Principal Substation Primary (HV Plant) Design Engineer

AtkinsRéalis; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Competitive salaries

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in the UK is seeking a Principal Engineer to play a pivotal role in their HV Electrical Engineering group. This position involves managing a team of engineers while leading design workstreams for electricity transmission projects. The ideal candidate will possess a degree in Electrical Engineering and have proven experience in substation design. The role offers competitive salaries, flexible working arrangements, and various employee benefits, promoting a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing technical teams.
• Chartered Engineer or working towards it.
• Proven experience in primary plant design of substations.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of engineers providing mentorship and performance management.
• Lead design workstreams for electricity transmission substation projects.
• Ensure delivery quality standards for design and bid submissions.

Skills

Team management

Technical leadership

Electrical engineering

Client relations

Bid preparation

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent

Job description

Overview

Grow your career while reshaping the world. This is a genuine collaborative environment where everyone's voice is valued and treated equally.

Your role

As a Principal Engineer at AtkinsRéalis, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our technical excellence and leading a high‑performing team within our HV Electrical Engineering group. You will be based in one of our offices in Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham or Epsom, working closely with clients and internal teams to deliver best‑in‑class solutions and you will be accountable for a wide range of tasks, including leading design workstreams and managing a team of engineers.

Team Leadership & Line Management

• Line manage a team of engineers, providing mentorship, performance management, and career development support.
• Support the Electrical Group Lead with recruitment, resourcing, and workforce planning.
• Drive training initiatives and technical development programs for junior engineers.

Technical Leadership

• Lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for electricity transmission substation projects, ensuring technical integrity and compliance with client specifications.

Quality Assurance

• Oversee and assure the delivery of FEED, detailed design, and bid submissions to the highest standards.

Design Review

• Provide expert review of HV plant aspects, including layouts, earthing design, interlocking schemes, busbar calculations, and technical specifications for HV equipment.

Project Coordination

• Manage interfaces with back‑office engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers to ensure seamless delivery.

Tender Management

• Act as tender manager for HV plant packages, reviewing technical offers and ensuring competitive, compliant submissions.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Chair design and hazard review meetings, attend site visits, FAT and SAT as required.

Client Focus & Business Development

• Maintain and grow client relationships, identify opportunities for future work and contribute to business development activities.

About You

• Experience in managing technical teams.
• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or equivalent qualifications and experience.
• Chartered Engineer or working towards it.
• Proven experience in primary plant design of substations in the UK or internationally.
• Experience in preparing bids and cost estimates for FEED and detailed design work.
• Good knowledge of electrical codes and standards (IEC, IEEE).
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Flexibility to travel to client sites when required.
• Capability to work under tight deadlines while achieving objectives with the ability to deal with competing priorities and manage time appropriately.

Rewards & benefits

Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits that can be tailored to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices, including training and professional development opportunities, a hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances.

Additional information

Security clearance may be required for this role. Offers will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require evidence of at least five years of residency in the UK. Please do not reference any current or previously held security clearance in your application or CV.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, and we offer inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups. As an Equal Opportunities Employer and a Disability Confident Leader, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and abilities. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.