Hitachi
Protection and control automation Lead
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Location:
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Job ID:
R0137898
Date Posted:
2026-09-17
Company Name:
HITACHI ENERGY UK LIMITED
Profession (Job Category):
Engineering & Science
Job Schedule:
Full time
Remote:
Yes
Job Description:
At Grid & Power Quality Solutions and Service business at Hitachi Energy in Europe (HBUEU), Inclusion drives our culture of innovation and collaboration. Our leading technology and strong market position enable us to achieve growth targets in the energy transition across current and growing market segments such as hydrogen, data centers, and e-mobility.
The Large Project Office (LPO) requires experienced Protection, Control & Automation Lead to take overall technical lead of Control, Protection, Automation and Communication (CPA & C) systems for high-value, large, and complex HV substation projects (offshore & onshore. These projects involve collaboration across multiple business units and countries, requiring strong technical leadership, structured coordination, and a passion for delivering high-quality engineering outcomes.
You will support both tendering and project execution, taking the lead on Substation Control, Protection & Automation, interface with SCADA, and communication parts of multiple Substation projects. You will play a central role in defining technical scope, preparing engineering deliverables, coordinating with multiple teams and units in a matrix organisation without necessarily having direct reports, and ensuring robust, safe, and optimized solutions that support successful bids and project execution.
Location: UK, Ireland, or Denmark (remote-based).
Travel: European travel required, typically up to 20%, depending on project and business needs.
How you'll make an impact:
- Act as a technical lead and design authority for engineering, installation, and commissioning activities of Substation CPA & C scope of supply.
- Provide end-to-end leadership across Substation control, protection, automation, SCADA and HMI, telecommunications, operational technology networks, and OT cybersecurity.
- Define and maintain the CPA & C system architecture, technical philosophy, design criteria, interfaces, battery limits, division of work, and responsibility matrix.
- Coordinate engineering contributions across suppliers, Offshore & Onshore engineering teams, Power Quality, commissioning, supply chain, external partners, and other participating units.
- Lead customer technical discussions, design reviews, workshops, clarifications, and resolution of complex system-level issues.
- Ensure that customer specifications, grid-operator requirements, contractual obligations, and applicable standards are translated into clear and traceable engineering requirements.
- Drive technical consistency and interface alignment between offshore and onshore substations, grid-control centres, third-party systems, telecom networks, and customer or transmission-system-operator interfaces.
- Lead the CPA & C contribution during tendering, including solution strategy, architecture, scope definition, technical risk review, bills of material, engineering effort estimation, supplier strategy, schedules.
- Review and approve key engineering deliverables, monitor quality, cost, and schedule performance, manage technical risks and opportunities, and control changes within the CPA & C scope.
- Coordinate system integration, design verification, testing, and commissioning readiness, and support resolution of site issues.
- Collaborate with Supply chain function to identify and evaluate potential vendors, review supplier offers considering technical, commercial, schedule requirements.
- Ensure compliance with Hitachi Energy safety, integrity, quality, and cybersecurity requirements and promote a strong safety-by-design approach.
- Drive standardization, reusable engineering practices, lessons learned, and continuous improvement across the LPO project portfolio.
- Support Site Testing and Commissioning team to find technical resolution for site issues, provide method statements, and technical write-up as required.
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Your Background:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Electrical Engineering, or similar, ideally with a focus on electrical power system.
- A minimum of 10+ years as Lead Engineer or equivalent role with relevant experience in control, protection, automation, SCADA, or communication systems for high-voltage and extra-high-voltage substations.
- Good understanding of various IEC standards and protocols, such as IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-104, IEC 62443, IEC 62439-3, IEC 61869, and IEC 61892.
- Experience in the industrial Control system / SAS / SCS with knowledge in HMI/SCADA system design, familiarity of communication protocols used in substations/windfarms, Network (L2-L3) architecture, OT Cyber security.
- Proven capability to lead international virtual teams, influence without direct authority, and make sound technical decisions in a matrix project organization.
- Experience in both tendering and execution of large, complex substation projects. Offshore wind, offshore platform experience is highly desirable.
- Excellent customer-facing communication, negotiation, presentation, and technical-report-writing skills.
- Fluent English is required. Additional European language skills are an advantage.
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Use of AI and automated tools in recruitment
As part of our recruitment process, Hitachi Energy uses digital and automated tools, including AI-supported solutions, to assist with activities such as application screening, job matching, and interview scheduling. These tools are designed to support our recruiters and do not replace human decision-making. Candidate data is processed in accordance with applicable data protection and employment laws as well as Hitachi's Global Data Privacy Notice.
Background Screening and Security Checks
As part of the hiring process, Hitachi Energy conducts pre-employment background checks that may include verification of employment history, education, criminal records, and other relevant information, in accordance with applicable laws.
For certain roles—particularly those involving access to sensitive information, financial responsibilities, client data, regulated environments, or security-sensitive functions—additional or more comprehensive background or security screenings may be required. These may include, but are not limited to, enhanced criminal history checks, credit history reviews (where legally permissible), sanctions screening, or other due diligence measures aligned with the responsibilities of the position.
The scope and depth of any background or security review will be determined based on the nature of the role and business necessity, and will always be conducted in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Candidates will be notified and, where required, asked to provide consent prior to the initiation of any such checks.
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