Commissioning Manager

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne (PO Boxes)

Job No. BBUK
20990

Commissioning Manager - Newcastle upon Tyne

Power T&D

Design Engineering
Newcastle upon Tyne Permanent
About the role
Balfour Beatty is recruiting a Commissioning Manager to join our Power Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Substation team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering National Grid substation projects across the Electricity Transmission Partnership portfolio in the North of England and continually seeking to make the energy system cleaner.

Demand for clean, secure energy is rising, to meet this demand there is a significant industry investment. You’ll work on multi-million pound projects ranging from substation extensions to new-build substations, supporting the delivery of critical infrastructure that powers homes, communities, and industries to help revolutionise and decarbonise the future of energy. The Commissioning Team is UK based, with regular travel to project sites nationwide.

Please note this is a full-time, permanent position and requires regular travel across the North East of England.
What you'll be doing
As a Commissioning Manager, you'll take ownership of commissioning delivery across the full lifecycle of substation projects, from tender support and design input through to on-site execution, energisation, and final handover. Acting as the technical authority for commissioning activities, you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the highest quality standards.

Serve as the subject matter expert for substation commissioning, providing technical support to tendering, design, operations, and project delivery teams.

Lead the development and implementation of commissioning strategies from early contractor involvement through to project completion and handover.

Provide specialist guidance on National Grid commissioning standards, HV/LV equipment testing, and commissioning best practice.

Ensure all commissioning activities comply with relevant safety, quality, technical, and operational requirements.

Support projects on-site by resolving commissioning challenges and providing hands-on expertise when required.

Drive commissioning input during bid and tender stages, including resource planning, programme development, and cost estimation.

Develop and maintain commissioning schedules, forecasts, and delivery plans to support successful project outcomes.

Participate in project handovers, ensuring a smooth transition from design and construction into commissioning and operational readiness.

Lead, develop, and mentor a growing team of commissioning engineers, technicians, and specialist subcontractors.

Plan and coordinate commissioning resources across multiple projects and frameworks.

Ensure all commissioning personnel hold the appropriate competencies, training, and authorisations to carry out their roles safely and effectively.

Foster a high-performing culture focused on collaboration, safety, and continuous improvement.

Monitor commissioning progress, performance, and expenditure against programme and budget targets.

Represent commissioning teams at project reviews, commissioning panels, and progress meetings, providing updates to Project Managers and key stakeholders.

Identify opportunities to improve testing and commissioning processes, driving innovation, efficiency, and best practice across the business.

Support lessons learned activities and contribute to the ongoing development of commissioning standards and methodologies.
Who we're looking for
We're seeking an experienced commissioning professional with a strong track record of delivering substation projects within the National Grid environment. The following are essential:

Extensive experience in substation commissioning, ideally on National Grid…