Principal Substation Secondary (P&C) Design Engineer

slihrms; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis in the UK seeks a Principal Engineer to lead the Electrical Engineering group on FEED and detailed design for substations, focusing on P&C design and bid submissions. Based in one of our offices (Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham or Epsom), you will mentor engineers, drive technical excellence, and ensure client satisfaction across diverse projects.

You will collaborate with back-office and site teams, chair design reviews, manage tenders, and contribute to business development while

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Experience in P&C design of substations in UK or internationally.
• Experience in preparing bids and cost estimates for FEED and detailed design work.
• Knowledge of electrical codes and standards (IEC/IEEE).

Responsibilities

• Line manage engineers and support career development.
• Lead FEED and detailed design workstreams for substations.
• Oversee FEED, detailed design, and bid submissions to high standards.
• Provide expert review of P&C plant aspects.
• Coordinate with back-office engineers, subcontractors and suppliers.
• Lead and support bids and proposals for new work.
• Engage with clients and manage stakeholder meetings.
• Contribute to business development and strategic growth.

Skills

Team Leadership

Client liaison

Bid Management

Electrical Engineering

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Overview

Grow your career while reshaping the world.

You might know us for the great work we do across our wide variety of projects. We're proud to say it's thanks to our people's diversity of thought, expertise and knowledge. And when you join us, you'll be a part of this genuinely collaborative environment, where everyone's voice is valued and treated equally.

We're passionate about what we do, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Simply put, this a great place to be. So, when it comes to your life outside of work, ask us about our flexible and remote working policies designed to help you get the most out of life.

AtkinsRéalis are proud to be working at the heart of the challenges in the energy industry and within our Power Grids team we are continually developing and growing within this area. Our team is currently delivering work across the Transmission and Distribution sectors across the UK as well as supporting other Energy and infrastructure business sectors.

Your role

AtkinsRéalis offers a dynamic, innovative, and collaborative environment where you can advance your career at the forefront of engineering. As a Principal Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our technical excellence and leading a high-performing team within our Electrical Engineering group. This position provides exposure to a diverse range of projects and technologies, with outstanding opportunities for both technical and leadership development.

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. Building strong, trusted relationships is central to this role, and you'll thrive in a mix of office-based and client-facing environments.

You will be accountable for the following tasks including but not limited to:

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 all P&C plant aspects

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, identifying opportunities for future work and contributing to business development activities.

Technical Leadership

• Actively contribute to business development activities, including identifying opportunities, engaging with clients, and supporting strategic growth initiatives.
• Leading the P&C FEED and detailed design works for major transmission scale projects. Train and develop junior engineers.

Bid Ownership

• Lead and support the preparation of bids and proposals, including technical input, resource planning, and cost estimation to help secure new work for the P&C team.

Communication

• Collaborate with commercial and project management teams to develop competitive and compelling offers aligned with client needs and business objectives.
• Coordinating with other disciplines (Primary, Civil & Structural, PM), sub‑contractors and suppliers as required.
• Attend site visits, FAT and SAT as required under the supervision of senior and principal engineers.

Strong communication skills along with teamworking attributes.

About you

• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or equivalent qualifications and experience.
• Working towards Chartered Engineer through the IET or in a path to get it.
• Proven experience in P&C design of substations in 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.
• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive - at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financi