Principal Engineer - Design Assurance

Equans is a renowned energies & services contractor and a proud member of the Bouygues global industrial group. Our expertise spans the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings and critical infrastructure worldwide. We have a great opportunity for a Principal Engineer - Design Assurance to join our highly successful Energy Solutions business within the ICP team; primarily supporting our renewable energy projects. Our Energy Solutions business oversee major renewable EPC projects across the UK. We design, install, commission and operate large scale solar PV farms for our clients. Supplying renewable energy from solar power plants enables local communities to reduce costs and reduce their carbon footprint. Alongside our solar farm projects we are involved in delivering a wide range of energy solutions to secure a more sustainable future.

General overview

Acts as the independent design checking and technical assurance authority across all disciplines (Primary Plant, Secondary/Protection & Control, Power Systems, Earthing, Cabling and Civils) for contestable HV grid connections (11–33kV, extending to 66/132kV). Deputises for the Head of Design & Engineering, owns the design governance framework required by NERS, and co-ordinates the multi-discipline design team day-to-day as the business grows from Partial to Full NERS accreditation.

Key activities

• Will be the single point of design assurance for every multi-discipline connection design package submitted for DNO/IDNO approval.
• Directly determines right-first-time approval rates, rework costs and programme certainty across the concurrent project portfolio.
• The post role holder will lead and allocate the workload of six discipline engineers plus the CAD/BIM team.
• Will also supervise external design consultants working under the company's accreditation.
• Must oversee and manage the design sections of the NERS management system that underpin the move from partial to full accreditation within 12–18 months.
• Will resolve multi-discipline design conflicts, checking disputes, resourcing trade-offs across concurrent projects and audit findings; matters of business strategy, commercial terms, accreditation scope and major investment decisions.

Skills, qualifications & experience

• Degree in Electrical/Power Engineering; Chartered Engineer (CEng) or demonstrably equivalent standing.
• Substantial experience in HV connection, substation or distribution network design, including significant experience checking, approving or technically leading multi-discipline design teams at a DNO, IDNO, ICP or consultancy.
• Deep working knowledge of DNO/IDNO design approval processes, G81 libraries, ENA Engineering Recommendations (G99, G5, TS 41-24) and relevant BS/IEC standards.
• Demonstrable experience of formal design assurance regimes: independent checking, design gates, verification records and audit evidence.
• Strong people leadership: mentoring, workload management and development of engineers across more than one discipline.

We offer an excellent benefits package including: 25 days leave, car allowance, 5% bonus, company shares, private health care, 5% pension, employee assistance programme (Private GP Appointments, Legal support, Counselling).

In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of sustainable facilities management and regeneration, and cutting-edge energy and digital services. Our 15,000 employees combine these activities to deliver decarbonisation across the built environment and help businesses, communities, public sector organisations and government to accelerate the transition to a low carbon, resilient world.

Globally, Equans is a world leader in the energy and services sector with operations in 20 countries, 90,000 employees working on 5 continents and a turnover of 19.2 billion euros in 2024. Equans is a subsidiary of the Bouygues group.

If this role is of interest to you, please click below to register, apply, and track your progress! A member of our Resourcing Team will review your application and be in touch.

At Equans, we’re committed to building a diverse, respectful and inclusive workplace that truly reflects the communities and markets we serve. Joining Equans means being part of a culture where every voice is valued, supported by vibrant employee led networks championing inclusion and diversity across gender, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQ+, veterans, parents, and young professionals.

Guided by our core values, we foster a culture of respect, integrity, collaboration, and excellence - empowering our people to deliver outstanding results and be their authentic selves every day. Our approach means we welcome candidates with transferable skills who may not meet every specific requirement, and where possible we support flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments to enable success.

For this role, you must have evidence of the right to work in the UK. Certain roles may require applicants to undergo a Disclosure check or security vetting, as noted in the role requirements. A criminal record will not necessarily be a barrier to obtaining a position with us. As part of our recruitment process, EQUANS uses StaffVetting, our trusted third-party provider, to support the completion of employee background checks. StaffVetting delivers professional screening services in a friendly, efficient, and customer-focused way, helping us ensure the right checks are completed from the start of the application journey.