Protection and Control Engineer

Role Overview

Are you a technical expert in protection systems and control schemes? Want to work on critical HV infrastructure projects that power homes and businesses across the UK? We’re looking for a Protection and Control Engineer to join our growing team delivering HV substation designs within a large-scale DNO framework.

As a specialist within the electrical design function, you will lead the development of protection and control designs across 11kV to 132kV substation projects, including new builds, upgrades, and reinforcements. You’ll work closely with the Lead Electrical Design Engineer, civil designers, and the DNO design authority to deliver fully compliant and coordinated protection and control schemes.

Projects will include GIS and AIS switchgear, new transformer installations, overhead line and underground cable terminations, with associated protection settings and control interfaces.

The Protection and Control Engineer’s responsibilities include:

• Design Development -Prepare and review protection and control designs including single-line diagrams, protection schematics, wiring diagrams, and control philosophies.
• Standards Compliance - Ensure all designs align with DNO requirements, national standards and project specifications.
• Coordination - Work collaboratively with primary electrical designers, civil designers, and control system specialists to ensure integrated solutions.
• Settings & Calculations -Undertake protection studies, fault level assessments, and configuration of protection settings for approval by the DNO.
• Technical Assurance -Provide technical oversight to ensure robust, safe, and operable protection and control systems are delivered.
• Review & Handover -Support design reviews and commissioning stages, ensuring protection schemes perform as intended and documentation is complete.
• Consultant Management -Oversee third-party designers and review protection and control deliverables produced by sub-consultants.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or electronic engineering (or equivalent).
• Proven experience in protection and control design for HV substations, ideally in a DNO or ICP environment.
• Sound knowledge of relays, SCADA, RTUs, and communication protocols
• Experience performing relay settings calculations, coordination studies and using relevant software tools

Skills

• Strong understanding of high-voltage system protection principles and safety considerations.
• Clear communicator with the ability to explain complex control systems to non-specialists.
• Attention to detail in producing and checking protection schematics and logic diagrams.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Capable of managing time and priorities effectively in a fast-paced delivery setting.

Company Information:

OCU leads the way in end-to-end infrastructure engineering in the utilities, digital, and energy markets, specialising in safely and efficiently delivering complex client requirements. Our breadth of capabilities and depth of operational capacity, paired with our cutting-edge technology, ensure that we are not just part of the market; we are leading it.

Working directly with many of the country’s leading power, energy transition, water, telecoms and digital clients, we are looking for the very best talent to join our growing team.