Protection & Control Discipline Lead; Energy

About the Role

As the Lead of Protection & Control Team, you will lead the engineering activities and are responsible for Protection & Control design across substations from 132kV to 400kV. You will act as the technical authority for Protection & Control design, ensuring safe, compliant, and high-quality engineering solutions aligned with client requirements, regulatory standards and industry best practice.

The role combines technical leadership, strategic direction, team development, and engagement with key stakeholders across UK Transmission Operators.

• Strategic Leadership
  • Lead and develop the P&C design functions across the P&C discipline.
  • Define technical standards, best practices and long-term capability requirements.
  • Promote safety-by-design, quality assurance and compliance with UK/EU legislation and industry standards (ENA, BS, IEC).
  • Align design resources with business strategy and project demand.
  • Responsibility for resource planning and recruitment.
• Technical Authority
  • Set direction for P&C design including Basic & Detailed design packages.
  • Approve design deliverables to ensure technical integrity, constructability and compliance with utility standards.
• Project Delivery & Governance
  • Provide technical oversight across all project phases: concept, FEED, detailed design, construction and commissioning.
  • Drive consistency, quality and risk management across design packages.
  • Support tendering activities including bid preparation, estimating and scope definition.
• People Leadership
  • Build, lead and mentor a high- performing team of engineers and technical specialists.
  • Define career pathways, training programmes, standardisation of design activities and performance expectations.
  • Enable effective collaboration with HV Plant, Civil, OHL, HV Cable, DNO and project management teams.
• Client & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Represent the organisation as a senior technical authority in client, regulator and partner meetings.
  • Work with external design houses, suppliers and contractors to optimise technical solutions.
  • Manage client feedback to support continuous improvement and strong commercial relationships.

• Senior-level experience in P&C design & leadership within the UK Transmission sectors.
• Strong expertise in P&C engineering systems.
• In-depth understanding of UK utility technical standards, grid codes and regulatory frameworks.
• Minimum BEng in Electrical Engineering.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng, IET) or working towards chartership.
• Experience working with UK Transmission Operators.

• P&C CDAE/LCDAE in UK National Grid Projects.
• BP141 Authorisation in P&C or Settings Calculations.
• Understanding / Experience in Eir Grid, SSE requirements / Projects.

• Work-life balance: hybrid working policy (flexible work from home two days a week, office collaboration).
• Inclusivity & Belonging: supportive inclusive culture.
• Health & Wellbeing:
  Thrive programme with Virtual GP, gymflex scheme, menopause support package.
• Flex time: 'WSP My Hour', part-time and flexible arrangements, additional leave, bank holiday entitlement.
• Development: training, mentoring, chartership support.

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender re-assignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.