Project Engineer (Data Centres & Industrials)

NextGenEnergyJobs; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Octopus is expanding its energy infrastructure team in Greater London to deliver low-cost, reliable power solutions for data centres and large industrials. You will own the programme and development budget, guiding concepts through to energisation, and chair design reviews with external consultants and stakeholders.

You will lead the electrical concept, grid interface and procurement activities, ensuring compliance with UK/grid standards and coordinating multi‑discipline design.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree, or equivalent, in electrical or power systems engineering; CEng welcome but not essential.
• 5+ years delivering energy or infrastructure projects with MV/HV systems.
• Deep experience with substations, networks, industrial plant, data centres, utilities, water or transport.
• Proven track record managing a programme and a budget on development or pre-construction projects.
• Experience taking GB/European grid connection from offer to grid code compliance and energisation; knowledge of Grid Code, CUSC, SQSS, G99/G100, ENA and BS 7671.
• Ability to coordinate multi-discipline design when not expert in every discipline.
• Comfortable as single point of accountability with limited information, and holding external parties to account without formal authority.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to site.

Responsibilities

• Own the programme and development budget; schedule from concept to energisation date, appoint consultants, surface risk early.
• Own the electrical concept through to sign-off: single-line diagrams, switchgear, layouts, cabling and comms architecture; chair reviews.
• Lead grid interface with DNO/TO/NESO; manage applications, milestones, ICP/IDNO coordination and MPAN registration.
• Own budget through completion with capex inputs, value engineering and commissioning plans; oversee FAT/SAT and handover.
• Tackle first‑of‑a‑kind scopes, quickly understanding unfamiliar technology and delivering.

Skills

Programme management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in electrical or power systems engineering

Job description

Octopus is building a new business line delivering low-cost, reliable, clean energy and faster speed-to-power for data centres and large industrials.

Responsibilities

• Own the programme and the development budget. Schedule from early concept to design freeze - siting, connection application, planning, consents, procurement, long-lead items - worked back from the customer's energisation date. Appoint and manage consultants, ICPs and study providers. Surface risk early and clearly communicate them to the stakeholders.
• Own the electrical concept through to sign-off. Single-line diagrams, general arrangements, switchgear and plant layouts, cable routes, metering and comms architecture. Direct and interrogate the studies (load flow, short-circuit, protection coordination, arc flash, earthing, power quality). Chair design reviews and stage gates, and take options to the Project Lead and customer with a recommendation.
• Lead the grid interface. DNO, TO and NESO - applications and offers, technical requirements, securities and milestones, contestable and non-contestable scope, ICP/IDNO coordination, MPAN registration.
• Budget ownership through completion. Credible capex inputs for the project model across plant, substation, civils and enabling works, with value engineering and optioneering. Then FAT/SAT witnessing, commissioning plans and sequences of operation, energisation and handover.
• Take on what you haven't done before. First-of-a-kind means no precedent, no standard design and no colleague who's done it. Get to a working understanding of an unfamiliar technology or scope fast, and deliver it.

Requirements

• Master’s degree , or equivalent, in electrical or power systems engineering. CEng welcome, not essential.
• 5+ years delivering energy or infrastructure projects, with a strong grounding in MV and HV systems.
• Real infrastructure experience - substations, networks, industrial plant, data centres, utilities, water or transport. We care that you've dealt with ground conditions, easements, consents, tie-ins to live assets and construction sequencing. This is not a grid-only role.
• You've personally held a programme and a budget on a development or pre-construction project.
• A GB/European grid connection taken from connection offer to grid code compliance and energisation, with working knowledge of the Grid Code, CUSC, SQSS, G99/G100, ENA engineering recommendations and BS 7671.
• Able to coordinate a multi-discipline design where you're not the expert in every discipline - and to spot a weak answer from a civil or mechanical engineer.
• Comfortable as the single point of accountability with an incomplete picture, holding external parties accountable without formal authority.
• Full UK driving licence and willing to travel to site.