Principal Electrical Controls and Instrumentation Engineer in Huddersfield

At Quest Global, it’s not just what we do but how and why we do it that makes us different. With over 25 years as an engineering services provider, we believe in the power of doing things differently to make the impossible possible. Our people are driven by the desire to make the world a better place—to make a positive difference that contributes to a brighter future. We bring together technologies and industries, alongside the contributions of diverse individuals who are empowered by an intentional workplace culture, to solve problems better and faster.

A Principal Electrical Controls and Instrumentation Engineer plays a critical role in the Aerospace and Defence industry, leading the design and integration of electrical and control systems across complex, safety‑critical platforms. The role translates requirements into robust, manufacturable solutions, overseeing the lifecycle from concept through validation to production readiness. It ensures delivery against cost, schedule, quality, and certification requirements while driving best practice in systems integration and control strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and line management to the team, coordinating and overseeing their workloads, providing support to ensure that the team delivers, monitoring any issues, and ensuring timescales, KPIs and deadlines are met to meet the requirements of the customer.
• Develop the team by focusing on individual performance and support requirements to achieve high standards.
• Work on multiple major projects of the highest complexity requiring forefront‑of‑field, innovative solutions.
• Act independently at the organisational level, being self‑supervising, within guidance and expectations of customers.
• Champion quality deliverables for EC&I as well as continuous improvements included within your owned delivery stream.
• Contribute to the creation and implementation of best practice engineering vision, strategy, policies, processes and procedures to aid and improve operational performance.
• Design electrical wiring diagrams, P&IDs and any other technical documentation to support the application of the product in test and service.
• Ensure compliance with functional safety, cyber security and hazardous area management standards.
• Collaborate on the design of harness schematics, connector tables, splice documentation and release of BOMs.
• Collaboration with gearbox and mechanical subsystems engineers to route cabling through high‑vibration, high‑temperature, or constrained environments.
• Liaise with supply chain to ensure technical oversight in regards EC&I.
• Ensure close support with production during manufacturing and build.
• Apply MIL‑STD, DEF‑STAN, and other relevant defence electrical design standards, as well as UK, EU and any other client requirements.
• Ensure EMC/EMI integrity, environmental sealing, and survivability under shock, vibration.
• Proficiency in control system software (PLC, DCS).
• Produce engineering drawings and installation instructions.
• Support prototype builds, integration testing, and root‑cause investigations.
• Participate in internal and external design reviews and be responsible for the design acceptance by the client.
• Lead projects in a multi‑disciplined environment and coordinate all electrical engineering and design with other disciplines such as transmission systems, gears, gear boxes and marine engineering.
• Strive for continuous improvement and drive your area of delivery autonomously, with particular focus on EC&I support process improvements and preventive measures.

Required Skills (Technical Competency):

• Experienced with the production of electrical specifications, scopes of work, calculations, drawings and schedules.
• Proven experience in EC&I Engineering, ideally within heavy industrial or rotating equipment environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechatronics, or a similar field.
• 5‑7+ years of experience in a senior capacity working on electrical design, controls, instrumentation, P&ID creation, and/or wiring diagrams.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD for layout design (Solid Edge electrical, NX electrical routing, etc.).
• Knowledge of defence platforms or industrial machinery.
• Understanding of ISO, EMI & EMC design principles, grounding, shielding, and cable protection.
• Experience in test rig design, interfacing between product and rig hardware.
• Familiarity with gearbox or drivetrain integration.
• Excellent problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work under defence programme constraints and documentation rigor.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Analyse and manage multiple design related issues to identify root causes.
• Make design changes on existing products and track them.
• Write reports and present progress at project meetings and to clients.
• Result‑oriented: you are only satisfied after your engineering and design is accepted by the client, delivering top quality and client satisfaction.
• Can chair design review meetings.
• Enjoys teaching and coaching junior engineers.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's/master’s degree in engineering or a related field.
• Previous experience in a similar role within the Aerospace and Defence industry.
• Preferably a Chartered Engineer.
• Experience in heavy engineering industry, power transmission systems, gears and gear boxes.
• Strong knowledge of quality management systems and industry standards (e.g., AS9100, ISO 9001).
• Proficient in root cause analysis and failure mode analysis techniques.
• Detail‑oriented with a strong focus on team, quality and continuous improvement.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Security: Due to security requirements these posts are open to SOLE UK NATIONALS ONLY.

If you are a dedicated and proactive professional with a passion for ensuring quality and driving continuous improvement, we would love to hear from you. Join our team at Quest Global as a Principal Electrical Controls and Instrumentation Engineer and contribute to the success of our Aerospace and Defence projects.