Principal Electrical Engineer - Overhead Lines (OHL) in Birmingham

Work with Us. Change the World. At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World. At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Due to a successful period of growth, we are seeking a Principal OHL Design Engineers to join our expanding Transmission & Distribution (T&D) team within AECOM. This is a senior role within the business, with responsibility for driving technical excellence, leading complex projects, and supporting strategic client engagement across a broad portfolio of high-voltage infrastructure schemes.

You will be a trusted advisor to clients, and contribute to developing our technical standards, innovation strategy, and digital delivery approach within the cable engineering space.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to some of the most exciting infrastructure and energy transition projects in the world, including National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade.

Here’s What You’ll Do

• Lead technical support in delivering overhead line design on complex multi-discipline projects.
• Be involved in large programmes of work like National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade project.
• Write proposals, outlining all project details including the timeline, resources, budget, objectives, and goals.
• Provide technical support and input throughout the project implementation, statutory planning, and participation in public consultation events.
• Hold responsibility for assigned design activities related to the overhead line. This encompasses PLS-CADD modelling, line routing, comprehensive structural analysis and loading trees, formulation of design criteria, precise sag-tension calculations, insulator/conductor blowout, swing angle, damper system recommendations, strategic structural spotting, thorough clearance reports, and judicious conductor and insulator selection.
• Lead on feasibility studies, performing conductor thermal ratings, and ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Conduct studies to identify a technically preferred solution/layout to present to the client.
• Originate and check engineering deliverables such as complex designs, reports, proposals, presentations, and drawing packages.
• Perform internal quality checks of engineering drawings and calculations.
• Champion mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and technical development within the wider team, supporting capability growth in cable systems engineering.
• Support business development activities, including proposals, bid reviews, and client presentations.

Enjoy the Perks.

At AECOM, you'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Qualifications

• Professionally qualified CEng Chartered Engineer with a recognized electrical engineering institution (e.g. the IET).
• A bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent technical discipline, electrical engineering or power engineering.
• Experience delivering projects for transmission system operators such as National Grid, SSE and SPT in line with each operator’s standards. CDAE accreditation is highly advantageous.
• Project experience in overhead line engineering (ideally up to 400kV).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives.

If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you!

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public-and-private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [email protected] if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

State/Province: London, City ofBusiness Group: DCSLegal Entity: AECOM LimitedBusiness Line: EnergyWork Location Model: HybridOperating Group: InternationalPrimary Location: UK - London - Aldgate Tower