Technical Director​/Associate Director - HV Substation Design

Overview

Technical Director / Associate Director - HV Substation Design

Location: UK (Flexible)

Type:
Permanent

If you're an HV specialist who enjoys shaping strategy as much as delivering top‑tier engineering design, this one will get your attention.

We're supporting a major UK infrastructure organisation looking to strengthen their leadership team with a senior technical figure who can drive excellence across HV substation design. You'll be the go‑to authority on primary plant engineering, steering complex 132k V - 400kV projects from concept to detailed design.

This role suits someone who thrives in a consultancy‑style environment, enjoys leading technical direction, and wants real influence across nationally significant infrastructure.

• Leading client and internal technical discussions on HV substation projects.
• Defining scopes, interfaces, and engineering approaches across multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Overseeing technical delivery - monitoring progress, challenging assumptions, and quality‑checking all outputs before client issue.
• Applying deep knowledge of primary plant and the full asset lifecycle to deliver robust, compliant designs.
• Working closely with project managers on resourcing forecasts, programmes, and commercial tracking.
• Supporting proposal and bid development across complex, multidiscipline tenders.
• Developing long‑term client relationships and steering a "safety in design" culture.
• Mentoring and developing junior engineers to build capability across the team.

• Proven HV substation design experience within a consultancy, contractor, utility or developer.
• Strong background in AIS/GIS primary plant at 132kV - 400kV, across concept, FEED and detailed design.
• Working knowledge of National Grid standards and specifications
• Exposure to design assurance, site construction interfaces and multi‑discipline coordination.
• Experience with secondary systems, control systems, transformers, HVDC, interconnectors or protection & control (advantageous, not essential).
• Proposal/bid leadership experience.

Impact:
Lead design on nationally significant energy infrastructure.

Influence:
Shape engineering strategy and mentor the next generation of HV engineers.

Growth:
Opportunity to step into a senior leadership seat with genuine autonomy.