• Bring large power infrastructural plans from concept to delivery stage

Client Engagement

• Work on client transmission and distribution installations
• Contribute to feasibility studies for transmission
• Design and Specification
• Produce tender specifications for Protection and Control (P&C)
• Produce detailed design drawings for Protection and Control schemes
• Check detailed design drawings

Fault Studies and Protection

• Carry out fault studies for transmission projects
• Calculate protection settings using fault study results
• Check fault studies and protection setting results

Commissioning

• Configure relays
• Advise on commissioning stage of projects
• Check commissioning documentation

About The Business Unit

The Energy unit delivers services to clients globally across a number of sectors including hydropower, nuclear, waste, renewable generation and transmission & distribution networks. Together we provide integrated engineering and project management services across the project lifecycle – from concept and design, to construction and operations, to decommissioning or repowering and life extension. Together with our clients, we’re helping to deliver the energy transition globally.

Candidate Specification

• Qualified to degree level and will ideally be, or working towards Chartered Engineer status
• Knowledge of relay designs and have experience of UK practices as well as experience of working on international projects
• Excellent communications skills
• UK Transmission & Distribution experience
• Extensive Protection and Control experience in an Electrical Engineering role
• Desirable:Qualifications to National Grid TP141 qualified Commissioning Engineer / Officer.
• Good working knowledge of HV equipmentExperience in Protection systems using IEC61850 protocol
• Experience in North American Protection standards and practices
• The successful candidate will be expected to achieve design authorisation from UK’s National Grid and authorisation as a ‘person’ under UK electrical utilities safety rules.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.