2026 Project Development Engineer Higher Apprentice (National), Asset Operations

About the Role

Would you like to work for a company that makes electricity happen for every single person in England and Wales? A company that invests billions in Net Zero and creating a brighter energy future? Imagine being paid over £30,000 a year while you train, with free food, accommodation, and travel included. The training is carried out through a combination of courses run at our Global Technical Training Centre of Excellence and on-site training.

By the end of this 3 year Higher Apprenticeship, you’ll achieve a Foundation degree in Electrical Power Engineering. Most importantly, you’ll have a job waiting for you! Join our Higher Apprenticeship programme and gain hands-on experience supporting multidisciplinary teams in planning, developing, and delivering major investments. You’ll contribute to project setup, option selection, contract awards, and technical assessments to ensure safe, cost-effective solutions. Learn to work within regulations, stakeholder expectations, and support the RIIO-T3 business plan. Comprehensive mentoring and training will help you develop professionally and technically, setting you on the path to a rewarding engineering career.

These are jobs where you’ll be drilling down into the detail on specific subjects. You will be providing technical advice and engineering support for our assets across the entire network, making significant decisions and influencing their execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support the scheme team and stakeholders during pre-construction, ensuring timely development and approval of investment solutions.
• Help develop safe, efficient, least-cost solutions in line with regulations, and document all design and risk considerations.
• Assist with site assessments, cost estimation, tendering, and risk mitigation to enable effective project delivery.
• Monitor and control financial forecasting and reporting for investments throughout pre-construction phases.
• Ensure high-quality data management and apply lessons learned to optimise project scope, cost, and scheduling.

Location

This is a national role for which you can be based anywhere. There is an expectation that you will have to travel into one of our substations when required.

About You

You’re driven, proactive, and always seeking ways to improve. Building on your existing knowledge and skills is second nature to you, and you have the enthusiasm to take things to the next level. Communication comes naturally to you, and you know how to adapt your approach to connect with different people.

As a flexible multitasker, you can handle multiple responsibilities while paying great attention to detail. Academic brilliance isn’t the only thing we’re looking for; we value practical individuals with engineering mindsets who are eager to apply themselves.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Two A-Levels, with a grade of C or above in Maths or Physics, or an equivalent Level 3 qualification with a pass, which includes a Maths or Engineering module.
• Five GCSEs or equivalent qualifications, including passes in Maths and English Language (grades 4/C or above) OR a Level 2 Pass in Functional Skills.
• By the end of your first year, you’ll need a driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK.
• You’ll need to be able to live away from home during your training; primarily at our Eakring Training Centre in Nottinghamshire. You’ll also spend time in Birmingham studying for your foundation degree. Typically, you’ll stay on-site from Monday to Thursday and return home for the weekend (Friday to Sunday). The amount of time spent at Eakring will decrease as you progress through the programme:

• Year 1 – around 75%
• Year 2 – around 50%
• Year 3 – around 25%

What You’ll Get

We are proud to offer a starting salary of £31,310. As a first step to your career in the energy industry, our Higher Apprenticeship Programmes are like no other! You’ll gain an insight into how we work at National Grid, understand what a career with us can offer, and receive some great rewards and benefits:

• Work towards a Level 4 Electrical Power Networks Engineer qualification
• 26 days annual leave plus statutory holidays
• Our double-matched pension contribution scheme
• There is the option to buy discounted National Grid shares
• We’ll pay for one professional membership subscription

About National Grid

National Grid is at the heart of the energy future, and our people are at the heart of National Grid. We’re 30,000 colleagues strong. In the UK, National Grid don’t generate or sell energy – we join the dots to get energy from A to B. From making a cup of tea in the morning, to keeping the lights on in hospitals, our electricity network puts power in the hands of people. Without it, the world as we know it would grind to a halt.

The world of energy is changing beyond recognition as we focus on building a cleaner, greener future. Working at National Grid, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in the UK – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

Our Values and Principles

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any adjustments that you require.

Further Information

You can only apply for one Apprenticeship opportunity during this recruitment cycle. We recruit on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close our vacancies once we have enough applications/based on volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as early as possible to ensure you obtain the place you want in the application process.

Assessment centres will be held between January - April 2026. National Grid's Apprenticeship programme in the UK is open to all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria including an existing and valid right to work in the UK. As part of the application process this will need to be evidenced and verified before you can start the programme.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.

Please be aware that it’s your responsibility to explore avenues of working in the UK, as we’re not able to provide advice on this. For information about visas please visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the unique differences people bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation that comes with having diverse teams and business need. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and provide a working environment where everyone feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.