AECOM
Associate Director - Substation Design (UK)
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Engineering Lead – Transmission & Distribution
Work with Us. Change the World.
At AECOM, we’re delivering a better world. From improving commutes to providing clean energy access, our work helps people and communities thrive. As the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, we partner with clients to solve complex challenges and shape positive, tangible impacts worldwide.
With acceleration in global infrastructure investment, our expertise is in high demand. Join a global team of over 50,000 professionals—planners, engineers, scientists, and innovators—united by a shared purpose: building a better world.
Join AECOM.
Start Here. Grow Here.
Are you ready to join AECOM’s UK Transmission & Distribution team and grow your career among talented, innovative engineers?
Our team delivers High Voltage (HV) design for electrical power projects covering 132kV to 400kV transmission and distribution networks. This role focuses on primary plant design—core substation infrastructure, grid connections, and private networks—throughout the lifecycle, from feasibility and FEED to detailed design and assurance.
About the Role
Key Responsibilities
As part of our client-facing consultancy team, you will:
- Lead substation technical discussions with clients and internal multi-disciplinary teams to:
- Define project scopes
- Establish interfacing agreements
- Quality-check deliverables before client release
- Drive technical delivery by:
- Agreeing project approaches
- Supporting scope understanding
- Mentoring staff and building team capacity
- Leverage substation asset lifecycle expertise to achieve successful client project outcomes
- Collaborate with project management to produce resource forecasts and programmes
- Demonstrate commercial awareness by:
- Developing proposals
- Managing project costs
- Opportunist bid identification
- Build client relationships, demonstrating empathy for their objectives to foster trust and alignment
- Champion safety in design throughout projects
- Mentor junior staff to develop their skills and enhance team capabilities
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Enjoy the Perks
At AECOM, we support your well-being and future with tailored benefits:
- Career development opportunities
- Flexible hybrid working (aecomworksflexible.com) for work-life balance
- Practice networks and professional learning via AECOM University
- Volunteering days aligned with corporate responsibility goals
- Access to industry-leading technology and globally relevant career growth
Qualifications & Experience
We’re looking for a visionary engineer with:
✔ Minimum industry experience: 3–5 years in consultancy, contracting, or utility for National Grid, SSE, SPT, or other transmission organisations in the UK/Ireland (utility experience is a strong preference).
✔ HV subsystem design expertise, including:
- Substation detailed design and conceptual engineering
- AIS and GIS infrastructure familiarity
✔ Technical standards knowledge:
- National Grid and IET codes
- RIVP D rooted in UK grid standards
✔ Bid and proposal development:
- Leading multi-disciplinary submission processes
✔ Granting knowledge: Experience with transmission approvals ( CSPW, NCS, Inception Reporting and SRES ) from UCL and NEC.
✔ Enhanced expertise is favourable:
- Control systems & electricity protection
- Transformers, HVDC/HV underground power tunnels and grid capacity expansion planning techniques
- Bid evaluation support for PPA-based subsidies
✔ Ideally CDAE or LCDAE approved
** Our Commitment to Inclusivity**
We celebrate neurodiversity, disabilities, and diverse backgrounds. At AECOM, you’ll learn and develop continuously in an environment that values individual strength and perspective. Practical adjustments can be arranged via ReasonableAccommodations@aecom.com.
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If you meet some criteria or believe transferable skills align well, we’d love to hear from you.
Additional Information
Understand life at AECOM: Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter & Instagram or visit us on LinkedIn to explore AECOM Voices, employee stories and featured projects.
As a global firm, we prioritise security and trust in recruitment. New hires must attend an on-site Day 1 onboarding for compliance.
AECOM provides a flexible model: Achieve your best work with options tailored for projects and progress at student, training associate, graduate, and leadership levels.
Internally, we operate under a strong principle of ‘progress to hire’, championing your whole self while respecting all backgrounds and talents.
Why Work for AECOM?
A Fortune 500 firm with $16.1 billion in revenue (FY 2025), AECOM delivers sustainable legacies and bigger impact.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we support every individual’s growth, welcoming proven engineers eager to push boundaries and become part of a culture that values rigor, innovation, and forward vision.
Due to visa restrictions, this role is UK-focused, with locations in Nottingham. As an industry leader, we combine technical excellence with workplace flexibility—some tasks may require temporary on-site presence.
ReqID: J10154915 | Hiring Manager(s):Mike Turner / Barry McGerrigle | Business Line: Energy | Region: Europe | Full-Time, Hybrid
Disability Confident Employer: Confirmed interview access for applicants who meet essential criteria and disclose requirements.
Apply at AECOM Careers to build your future delivering transformational infrastructure.
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