Job Title: Principal Design Engineer –
Primary
Location:
Glasgow (Hamilton)
Reporting to:
Section Lead – Primary
Business Unit:
Omexom Design
Purpose of the Position
To lead the design of primary plant layouts and associated engineering for high-voltage (HV) substations, ensuring high technical standards, safety, and efficiency across the full design lifecycle. The Principal Design Engineer will act as a technical authority, supporting project delivery, mentoring design engineers, and ensuring that designs meet client, regulatory, and internal requirements.
Key Responsibilities And Duties
Including but not limited to:
* Technical Leadership Lead the development of substation primary layouts (typically 132kV to 400kV), including busbar arrangements, equipment spacing, plant orientation, and earthing zones.
* Design Delivery Oversee the production of general arrangements, layout plans, sections, cable routing plans, and associated deliverables across FEED, detailed design, and construction stages.
* Client and Stakeholder Interface Liaise directly with clients and internal stakeholders to develop and agree substation layouts in line with technical and operational requirements.
* Standards Compliance Ensure compliance with client specifications, industry standards, and statutory regulations, including ENA TS, NG TS, IEC, BS EN, and CDM 2015.
* Multi-Disciplinary Coordination Collaborate with civil, protection, control, and secondary design teams to ensure coordinated and constructible substation designs.
* Design Assurance Review and approve technical documents and drawings produced by design engineers. Participate in design reviews and hazard identification workshops.
* Mentoring and Development Provide technical guidance and support to junior engineers and graduate designers. Support skill development and technical leadership across the substation primary team.
* Innovation and Continuous Improvement Contribute to the development of internal design tools, processes, and standardisation initiatives. Drive innovation in plant layout optimisation and digital delivery.
* Construction Support Provide technical input during construction, including support for TQs, RFIs, site visits, and redlining of as-built documentation.
Person Specification
Essential Qualifications And Experience
* Degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
* Experience in HV substation primary design, ideally including projects at 132kV to 400kV.
* Strong knowledge of substation equipment and layout design principles, including operational clearances, phase separation, and maintainability.
* Experience producing and reviewing general arrangement drawings, equipment layout plans, and plant positioning documentation.
* Familiarity with design and assurance requirements from clients such as National Grid, SPEN, or SSEN.
* Understanding of applicable UK and international standards (e.g. IEC 61936, NG TS 2.10, ENA TS 41-series).
* Proficiency in AutoCAD and familiarity with design tools such as Revit, BIM 360, or 3D plant layout software.
* Knowledge of CDM regulations and experience incorporating Safety by Design into layouts and access arrangements.
Desirable Attributes
* Chartered Engineer status (e.g. CEng MIET) or working towards professional registration.
* Experience contributing to multi-disciplinary project bids and tender design stages.
* Experience with Digital Twin concepts or integrated digital plant design.
* Understanding of temporary works and constructability considerations for primary plant.