Secondary Protection & Control Engineer

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 Secondary & Protection Control Engineer 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

Owns the secondary systems design for HV grid connections: protection schemes and settings, control and interlocking, SCADA/RTU and communications, and metering - ensuring designs meet DNO/IDNO protection policy and G99 requirements for connections at 11-33kV, extending to 132kV.

Key activities

• Ensure the correct scheme selection, settings and grading protect people, plant and the wider distribution network, and are a prerequisite for DNO/IDNO approval, G99 witness testing and energisation of the solar/BESS pipeline.
• The post holder owns the settings philosophy defended to DNO protection engineers, and contributes protection design procedures and checking evidence to the NERS management system supporting full accreditation.
• Will select and grade protection schemes across differing DNO protection policies, coordinating relay settings with fault level studies and equipment ratings, and integrating generator/BESS control and export limitation schemes.
• Will resolve scheme design, settings and testing issues on their packages; departures from DNO protection policy, cross-discipline conflicts and independent design approval sit with the Principal Engineer Design Assurance and the Head of Design & Engineering.

Skills, qualifications & experience

• Degree (or HND with strong experience) in Electrical/Power Engineering.
• Significant experience (typically 5+ years) in protection and control design or commissioning at distribution voltages with a DNO, IDNO, ICP, consultancy or manufacturer.
• Hands-on experience producing relay settings and grading studies.
• Familiarity with modern numerical relays (e.g. Siemens, GE, Hitachi, Schneider, SEL) and G99 protection requirements.
• Ability to read and produce AC/DC schematic diagrams to DNO standards.

We offer an excellent benefits package including:

• 25 days leave
• 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.