Senior RTS Design Engineer

OCU Group; Harefield; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

OCU Group seeks a Senior RTS Design Engineer to lead the design and delivery of Real Time Systems (RTS), SCADA and associated communications for HV and EHV substations across the UK. You will own RTS architectures, RTU systems, substation LANs and interfaces, collaborating with electrical, protection, telecoms and IT/OT teams.

You will guide projects from feasibility through to installation and handover, ensuring robust, secure, and DNO-compliant solutions while contributing to digital

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• Proven RTS/SCADA design experience for HV/EHV substations.
• Strong knowledge of substation communications, RTUs, LANs and IP networking.

Responsibilities

• Lead RTS/SCADA design development and assurance across projects.
• Produce architecture diagrams, LAN layouts and IED integration drawings.
• Ensure designs meet DNO standards, cybersecurity and project specs.
• Coordinate interfaces and provide integration support from design to handover.

Skills

RTS and SCADA design

Substation communications

IP networking

Project lifecycle delivery

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Control Systems/Communications

Tools

Optical Transport Network

Job description

Senior RTS Design Engineer

Department: OCU Design

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Ruislip

Reporting To: Gordon Learoyd

Description

Location: Ruislip | Contract Type: Permanent | Working Pattern: Full-Time | Office & Site Based

Pay / Benefits: Remuneration for this role is benchmarked competitively within our sector.

The OpportunityWe are seeking an experienced Senior RTS Design Engineer to lead the design and delivery of Real Time Systems (RTS), SCADA and operational communications infrastructure for HV and EHV substation projects across the UK. Working within our electrical design function, you will ensure that systems are robust, secure and compliant with DNO standards, supporting the safe and reliable operation of electricity networks.

As a senior technical specialist, you will take ownership of SCADA architectures, Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) systems, substation LANs and communications interfaces, working closely with primary electrical, protection, telecoms and IT/OT engineering teams. You will support projects from feasibility and detailed design through to installation, commissioning and handover, ensuring seamless integration across the wider network.

With projects spanning 11kV to 132kV substations, including new builds, refurbishments and extensions, this is an excellent opportunity to provide technical leadership, develop innovative digital substation solutions and contribute to the continued improvement of network communications and control systems.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the development and assurance of RTS and SCADA designs, including system architectures, RTU solutions, substation LANs and communications topologies.
• Produce and review technical deliverables, including architecture diagrams, LAN layouts, IED integration drawings, communications schematics and RTS design specifications.
• Ensure designs comply with DNO standards, operational requirements, cybersecurity principles and project specifications, coordinating submissions and approvals with DNO design authorities.
• Design and coordinate communications interfaces involving fibre, IP-based networks and Optical Transport Network (OTN) technologies, ensuring resilience, redundancy and secure end-to-end connectivity.
• Specify and integrate RTUs, control panels, communications equipment, DC supplies, I/O requirements and data mappings to support effective SCADA monitoring and control.
• Collaborate with primary electrical, protection, telecoms, civil and construction teams to deliver fully integrated substation designs.
• Provide technical support during installation, testing and commissioning, reviewing test results, as-built documentation and system integration to ensure successful handover.

What You’ll Bring

Essential Skills

• Degree qualified, or equivalent, in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems, Communications or a related discipline.
• Proven experience delivering RTS and SCADA designs for HV and EHV substations within a DNO or Independent Connection Provider (ICP) environment.
• Strong technical knowledge of substation communications, SCADA systems, RTUs, substation LANs, IP networking and communications interfaces, including OTN.
• Experience delivering projects across the full lifecycle, from feasibility and detailed design through to installation, testing, commissioning and handover, with a strong understanding of DNO RTS and telecommunications standards.
• Excellent communication, technical documentation and organisational skills, with the ability to work independently, coordinate multidisciplinary teams and manage competing project priorities.

Desirable Skills

• Experience designing digital substations and fibre-based operational communications networks.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity requirements and operational technology (OT) security within electricity network environments.
• Experience defining, I/O requirements, data mappings, IED integration and RTU configuration strategies for SCADA systems.
• Experience reviewing third-party or subcontractor designs, supporting commissioning activities and resolving technical issues during project delivery.
• Previous experience providing technical leadership, mentoring junior engineers and contributing to the development of engineering standards and design processes.

What We Offer

At OCU, we believe that meaningful work should come with meaningful support. That's the principle behind Careers with Purpose, our commitment to ensuring every person at OCU feels supported, developed, and valued, not just in their role today, but throughout their career with us.

Alongside the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects, we offer a benefits package that we are continuing to develop as we grow, and the kind of career acceleration that only comes from being inside a business moving at this pace.

As a rapidly growing organisation, there are genuine opportunities to progress, broaden your experience, and build a long-term career within OCU Group.

For a confidential conversation about this opportunity, please contact Nicola Brooke at [e-mail].

Our vacancies are typically advertised for two weeks; however, we reserve the right to close applications early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable candidates. We therefore encourage early applications.

About OCU Group

At OCU Group, we don’t just deliver infrastructure - we help power modern life.

As one of the UK’s fastest-growing utility and infrastructure businesses, we deliver complex, nationally critical projects across power, energy transition, water, telecoms, and digital infrastructure. Over the last five years, OCU has grown five-fold to a £1.1bn organisation, expanding both organically and through strategic acquisitions across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Our growth is driven by ambitious people, operational excellence, and a commitment to doing things properly. We work on projects that genuinely matter by supporting the UK’s energy transition, strengthening essential infrastructure, and helping build more sustainable communities for the future.

Whether you’re an experienced professional looking to take ownership of major projects and influence delivery at scale, or someone starting your career through an apprenticeship, graduate programme, or placement route, OCU offers real opportunity to grow, develop, and make an impact.

We are building a business where high performance, collaboration, innovation, and accountability sit at the centre of our culture. Our people are trusted to lead, encouraged to challenge thinking, and supported to continuously develop their skills and careers.

At OCU, you won’t just join a growing business, you’ll help shape it.

Our Culture & Values

At OCU, our values are at the heart of everything we do. We care about safety, lead with integrity, strive to be better every day, make a positive impact, and deliver to grow, together, as One Company United.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At OCU Group, we believe diversity, inclusion, and belonging are fundamental to building stronger teams, better ideas, and a more successful business. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

As part of our commitment to fairness and equality, candidates may be asked to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form during the recruitment process. This information is used for monitoring purposes only and plays no part in hiring decisions.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to offering interviews to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions who meet the essential criteria for the role.