Senior Control & Protection Design Engineer

TLI Group; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance Discount

23 Days Annual Leave

Pension Availability

Job summary

TLI Group is seeking a Senior Control & Protection Electrical Design Engineer to join the Dublin office with hybrid flexibility and occasional site travel. You will lead the design of control, protection and secondary systems for HV/MV substations across Power, Renewables and Utilities projects.

You will mentor junior engineers, ensure designs meet ESB/EirGrid standards, and drive timely delivery within budget while promoting safety and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Honours Degree (or higher) in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Control & Protection / Secondary Design for HV/MV substations.
• Proven experience delivering C&P design on utility or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Expert-level proficiency in EPLAN (minimum 5 years) for substation secondary design.
• Strong experience in control and protection systems for HV/MV substations.

Responsibilities

• Act as a Senior Control & Protection Engineer within the Engineering Team.
• Take ownership of control, protection and secondary system design on HV and MV substation projects.
• Review Employer’s Requirements, specifications, standards and drawings.
• Lead the development of protection philosophies, control philosophies and functional design specifications.
• Produce and review secondary design deliverables, including schematics, wiring diagrams and cable schedules.
• Undertake the role of EPLAN superuser for substation control and protection design.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

EPLAN

AutoCAD

MS Office

Job description

As part of the continued growth of the Engineering Team at TLI Group, we are currently recruiting a Senior Control & Protection (C&P) Electrical Design Engineer to join the team. The successful candidate will be based in our Dublin office, with flexibility to work from Waterford, Limerick, Cork or Tralee. Travel to site may be required occasionally; however, this is primarily an office-based (hybrid) design role.

As a Senior C&P Electrical Design Engineer, you will play a key role in the design and delivery of secondary and protection systems for HV/MV substations across major Power, Renewables and Utilities projects. You will take ownership of control and protection design activities, be involved in technical decision-making, and provide mentoring and technical guidance to junior engineers. You will ensure that all designs comply with the required technical, quality, safety and regulatory standards.

About TLI Group:

TLI Group is a premier utility contractor, specialising in the maintenance and construction of Electrical and Telecommunications infrastructure. TLI Group's continued growth has been achieved by gaining new and repeat business through building on a solid reputation in the delivery of projects to the highest standard and through forming very strong and valued client relationships. Our teams have offices in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Key Responsibilities:

Act as a Senior Control & Protection Engineer within TLI Group’s Engineering Team.

Take ownership of control, protection and secondary system design on HV and MV substation projects.

Review and become fully conversant with Employer’s Requirements, specifications, standards and drawings.

Lead the development of protection philosophies, control philosophies and functional design specifications.

Produce and review secondary design deliverables, including:

Protection and control schematics

Wiring and interconnection diagrams & Cable schedules

Panel layouts and schedules

Relay settings philosophies and protection coordination inputs

Undertake the role of EPLAN superuser for substation control and protection schematic design withing the team. Ownership & management of EPLAN software including templates, forms, database, etc.

Review and approve design outputs and team submissions prior to issue, identifying value engineering opportunities where possible.

Ensure all designs comply with relevant standards and client specifications (e.g. ESB, EirGrid).

Manage design activities to ensure delivery within agreed programmes and budgets.

Identify scope changes, design risks and variations, and advise the project and commercial teams accordingly.

Provide technical support to project delivery, construction and commissioning teams.

Review and approve construction work packs ahead of on-site activities.

Support FAT/SAT activities and provide technical input during testing and commissioning where required.

Promote a strong safety-first culture throughout the design process.

Provide mentoring, coaching and technical development support to junior engineers.

Contribute to tender and bid submissions, providing technical inputs and estimates where required.

Engage with Engineers Ireland Accredited Employer processes including mentoring, CPD and knowledge sharing.

Maintain awareness of industry developments, protection technologies and design innovations to drive continuous improvement.

Role Requirements

Qualifications & Experience:

Honours Degree (or higher) in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.

Minimum 5 years’ experience in Control & Protection / Secondary Design for HV/MV substations.

Proven experience delivering C&P design on utility or large-scale infrastructure projects.

Technical Knowledge:

Expert-level proficiency in EPLAN (minimum 5 years) for substation secondary design.

Strong experience in control and protection systems for HV/MV substations.

Knowledge of:

Protection relays (distance, differential, overcurrent, busbar, transformer protection)

Substation control systems, interlocking and tripping schemes

SCADA, RTUs and substation automation systems

Familiarity with ESB Networks and/or EirGrid specifications and standards is highly advantageous.

Experience with AutoCAD and MS Office; experience with protection studies or relay configuration tools is beneficial.

Skills:

Strong understanding of design-to-construction interfaces.

Ability to manage and technically lead a small design team.

Excellent client-facing and stakeholder engagement skills.

Strong commercial awareness and programme management capability.

Excellent communication, organisational and planning skills.

Ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced project environment.

Capable of working independently while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team.

Strong alignment with TLI Group’s Mission, Vision and Values.

Safety-first mindset with a right-first-time approach.

Professional, customer-focused and collaborative.

Honest, ethical and accountable.

Open to innovation and continuous improvement.

Proactive, forward-thinking and solution-oriented.

Package:

Competitive rates of pay.

23 Days annual leave.

Opportunity to progress your career within a growing company.

Voluntary Pension available on completion of probation.

Employee membership for our LAYA EAP Programme - 24/7 Mental Wellbeing Support & Employee Assistance Programme.

Health Insurance Discount.

Life Assurance Payment.

Participate in our monthly HSQE & Driving Performance Awards.

Employee Referral Scheme.

Standard industry training provided

TLI Group are an equal opportunity employer.