Engineering a Sustainable Future
Engineering a Sustainable Future
Primary Plant Design Engineer – REDAS Engineering & Construction
REDAS Engineering & Construction is a growing engineering and construction company delivering specialist electrical engineering, construction, commissioning and infrastructure solutions across the UK.
We are seeking an experienced Primary Plant Design Engineer to join our engineering team in Scotland. The successful candidate will be responsible for the design and development of HV substation primary plant and associated electrical infrastructure, from concept and detailed design through to construction, commissioning and handover.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced engineer to contribute to major HV, grid connection and renewable energy infrastructure projects across Scotland and the wider UK.
As a Primary Plant Design Engineer, you will be responsible for developing safe, technically compliant and constructable designs for HV substations and associated primary electrical equipment.
You will work closely with P&C, secondary and LV engineers, civil/structural engineers, project managers, commissioning engineers, construction teams, clients, DNOs/IDNOs and equipment manufacturers to ensure that all aspects of the substation design are fully coordinated.
Develop detailed primary plant designs for HV and EHV substations.
Produce and review substation electrical single-line diagrams and primary system arrangements.
Develop substation general arrangements, equipment layouts and plant arrangements.
Design and specify HV primary equipment including switchgear, transformers, circuit breakers, disconnectors and earthing equipment.
Develop equipment positioning and arrangement drawings.
Establish electrical clearances, phase-to-phase and phase-to-earth clearances.
Design busbar arrangements and connections.
Develop transformer and associated HV/LV connection arrangements.
Design and coordinate HV cable and overhead line interfaces.
Develop substation gantry, busbar and conductor arrangements where applicable.
Coordinate primary plant designs with civil, structural, secondary, protection and control disciplines.
Carry out electrical design calculations and technical assessments.
Support equipment selection and preparation of technical specifications.
Review manufacturer drawings and technical documentation.
Review equipment datasheets and ensure compliance with project requirements.
Produce and check construction-ready design documentation.
Participate in design reviews, HAZID/HAZOP and technical coordination meetings where required.
Identify technical risks, design constraints and constructability issues.
Provide engineering support during construction and commissioning.
Attend site to resolve design queries and provide technical assistance.
Review installation requirements and ensure adequate access, maintenance and operational clearances.
Review red-line drawings and incorporate site changes into as-built documentation.
Liaise with clients, DNOs, IDNOs, equipment manufacturers and other project stakeholders.
Ensure designs comply with relevant UK standards, legislation, client specifications and industry best practice.
The successful candidate should have experience with some or all of the following:
HV and EHV substations.
11kV, 33kV, 66kV, 132kV and/or higher-voltage systems.
Power transformers.
HV circuit breakers.
Disconnectors/isolators.
Earth switches.
Current transformers (CTs).
Voltage transformers (VTs).
Capacitive voltage transformers (CVTs).
Surge arresters.
Busbars and busbar systems.
Post insulators.
Cable sealing ends and terminations.
Outdoor and indoor switchgear.
GIS and/or AIS substations.
Transformer neutral arrangements.
Neutral earthing equipment.
Earthing and bonding systems.
HV cables.
Overhead line interfaces.
Gantries and steelwork.
Substation structures and support systems.
Lightning protection systems.
Substation fencing and equipment access arrangements.
The role will involve producing and checking engineering documentation including:
Single-line diagrams.
Primary plant arrangement drawings.
Substation general arrangement drawings.
Equipment layout drawings.
Elevation and section drawings.
Busbar arrangement drawings.
HV connection arrangements.
Transformer arrangement drawings.
Equipment foundation/interface drawings.
Primary equipment schedules.
Equipment datasheets.
Technical specifications.
Electrical design calculations.
Electrical clearance calculations.
Short-circuit and fault-level assessments where applicable.
Load-flow studies where applicable.
Cable sizing and rating calculations where applicable.
Earthing design inputs and coordination.
Lightning protection design inputs.
Bill of quantities and material schedules.
Construction drawings.
Design reports.
As-built documentation.
