HV Design Lead

HV Lead Engineer

Our client is seeking an HV Design Integration Lead to join their team in the power distribution sector. This permanent role involves various locations including Birmingham, Ringwood, and Widnes and requires significant travel to client offices, project sites, and other regional locations as needed to fulfil business requirements and client needs. The HV Design Integration Lead will be integral in strengthening the in-house high voltage electrical design capability, with a focus on technical delivery, multidisciplinary coordination, and engineering leadership. The role will focus on either Protection and Control design leadership or strong Primary design engineering. The successful candidate will be expected to provide pragmatic and technically credible leadership, ensuring safety, quality, compliance, and coordination across electrical design activities.

• Lead or undertake HV electrical design activities with a focus on Primary design or Protection and Control design for substations.
• Produce, review, and coordinate calculations, reports, design philosophies, layouts, schematics, schedules, and supporting technical documentation.
• Ensure designs are safe, compliant, buildable, and aligned with project requirements and programme assumptions.
• Apply sound engineering judgement to resolve technical issues and support timely decision-making on complex schemes.

• Coordinate the wider electrical design scope effectively, even where specialist support is used.
• Manage interfaces between Primary, Protection and Control, and secondary electrical disciplines.
• Support mobilisation activities by understanding technical scope, deliverables, information requirements, and quality expectations.

• Ensure the quality, consistency, and technical integrity of HV electrical design outputs.
• Carry out or support checking, review, and sign-off activities in line with NERS requirements and relevant standards.
• Develop and improve electrical design procedures, templates, and quality assurance arrangements.
• Identify and help mitigate technical risks without compromising safety or compliance.

• Act as a credible technical interface with clients, DNOs, Tier 1 contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Support bids, tenders, and early-stage technical discussions with practical delivery strategies.
• Contribute to the development of an in-house electrical design capability.

• Support the selection, onboarding, mentoring, and development of future electrical design staff.
• Help transition electrical capability from third-party reliance to controlled in-house delivery.
• Share lessons learned and good practice across the business.
• Act with professionalism, accountability, and collaborative leadership.

• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or another appropriate technical discipline.
• Chartered status (CEng, IEng, or equivalent) with an appropriate professional institution, or demonstrable equivalent competence through experience.

• Significant experience in HV electrical design, particularly substations and related infrastructure.
• Demonstrable capability in either Primary design or Protection and Control design leadership.
• Experience of working with or for DNOs, Tier 1 contractors, and engineering consultancies.
• Experience of producing, reviewing, or approving electrical engineering outputs in regulated environments.
• Experience of supporting bids, tenders, and early-stage technical discussions.
• Experience of coordinating multidisciplinary design inputs.

• Strong technical judgement with a commitment to safety, compliance, and quality.
• Ability to balance technical delivery with checking and coordination responsibilities.
• Calm, credible, and pragmatic with sound decision-making capabilities.
• Commercial awareness and focus on valuable engineering activities.
• Collaborative and confident in working with internal teams and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and relevant engineering systems.

If you are an experienced HV Design Lead looking to advance your career in power distribution, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join our client's dynamic and professional team.