National Grid
Head of Engineering Design
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Job Introduction
An opportunity is available for a Head of Engineering Design based at Bristol, Cardiff, Tipton or Castle Donington, with regular travel across our licence areas as required.
The Engineering Design team is at the heart of NGED's major network investment programme, delivering EHV substation electrical designs, including protection and control systems, and providing design assurance for civil and linear assets operating at 11kV, 33kV, 66kV and 132kV. The team also has overall NGED responsibility for substation design standards and for the preparation and issue of protection relay configurations and settings (from 11kV to 132kV).
You will lead a highly skilled team ensuring the delivery of safe, compliant and cost-effective design solutions. Working closely with Major Projects, Engineering Policy and other key stakeholders, you will drive continuous improvement in design quality, productivity and efficiency, while supporting the successful delivery of projects on time and within budget.
Through strategic leadership and collaboration, you will help ensure the business has the engineering expertise, capacity and vision needed to deliver the network of the future.
Main Responsibilities
- Lead, develop and inspire a team of 90+ engineering professionals, primarily based at offices in Tipton, Castle Donington, Bristol and Cardiff - creating a high-performing culture focused on safety, collaboration, continuous improvement and delivery excellence
- Set clear objectives, priorities and performance measures for the Engineering Design function, ensuring alignment with Major Projects, Primary Network Design and wider business goals
- Ensure the timely delivery of high-quality EHV substation, protection and control, civil and linear asset designs to support the successful delivery of NGED's investment programme
- Maintain robust governance and assurance processes, ensuring all designs comply with NGED policies, regulatory requirements and designers' responsibilities under CDM regulations
- Implement a system for tracking, and performance manage the delivery, of programmes for 132kV, 66kV and 33kV substation design. Address/ escalate any issues in delivery as required
- Develop and embed an outsourcing model for Design & Build to assist the existing team and provide business resilience for the expected future growth of the network
- Work with other NGED teams to ensure ICP designs meet the required NGED standards and policies
- Drive increased design throughput, team productivity and project efficiency, delivering high-quality designs that support cost-effective project delivery by:
- Implementing a system to track and deliver transparency
- Establish a "one team" approach through design standardisation, innovation and the adoption of automation and AI
- Work with Major Projects to develop the right mix of internal and external design activities ensuring a flexible, resilient and cost-effective service.
- Shape the future structure of the Engineering Design function, ensuring resources and teams are organised to deliver the best outcomes for the business
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Ideal Candidate
We are looking for an experienced engineering leader with a strong background in electrical engineering and design, and a passion for developing high-performing teams. You will have a proven track record of delivering operational and strategic improvements, driving efficiency, and successfully leading people through change.
With excellent stakeholder management skills, you'll be comfortable building strong relationships across the business and collaborating with a wide range of technical and project delivery teams.
You Will Be Able To Demonstrate
- Significant experience in electrical engineering design or a related discipline, including leadership of large technical teams.
- A proven track record of improving delivery performance and reducing costs either in an Engineering, utility or project delivery environment
- Strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire, develop and hold teams accountable for delivering results.
- Ability to manage day to day priorities and urgent requirements while driving long-term improvements
- The ability to lead and embed change
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, particularly when working across multiple functions and disciplines.
- Able to take accountability of team performance and working collaboratively to co-own overall project performance
- Experience of NEC contracts and Design & Build delivery models.
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About Us
We’re National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), the owner and operator behind the electricity distribution systems for the Midlands, the Southwest of England and South Wales. Serving communities of more than 8 million people, our expert teams deliver heat, light and power for homes and businesses, working outdoors with underground cables, overhead lines and substations that operate between 230 and 132,000 volts.
National Grid employs over 29,000 people worldwide. We are building an inclusive workplace, a place to actively celebrate the cultures, personalities and preferences of our colleagues – who in turn help to build the success of our business and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Our vision is to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future and we are doing this in a fast-moving industry with an increasing focus on tackling climate change, exploring new energy sources that are renewable, low carbon, and improve efficiency to meet demand.
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