Senior P&C Design Engineer

Location: Ruislip | Contract Type: Permanent | Working Pattern: Full-Time | Office & Site Based Pay / Benefits: Remuneration for this role is benchmarked competitively within our sector. The Opportunity We are seeking an experienced Senior Protection and Control Engineer to lead the design and delivery of protection and control systems for HV and EHV substation projects across the UK.

Working within our electrical design function, you will play a key role in delivering safe, reliable and compliant solutions across a large-scale Distribution Network Operator (DNO) framework. You will lead the development and technical assurance of protection and control designs across 11kV to 132kV projects, including new substations, upgrades and network reinforcements.

Working closely with the Lead Electrical Design Engineer, primary electrical designers, civil teams and DNO design authorities, you will ensure protection schemes are fully coordinated, technically robust and compliant with relevant standards. This is an excellent opportunity for a technically experienced engineer to take ownership of complex protection schemes, support successful project delivery and contribute to the continued development of critical electricity network infrastructure.

Lead the development and review of protection and control designs, including single-line diagrams, protection schematics, wiring diagrams and control philosophies. Ensure all designs comply with DNO requirements, relevant national standards and project specifications. Undertake protection studies, fault level assessments, relay settings calculations and coordination studies, supporting technical submissions for DNO approval.

Coordinate with primary electrical, civil and control systems engineers to deliver integrated protection and control solutions across HV and EHV substations. Provide technical assurance of protection schemes, ensuring systems are safe, reliable, operable and fit for purpose. Support design reviews, testing, commissioning and handover, ensuring protection systems perform as intended and technical documentation is complete.

Oversee third-party designers and review protection and control deliverables produced by subcontractors and consultants. Essential Skills Bachelor’s degree in electrical or Electronic Engineering, or an equivalent qualification. Proven experience delivering protection and control designs for HV and EHV substations, ideally within a DNO or Independent Connection Provider (ICP) environment.

Strong technical knowledge of high-voltage protection principles, protection relays, control schemes, SCADA, RTUs and communications protocols. Experience undertaking relay settings calculations, protection coordination studies and fault assessments, using relevant engineering software and tools. Excellent communication, technical documentation and organisational skills, with a strong attention to detail and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

Desirable Skills Experience delivering protection and control designs for substation new builds, upgrades and network reinforcement projects across 11kV to 132kV. Familiarity with GIS and AIS switchgear, transformer protection, and overhead line and underground cable protection schemes. Experience coordinating protection settings and control interfaces with SCADA, RTU and wider substation automation systems.

Experience reviewing third-party engineering designs, supporting commissioning activities and resolving technical issues during project delivery. Knowledge of DNO design approval processes, relevant industry standards and technical assurance requirements within regulated electricity network environments. At OCU, we believe that meaningful work should come with meaningful support.

That's the principle behind Careers with Purpose, our commitment to ensuring every person at OCU feels supported, developed, and valued, not just in their role today, but throughout their career with us. Alongside the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects, we offer a benefits package that we are continuing to develop as we grow, and the kind of career acceleration that only comes from being inside a business moving at this pace.

As a rapidly growing organisation, there are genuine opportunities to progress, broaden your experience, and build a long-term career within OCU Group. For a confidential conversation about this opportunity, please contact Nicola Brooke at Nicola.Brooke@ocugroup.com. Our vacancies are typically advertised for two weeks; however, we reserve the right to close applications early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable candidates.

We therefore encourage early applications. About OCU Group At OCU Group, we don’t just deliver infrastructure - we help power modern life. As one of the UK’s fastest-growing utility and infrastructure businesses, we deliver complex, nationally critical projects across power, energy transition, water, telecoms, and digital infrastructure.

Over the last five years, OCU has grown five-fold to a £1.1bn organisation, expanding both organically and through strategic acquisitions across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and India. Our growth is driven by ambitious people, operational excellence, and a commitment to doing things properly. We work on projects that genuinely matter by supporting the UK’s energy transition, strengthening essential infrastructure, and helping build more sustainable communities for the future.

Whether you’re an experienced professional looking to take ownership of major projects and influence delivery at scale, or someone starting your career through an apprenticeship, graduate programme, or placement route, OCU offers real opportunity to grow, develop, and make an impact. We are building a business where high performance, collaboration, innovation, and accountability sit at the centre of our culture.

Our people are trusted to lead, encouraged to challenge thinking, and supported to continuously develop their skills and careers. At OCU, you won’t just join a growing business, you’ll help shape it. Our Culture & Values At OCU, our values are at the heart of everything we do. We care about safety, lead with integrity, strive to be better every day, make a positive impact, and deliver to grow, together, as One Company United.

Our Commitment to Inclusion At OCU Group, we believe diversity, inclusion, and belonging are fundamental to building stronger teams, better ideas, and a more successful business. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

As part of our commitment to fairness and equality, candidates may be asked to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form during the recruitment process. This information is used for monitoring purposes only and plays no part in hiring decisions. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to offering interviews to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions who meet the essential criteria for the role.