Job Title: Principal Electrical Design Manager
Location: HM Naval Base, Portsmouth
Service Area: Asset Management, Design
Hours of Work: 37 hours per week
Salary: £64,000 to £74,000
At KBS Maritime, we're not just a Joint Venture between industry leaders KBR and BAE Systems — we're a tight‐knit, high‐performing team with a small‐business ethos and big‐business history. We deliver asset management, facilities management and energy solutions across maritime and defence environments, and we pride ourselves on empowering our people to grow, innovate, and succeed.
Join KBS as a Principal Electrical Design Manager and lead a talented team shaping critical infrastructure projects from concept through to completion. This is a high‐impact, highly autonomous role where you'll steer design strategy, mentor engineers, and bring innovative solutions to life across multi‐discipline projects.
What You'll Do
* Lead and develop the Electrical Design Team, providing clear direction on priorities, programme, and technical strategy.
* Oversee the delivery of RIBA design stages, ensuring work meets client requirements, regulations, and KBS technical governance.
* Act as the technical authority for electrical designs, signing off calculations, technical specifications, drawings, and full design packages.
* Collaborate closely with clients, project managers, and stakeholders to shape detailed Statements of Requirements and drive project success.
* Champion continuous improvement, maintaining and enhancing electrical standards, processes, and team capability.
* Manage team training plans, budgets, mentoring, and overall resource allocation.
* Ensure designs align with strategic goals including safety, legislative compliance, and Net Zero Carbon objectives.
* Present design reviews, support tender processes, and contribute to high‐quality project handover and Safe to Operate documentation.
About You
* Degree/HND in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent).
* Significant and proven experience in electrical design within a relevant industry.
* Chartered (or working towards) is highly desirable.
* Strong leadership experience with the ability to mentor, motivate, and develop engineers.
* Skilled in LV/HV systems (up to 33kV), building services, and the full engineering lifecycle.
* Confident working directly with clients and presenting complex technical information in a clear, engaging way.
* Logical, organised, and proactive—someone who thrives in an autonomous role.
You'll get
* A competitive salary
* 25 days holiday plus bank holidays,
* Holiday purchase/sell scheme, following successful completion of probation period
* Enhanced pension scheme
* Access to our internal benefits and discounts programme for all colleagues
* Cycle to work scheme
* Group income protection
* Flexible parental benefits (if applicable)
* Access to our Internal employee assistance network, giving you the opportunity to reach the heights of success within your new position.
* Continued professional career development
* Kudos reward opportunities (internal achievements scheme)
* Occupational Health & Wellbeing Services
* 50% off entry into the Historic Dockyard
Why join us
At KBS Maritime, we're not just another company – we're an exciting and dynamic joint venture between industry leaders BAE Systems and KBR. Our team is dedicated to providing Asset Management, Infrastructure Management, Energy Solutions and Alongside Services at His Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth (HMNBP), the beating heart of the Royal Navy.
With almost two-thirds of the Royal Navy's surface ships stationed at HMNBP, working with KBS Maritime means being at the forefront of innovation and progress. We operate in a unique and fascinating environment, with a mix of historic dockyards and cutting-edge infrastructure that's unlike any other.
By delivering state of the art solutions to the Royal Navy, KBS Maritime offers the chance to work on projects that make a real difference to the safety, security, and sustainability of the UK's National Defence and Security. But it's not just about the work – at KBS Maritime, we believe in the value of our people. We have the ethos of a small business, which means we value and empower our team members to succeed.