Senior Electrical Design Engineer

First Recruitment Group; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Potential bonus

Car allowance

Contributory pension

Job summary

First Recruitment Group is seeking Lead Primary & Secondary Design Engineers for roles in Birmingham and Glasgow with hybrid working. You will lead complex EHV/HV substation projects (AIS and GIS) across greenfield and brownfield UK initiatives, collaborating with internal and external partners to ensure high standards.

You will work with a skilled team, coordinating with suppliers and contractors, delivering projects to tight timelines and QA/QC standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Extensive substation engineering experience in utilities.
• Experience with EHV/HV substations including AIS and GIS.
• Knowledge of SSEN & SPEN standards, policies and procedures.
• Chartered Engineer status preferred or actively pursuing it.
• Strong communication across multicultural teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead primary engineering activities from inception to As-Built, ensuring QA/QC and HSSE compliance.
• Review HV plant design packages and prepare Design Intent Documents and Functional Design Specifications.
• Coordinate with civil, protection & control, and auxiliary systems teams, managing interfaces and queries.
• Lead procurement technical reviews and develop project-specific specifications.
• Provide technical solutions including layouts, single line diagrams, grounding, and HV/MV switchgear.
• Manage budgets, schedules, risk and change management; support construction and commissioning.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Project coordination

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering

Chartered Engineer (CEng) status preferred

Tools

MS Office

MicroStation

AutoCAD

Job description

Lead Primary & Secondary Design Engineers – Birmingham and Glasgow, UK - Hybrid Working

Industry leading salary and benefits package

A leading UK engineering consultancy is seeking Lead Primary and Secondary Design Engineers to join their growing substation teams in Birmingham and Glasgow. These senior roles offer the opportunity to lead complex EHV/HV substation projects, including Air Insulated Substations (AIS) and Gas Insulated Substations (GIS), while contributing to both greenfield and brownfield initiatives across the UK.

You will be joining a skilled and collaborative engineering team, working closely with internal and external partners, suppliers, and contractors, ensuring projects are delivered to the highest standards.

Key Responsibilities

Primary Design Lead

• Lead all primary engineering activities from project inception to As-Built, ensuring compliance with project specifications, QA/QC, HSSE, and industry standards.
• Review HV plant design packages and prepare Design Intent Documents (DID) / Functional Design Specifications (FDS).
• Coordinate with civil, protection & control, and auxiliary systems teams, managing interfaces and technical queries.
• Lead procurement technical reviews, developing project-specific specifications and reviewing supplier/subcontractor deliverables.
• Provide technical solutions including layouts, single line diagrams, grounding and lightning studies, HV/MV switchgear, transformer specifications, cable calculations, and associated design documentation.
• Manage primary engineering budgets, schedules, risk, and change management.
• Support site teams during construction and commissioning stages.

Secondary Design Lead

• Lead all secondary engineering activities from project inception to As-Built, with strict adherence to project standards and QA/QC processes.
• Design and review protection and control (P&C) systems, AC/DC auxiliary systems, SLD/KLD, battery and charger sizing, signal lists, cable schedules, interface engineering, SCADA/SCIS architectures, and IED configuration files.
• Coordinate with suppliers on deliverables and remote-end requirements, ensuring compliance with technical standards.
• Lead procurement technical reviews for P&C, metering, and AC/DC systems.
• Provide technical support for tender development and create detailed design documentation.
• Manage secondary engineering budgets, schedules, risk, and change management.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent).
• Extensive substation engineering experience in utilities, particularly transmission networks.
• Expertise in EHV/HV substations, both AIS and GIS, including greenfield and brownfield projects.
• Knowledge of SSEN & SPEN standards, policies, and procedures.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status preferred (or working towards it).
• Strong communication skills, able to interact with multiple stakeholders across multicultural teams.
• Proficient in MS Office, MicroStation, and AutoCAD.

What’s on Offer

• Opportunity to lead high-profile substation projects.
• Work within a supportive, collaborative team environment with scope for professional development.
• Excellent benefits include potential bonus, car allowance and contributory company pension..