Principal Substation Secondary Design Engineer

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Principal Protection & Control Engineer to join a leading engineering consultancy delivering major infrastructure and energy transition projects across the UK.

You will join a specialist transmission and distribution engineering team working across high-voltage networks, renewable integration and complex utility infrastructure programmes. This role offers the chance to lead technical delivery while shaping protection and control strategies for critical national assets.

The Role

As a Principal P&C Engineer, you will take a lead role in the design, review and delivery of protection and control systems for high-voltage transmission projects up to 400kV.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the design of transmission protection systems up to 400kV
• Reviewing internal and third-party protection and control designs
• Developing design estimates, deliverables lists and engineering programmes
• Providing technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers
• Advising on protection design, system operation and design change impacts
• Ensuring compliance with CDM regulations and engineering standards
• Challenging and improving existing technical solutions and design approaches
• Managing delivery of project tasks to scope, time, cost and quality requirements
• Undertaking site visits and supporting construction and commissioning activities
• Identifying and managing technical, safety and project risks
• Acting as a key interface with clients, contractors, system operators and stakeholders
• Supporting coordination across multidisciplinary engineering teams

About You

You will likely bring:

• Strong background in power system protection design and application
• Experience working at transmission voltage levels up to 400kV (utility, consultancy or OEM environment)
• Proven experience producing protection and control design deliverables
• Ability to calculate relay settings and develop logic files
• Experience producing schematics and detailed P&C engineering drawings
• Knowledge of protection schemes including busbar, transformer, feeder, reactor and circuit breaker fail protection
• Understanding of SCADA interfaces and system integration
• Experience working with IEC 61850 communication protocols
• Familiarity with protection studies and coordination tools such as ASPEN, ETAP or DIgSILENT
• Strong understanding of substation secondary systems including panel design and cable schedules
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary engineering and delivery teams
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage at senior stakeholder level

Desirable Experience

• TP141, CDAE or LCDAE authorisation
• Chartered Engineer status
• HVDC and FACTS protection system experience
• SCADA system design (e.g. Zenon-Copa-Data)

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to lead technical delivery on major UK transmission projects
• Significant influence over protection and control design standards and approaches
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• Exposure to complex, high-value national infrastructure programmes
• Strong career progression within a specialist engineering environment

This is a key opportunity for a senior protection engineer looking to take a leading role in shaping critical UK transmission infrastructure and supporting the energy transition.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.