Principal Substation Primary; HV Plant Design Engineer

Overview

Grow your career while reshaping the world.

You might know us for the great work we do across our wide variety of projects. We're proud to say it's thanks to our people's diversity of thought, expertise and knowledge. And when you join us, you'll be a part of this genuinely collaborative environment, where everyone's voice is valued and treated equally.

We're passionate about what we do, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Simply put, this a great place to be. So, when it comes to your life outside of work, ask us about our flexible and remote working policies designed to help you get the most out of life.
Atkins

Réalis are proud to be working at the heart of the challenges in the energy industry and within our Power Grids team we are continually developing and growing within this area. Our team is currently delivering work across the Transmission and Distribution sectors across the UK as well as supporting other Energy and infrastructure business sectors.

Atkins

Réalis offers a dynamic, innovative, and collaborative environment where you can advance your career at the forefront of engineering. As a Principal Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our technical excellence and leading a high‑performing team within our HV Electrical Engineering group. This position provides exposure to a diverse range of projects and technologies, with outstanding opportunities for both technical and leadership development.

You will be based in one of our offices in Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham or Epsom, working closely with clients and internal teams to deliver best‑in‑class solutions. Building strong, trusted relationships is central to this role, and you'll thrive in a mix of office‑based and client‑facing environments.

You will be accountable for the following tasks including but not limited to:

Team Leadership & Line Management

• Line manage a team of engineers, providing mentorship, performance management, and career development support.
• Support the Electrical Group Lead with recruitment, resourcing, and workforce planning.
• Drive training initiatives and technical development programs for junior engineers.

Technical Leadership

• Lead FEED and detailed design work streams for electricity transmission substation projects, ensuring technical integrity and compliance with client specifications.

Quality Assurance

• Oversee and assure the delivery of FEED, detailed design, and bid submissions to the highest standards.

Design Review

• Provide expert review of HV plant aspects, including layouts, earthing design, interlocking schemes, busbar calculations, and technical specifications for HV equipment.

Project Coordination

• Manage interfaces with back‑office engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers to ensure seamless delivery.

Tender Management

• Act as tender manager for HV plant packages, reviewing technical offers and ensuring competitive, compliant submissions.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Chair design and hazard review meetings, attend site visits, FAT and SAT as required.

Client Focus & Business Development

• Maintain and grow client relationships, identifying opportunities for future work and contributing to business development activities.

About you

• Experience in managing technical teams.
• Degree qualified in Electrical Engineering or equivalent qualifications and experience.
• Charetered Engineer or working towards it.
• Proven experience in primary plant design of substations in UK or internationally
• Experience in preparing bids and cost estimates for FEED and detailed design work
• Good knowledge of electrical codes and standards (IEC, IEEE).
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Flexibility to travel to client sites when required.
• Capability to work under tight deadlines while achieving objectives with the ability to deal with competing priorities and manage time appropriately.

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of…