Network CIM Engineer

This Network CIM Engineer will report to the Network Insights Manager and will work within DSO directorate based in our London, Crawley or Bury St Edmunds office. You will be a permanent employee.

You will attract a salary of £76,229.00 and a bonus of 3%. This role can also offer blended working after probationary period (6 months) – 3 days in the office and 2 remote.

Close Date: 07/03/2025

We also provide the following additional benefits:

• Reservist Leave – Additional 18 days full pay and 22 unpaid
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit Scheme, Season Ticket Loan
• Tax efficient benefits: Cycle to Work, Home & Tech, and Green Car Leasing Schemes
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers’ products
• Discounted gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme

Job Purpose

The Network Insights team is responsible for delivery of our Long Term Development Statement (LTDS), the Planning Load Estimates (PLE), inputs to Load Indices (LI), regular Grid Code submissions (currently Week 24/50), Network Development Plan submissions, our in-house Strategic Forecasting System, Distribution Future Energy Scenarios (DFES) and other regulatory submissions.

As part of the Network Insights team, you will engage with development of UK Power Networks’ Common Information Models (CIM) to provide network data, to support the additional requirements to deliver the LTDS in 2025 onwards (see Ofgem website for LTDS reform).

You will support and collaborate with the partners across the business and will ensure timely and accurate submissions are made, observing our licence conditions, the Grid Code and our needs, with a focus on those aspects related to CIM outputs.

You will also deliver analysis, policies and projects required to achieve UK Power Networks’ Distribution System Operator (DSO) strategy, including evolving and integrating associated business processes and ways of working.

Principal Accountabilities

• Ensure that UK Power Networks maintains compliance with its obligations under the Grid Code and its Distribution Licence concerning CIM outputs from the PowerFactory network model, and that these outputs are useful to partners.
• Technical analysis and preparation of models, data and documentation for the Long Term Development Statement (LTDS) and Grid Code submissions (currently Week 24/50, becoming Week 2/28), but also the Planning Load Estimates (PLE), Network Development Plan and other regulatory reporting including Load Indices and LV utilisation;
• You will contribute to the development of UK Power Networks’ CIM models and be responsible for ongoing delivery/publication and maintenance of CIM models;
• Engagement with the DSO, Network Modelling, Data, Regulation, and Planning teams to ensure the network model is prepared and available to meet the requisite submission timelines;
• Work with external partners on all aspects related to the UKPN CIM model, including UKPN’s customers, NESO, and other Distribution Network Operators;
• Help develop the network model demand scenarios and forecasts to support regulatory and Grid Code submissions;
• Work with DigSilent (supplier of the PowerFactory network modelling software) and the UKPN Network Modelling support team to resolve software and data issues related to network model and functionalities;
• Technical analysis and interoperability testing to support development of the CIM models;
• Contribute to the development of new tools (scripts) and support integration of CIM PowerFactory functionality into the business processes.
• Maintain documentation, procedures and help cards.
• Contribute to relevant Ofgem and industry consultations.
• Analyse outputs from industry working groups and translate into action plans for internal implementation.
• Support the Network Insights Manager and Head of Network Strategy in developing and delivering the overall company and DSO strategy to enable UK Power Networks to be proactive and forward looking in facilitating the low carbon transition, whilst ensuring ongoing compliance with our regulatory commitments;

Nature and Scope

Electricity networks are seeing their biggest transformation since their beginnings. The DSO team is at the heart of it, a group of accomplished professionals with a range of skills in customer engagement, power systems, energy markets, data analytics, forecasting, ICT, and project management.

We ask that you be someone who is a natural collaborator, able to work across different teams within UK Power Networks and also represent UK Power Networks externally.

Qualifications

Note: if essential skills are not met, this role would be offered at the lower salary range and grading as a development opportunity for a more junior candidate.

• Degree or equivalent experience in engineering or other quantitative discipline
• An in-depth understanding of the topology and operational characteristics of distribution networks;
• Proficient in the use of electricity network modelling software packages, in particular DigSilent PowerFactory, with a high level of understanding of technical aspects including power flow and fault level calculations.
• Knowledge of different CIM standards such as CGMES 3.0 and LTDS CIM;
• Knowledge of interoperability testing methods;
• Experience with scripting programming languages such as Python or DPL;
• Data and statistical analysis skills;
• Deliver outputs to a high standard within given time constraints;
• Awareness of the Distribution/Grid Code and of the Connection and Use of System Code (CUSC);
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel;

Beneficial skills, qualifications and experience

• Chartered Engineer or working towards Chartership
• Postgraduate degree (MSc, MPhil, PhD) in power systems engineering with focus on integration of Distributed Energy Resources or network data/CIM;
• We want to hear from candidates that have practical or academic experience in generation or load forecasting techniques, knowledge of generation dispatch and optimal power flow methodologies and state estimation techniques;
• Awareness of the smart solutions and new technologies that can be deployed on the distribution network concerning current impacts that the connection of distributed energy has on UK Power Network’s distribution network;
• A project management qualification such as APMP or Prince2;
• Awareness of the requirements of Engineering Recommendations, in particular P2, G59, G98/99, G74, G75, G54, P28, P29;
• An understanding of the connection charge policy and how it impacts on costs charged;
• Understanding of physical asset management practices and regulatory requirements;
• Understanding the impact of low carbon technologies (solar, wind, EVs, storage) are having on the distribution network;
• Knowledge of other power system analysis tools such as IPSA.

The successful candidate should possess the following qualities:

• Analytical skills
• Good team working skills;
• Good report writing skills – conveying complex issues simply;
• Able to collaborate at all levels of the organisation including presenting technical and financial arguments to internal and external audiences;
• Look for innovation and continuous improvement opportunities;
• Safety and environmental awareness;

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly, where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

If you have any queries in connection to this vacancy or your application, please contact us at quoting the vacancy reference number and a member of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

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