Principal Substation (Primary Design) Engineer - UK Grid Network

Jacobs; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Medical cover

Parental leave pay

Professional memberships

Volunteer program

Learning & development

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a Principal Primary Substation Engineer to drive FEED and detailed design for National Grid and DNO projects across the UK. You will lead design streams, review HV systems, and mentor junior engineers while coordinating with suppliers and back‑office teams.

The role requires a degree in Electrical Engineering and extensive HV substation experience (132kV–400kV) within UK contexts. Hybrid working and strong client engagement are key aspects of the job.

Qualifications

• HV substation design experience (132kV–400kV) and familiarity with UK transmission standards.
• Proven ability to lead technical workstreams and deliver against deadlines.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience with design reviews, hazard reviews and technical offers.
• Knowledge of National Grid and DNO processes and standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for National Grid and DNO clients.
• Ensure quality assurance and timely delivery of design packages and bids.
• Review HV plant aspects including layouts, earthing, interlocks, busbar calculations, specs.
• Coordinate with back-office engineers, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Attend and contribute to design reviews, hazard reviews, FAT and SAT.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers.
• Support tendering activities and contribute to technical offers.
• Maintain strong client relationships and support business development.

Skills

HV substation design

National Grid/DNO standards

Project leadership

Stakeholder engagement

UK transmission & distribution

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Jacobs is playing a leading role in the global energy transition. As our UK and Continental Europe team continues to expand, we are seeking a Principal Primary Substation Engineer to support a range of high-profile projects across our Power & Energy portfolio. This includes high voltage AIS and GIS Substations, transmission system assets, HVDC interconnectors, and energy storage systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for National Grid and DNO clients
• Ensure quality assurance and timely delivery of design packages and bids
• Review HV plant aspects including layouts, earthing, interlocking, busbar calculations, and specifications
• Coordinate with back-office engineers, suppliers, and subcontractors
• Attend and contribute to design reviews, hazard reviews, FAT and SAT
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers
• Support tendering activities and contribute to technical offers
• Maintain strong client relationships and support business development

Here’s what you'll need

• Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
• Proven experience in HV substation design (132kV-400kV), ideally within UK transmission and distribution environments
• Familiarity with National Grid and DNO standards and processes
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical workstreams and contribute to strategic project delivery

Why Jacobs?

People are Jacobs' greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent.

In addition to the benefits you’d expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations.

Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for Jacobs. We’re happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns and locations to suit you and our business.

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well-being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about ourJacobs Employee Networks here.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https//www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.