Proven experience as a Primary Plant Design Engineer, HV Substation Design Engineer, Electrical Design Engineer or similar.
Strong practical experience designing HV substations and primary electrical systems.
Good knowledge of HV substation equipment and electrical arrangements.
Experience producing and reviewing substation layouts and primary plant arrangements.
Strong understanding of HV electrical clearances and equipment spacing.
Experience with HV switchgear, transformers, circuit breakers, disconnectors and associated equipment.
Ability to interpret and develop electrical single-line diagrams.
Experience coordinating electrical designs with civil, structural and secondary systems.
Understanding of HV cable systems and substation cable interfaces.
Good understanding of substation earthing and bonding principles.
Ability to review manufacturer drawings and technical documentation.
Experience producing construction-ready engineering documentation.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent attention to detail.
Good understanding of UK electrical engineering standards and requirements.
Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team.
Willingness to travel to project sites across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK when required.
HNC/HND or Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
Chartered Engineer or working towards professional registration.
Experience with UK DNO/IDNO projects.
Experience with 33kV and 132kV substations.
Experience working on National Grid projects or to National Grid technical specifications.
Experience with renewable energy grid connection projects.
Experience with wind farms, solar PV and battery energy storage systems.
Experience with AIS and/or GIS substations.
Experience with AutoCAD, MicroStation, AutoCAD Electrical or equivalent design software.
Experience with 3D substation modelling/design software.
Knowledge of DNO/IDNO technical specifications.
Knowledge of ENA Engineering Recommendations.
Experience with HV equipment specification and procurement.
Experience supporting site construction and commissioning activities.
The successful candidate should have a strong understanding of:
HV substation primary plant.
HV system design.
Substation layouts and equipment arrangements.
Electrical clearances.
HV switchgear.
Power transformers.
Busbar systems.
HV cables and terminations.
CTs, VTs and CVTs.
Circuit breakers and disconnectors.
Substation earthing and bonding.
Lightning protection.
Fault levels and short-circuit duties.
Equipment ratings and electrical withstand requirements.
Substation access and maintenance requirements.
Primary/secondary system interfaces.
Civil and structural interfaces.
Applicable IEC and BS EN standards.
UK DNO/IDNO requirements and client specifications.
A key part of the role will be ensuring effective coordination with other engineering disciplines.
You will work closely with:
Protection & Control Engineers
Protection equipment interfaces.
CT/VT requirements.
Circuit breaker control interfaces.
Interlocking requirements.
Protection scheme requirements.
Secondary & LV Engineers
Auxiliary supplies.
Control and protection panels.
Cable routing and interfaces.
LV/secondary equipment requirements.
Civil & Structural Engineers
Equipment foundations.
Steelwork and gantries.
Cable trenches and ducts.
Access roads and maintenance areas.
Building and enclosure interfaces.
Commissioning Engineers
Equipment testing requirements.
Commissioning access.
Functional requirements.
Design clarification and site support.
We are looking for an engineer who is:
Technically strong and commercially aware.
Safety-focused and committed to high engineering standards.
Practical and able to develop buildable, maintainable designs.
Detail-oriented and methodical.
Confident communicating with clients and project stakeholders.
Comfortable working within multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Proactive in identifying technical risks and design improvements.
Organised and able to manage multiple project deliverables.
Able to work effectively under project deadlines.
Willing to provide technical support during construction and commissioning.
Competitive salary or contract rate depending on experience.
Opportunity to work on major HV substation and energy infrastructure projects across Scotland.
Exposure to major grid connection and renewable energy projects.
Professional development and technical training opportunities.
Career progression within a growing engineering and construction business.
Supportive and technically focused working environment.
Opportunities to progress into Senior Primary Engineer, Lead Engineer or Engineering Manager positions.
Travel and accommodation support where applicable.
If you are an experienced Primary Plant Design Engineer looking for your next opportunity with a growing engineering and construction company, we would like to hear from you.
Please submit your CV and a brief covering letter outlining your relevant HV substation design experience, qualifications and availability.