Senior Primary Design Engineer

Eta Projects Ltd; Hart; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance 26+ days

Hybrid working options

Life insurance

Pension scheme

Employee assistance programme

Wellness and development spend

Job summary

BRUSH Group is seeking a senior engineer to deliver high-quality primary design solutions for substation projects across distribution networks (11kV–132kV). You will lead design packages, coordinate with internal teams and clients, and ensure compliance with CDM and project timelines.

The role supports tenders and detailed design packages, with remote work options and occasional UK travel to BRUSH Group locations. Strong leadership and design background are essential for success.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in electrical or mechanical engineering with professional registration progress toward IEng/CEng.
• Proven experience delivering substation designs (11kV–132kV) with CDM and safe design practices.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management across multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of primary design packages to contract timelines.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and clients to meet requirements.
• Prepare and review engineering documents, RFIs, and TQs.
• Identify technical risks and support compensation events and EWNs.

Skills

Substation design knowledge

CDM Safety awareness

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

Education

Electrical/Mechanical Engineering degree

IEng/CEng toward chartered

Tools

Trimble ProDesign

ETAP

DIgSILENT PowerFactory

AutoCAD 2D

Job description

About The Role

Why choose us?

BRUSH Group provides the energy solutions that help power our built world. From power transformers to switchgear and engineering solutions, for generations, the BRUSH brand has stood for engineering excellence.

We are committed to supporting the global effort for industrial decarbonisation and sustainable development and have set ambitious objectives to achieve our target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

What's the role?

This is a senior engineering role responsible for delivering high-quality, compliant and cost-effective primary design solutions for substation and connection projects across distribution networks (11kV to 132kV). The role supports projects from tenders, Part A feasibilities to Part B Detailed Design packages, ensuring successful outcomes through technical leadership and collaboration.

You will work as part of a multi‑disciplinary team and engage with internal and external stakeholders to ensure designs meet contractual, technical and programme requirements.

Key aspects of the role include

• Leading the delivery of primary design packages in line with project requirements and agreed contractual timescales
• Supporting projects (Feasibility & Detailed Design) from tender through to completion, including technical input into bids
• Collaborating with engineering, project management, commercial teams, clients and suppliers proactively and professionally
• Preparing and reviewing engineering documentation, including RFIs (Requests For Information) and TQs (Technical Queries)
• Identifying technical risks, contract changes and supporting the preparation of CEs (Compensation Events) and EWNs (Early Warning Notices)
• Contributing to resource planning, cost estimation, and equipment specification
• Supporting project reporting, reviews and stakeholder communication
• Identifying and co‑ordinating with external delivery partners where required

Working Conditions

Monday – Friday, 40 contractual hours per week. This role will be offered on a remote working basis with occasional travel to BRUSH Group locations across the UK for team meetings & site visits. Attendance at our office locations may be required to support onboarding, training and development where necessary therefore candidates should live within a comfortable commuting distance to either our Cardiff/Glasgow/Hook or Loughborough office locations.

Key Responsibilities

Design Documentation & Reports

• Master Deliverables Lists (MDLs)
• Design Intent Documents
• Design Risk Assessments (in line with CDM requirements)
• Cable rating, sizing, and simulation studies
• Short‑circuit force calculations for busbars and cables
• Equipment specifications, order schedules & Material schedules

Engineering Drawings & Layouts

• Substation compound & switch room layouts and elevations (existing, enabling and proposed)
• Cable routing layouts, installation and trench section designs
• CDM / Safety in Design layouts
• Busbar connection arrangements
• Primary plant clearance layouts and elevations
• Single Line Diagrams (SLDs)
• Phasing diagrams
• Production of sketches from client briefs and scope of works for use by CAD designers

Design Coordination & Quality

• Ensure design compliance, quality and consistency (internal and outsourced work)
• Co‑ordinate and manage own workload to meet programme and client milestones
• Maintain high quality and consistency of design documentation while working to project timelines
• Review and check design information provided by clients and other engineers

Project & Design Support

• Provide technical input to quotations and attend design meetings and site visits

Health, Safety & Risk in Design

• Apply CDM and Safe by Design principles to identify, mitigate and eliminate health, safety and construction risks

What we're looking for

Qualifications

• Degree Level qualification in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or relevant NVQ Level 6 equivalent, or equivalent experience.
• Achieved or working towards Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng)

Experience

• Proven experience delivering and checking substation designs (11kV–132kV) is essential
• Knowledge of CDM regulations and safe design practices is essential
• Strong understanding of substation design principles and configuration philosophies is essential
• Knowledge of earthing and underground cable design principles is essential
• Strong communication, report writing and stakeholder management skills is essential
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams is essential
• Experience working with NEC contracts desirable
• Experience in customer connections projects desirable

Software Knowledge

• Trimble ProDesign or similar (i.e. ETAP)
• Cableizer
• DIgSILENT PowerFactory
• AutoCAD 2D or similar design tools (i.e. Navisworks, MicroStation, Revit, Inventor, Solid works)
• MS Office Suite
• Experience with equivalent tools is acceptable, provided a strong understanding of core engineering principles is demonstrated.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary
• Holiday allowance starting at 26 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time roles)
• Flexible and Hybrid working options (role dependant)
• Life insurance – 4 x annual salary
• Enhanced Company Pension scheme
• 24/7 free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme
• GP24 Service – Access to remote, private GP services 24/7, 365 days a year plus Second Medical Opinions.
• BRUSHRewards – Discover plenty of ways to get more active and make great savings on everyday essentials as well as gifts for loved ones, holidays and special treats for yourself.
• Family friendly policies including Enhanced Maternity/Paternity
• Bike2work scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Developing our people is important to us – we support and encourage development by offering ongoing professional development and training.