Lead Project Engineer

80151 - Lead Field Engineer

This lead field engineer will report to the operations manager and will work within network operations based in our Stratford office. You will be a permanent employee in our UK Power Networks team.

You will attract a salary of £89,786 + London Allowance + non-canteen allowance + car and a bonus of 3%.

If you are successful, you will need to undertake a medical and DBS reference check

Close Date:.05/01/2025

We also provide the following additional benefits

• Annual Leave
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit scheme
• Tax efficient benefits: cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers products.
• Discounted access to sports and social clubs
• Employee Assistance Programme.

Job Purpose:

The Role of the Lead Project Engineer in the Capital Programme Operations Team is to manage the Project team of operatives whether UKPN staff or Contractors. The Lead Project Engineer will support all technical resources with all schemes from the Capital Programme portfolio. You will cooperate with the Operations Manager in the delivery of the APP and Connections portfolio, including all technical resourcing issues, operational duties and management of staff to ensure full utilisation.

We ask that you support the achievements of Capital Programme and our targets and ambitions. You will maintain excellent customer service and will be the contact for resolution of customer technical issues.

We are looking for an operationally authorised person who can help deliver projects and the progression of staff. You will also deputise for the Operations Manager.

You will have:

• Direct Line Management responsibility for circa 8 -10 PMSNF FTE's and Agency staff (to include UKPN Project Engineers, Project supervisors, and CEs at Band D)
• Liaison/coordination/cooperating with Programme managers to deliver the regional APP/Connections portfolio of circa £350M per year.
• Has a FAL of Band 4.
• Responsible for the Network from LV up to and including 132kV.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Report to and deputise for the Operations Manager.
• Help develop Multiple Projects from Gate A to close out Gate D.
• Manage a portfolio of multiple projects, civil or electrical.
• Provide Engineering, Safety, and Management leadership to a group of Project Engineers and Project Supervisors.
• Plan resource allocations to ensure all project requirements are met in the most efficient way.
• Co-ordinate with the Commissioning team and other partners to ensure resources are in place to deliver the portfolio of work.
• Ensure the level of Engineering resource within the area is improved. This includes developing staff by being a mentor to help with the team's authorisations development.
• Develop the team.
• Attend project specific meetings and project reviews, making sure UKPN Networks standards are followed.
• Oversee and coordinate multiple projects, including input on budget, programme, quality, safety, and compliance., such as Management, Clients, Contractors, Engineers, and the Workforce.
• Liaise on matters of Operational, plant and cable policy for delivery of several projects to time, quality, cost, maintaining the highest levels of safety and environmental management.
• To help with Quality and Deliverability.
• Ensure staff comply with company procedures to finish work to the required standards.
• Ensure construction assurance through audits on quality of work, technical competencies, adherence to specifications, compliance with testing and commissioning procedures and safety and environmental procedures.
• Ensure that the required project completion data gets completed and submitted for processing.
• Help with composition of CDM and Safety Documentation where required.
• Input into Project issues log and risk register.
• Produce daily planning, coordination and real-time responsibility for the efficient utilisation of resources including directly employed staff and, if applicable, contractors.
• Ensure that work is available by working with Project managers and programme managers to utilise resources.
• Provide monthly achievement reports & forecasts to help support the improved performance of the team.
• Ensure that all work is carried out to provide very high levels of Customer Service e.g. minimise CIs & CMLs, network risk, and customer complaints.
• Ensure that all workers engaged on the projects / portfolio of projects are aware of all safety and environmental requirements.
• Help break down the barriers to the different directorates to ensure all directorates work together.
• Ensuring a continued development approach is adopted through the IPR process.
• Promote our projects.
• Ensure the correct level of site and behavioural audits from the team are completed.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with designers and surveyors to support in the compositions of workable designs and meaningful reports.
• Assist in the design stage of the project by providing support to designers on buildability and help produce the Hazard Elimination and Management Checklist (HEML).
• Contribute to the high-level strategic resource plan.
• Support the team in preparation, readiness and implementation for a system emergency at local tactical level.
• Attend meeting with partners to ensure the delivery of complex customer and operationally guided projects and programmes to time and budget.
• Works with P6 Planners and Project Manager to produce schedule of works for projects.
• Manage a team to deliver large projects and provide stakeholders with advice and recommendations on how to safely deliver the projects.
• Provide guidance and create solutions from an SAP perspective for complex challenges.
• Through knowledge, advise the PE, designers, and surveyors on restrictions and site conditions that may affect designs, reports, and ultimate delivery of the project/s.
• Ensure projects are delivered to design and specification.
• Provide support with scope information to the Project Managers to allow accurate pricing by contractors.
• Ensure accurate As Built/Laid Information is relayed to Designers for Networks Records.
• Ensure suitable Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) and Safe System of work (SSOW) are in place for each task requiring operational precautions.
• Verify valid DSR Competence is held before setting people to work.
• Obtain quotations from suppliers and raise Purchase Order request with Business Support team.
• Change Management – ensure early warning notices and change requests are brought to the attention of the Project Manager/Commercial Manager & Stakeholders.
• Provide technical support and act as a point of reference for the whole Project team.
• Manage productivity of contractors and employees.
• Identify potential project risks/opportunities (raise awareness within team/company).
• Seek continuous improvement.
• Work unsocial hours to respond to faults on system, and when overrun occurs on CP delivery projects.
• Carry out Site and BE audits and record them on AIRLine.
• When undertaking engineering activities, manage the team of employees and contractors for the delivery.
• When undertaking engineering activities, manage the compliance with all H&S procedures such as Putting People to Work and Distribution Safety Rules.
• Help with Preparation, maintenance, and review project reports, CDM paperwork, risk assessments and method statements, and SSOW.
• Carries out the Supervisor role under the New Engineering Contract 3 or QA for the UKPN quality plan.
• Allocate staff to attend Risk Reduction Meetings as requested by the Project Manager.
• Manage productivity of all works including UKPN Staff, Contractors and monitor it against the P6 Schedule.
• Manages the resource profile for UKPN staff and Contractors to gain high levels of productivity.
• Assists Portfolio Manager to maintain spend following the baseline scope and costs.
• Demonstrate. These are necessary as you will liaise with managers within the business. You must have integrity and demonstrate a co-operative and team-based approach to achieving overall goals.
• Be able to demonstrate they are a practical person, and by virtue of their actions, in the form of moving others to action by planning, motivating, organising and controlling tasks and deliverables in a complex and fast-moving environment of regulatory change.

Required Qualifications:

• We are looking for a sound background in Primary and Grid Substation and Cable/OHL systems and experience of working in a project delivery environment.
• Degree or HNC/HND in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Holds a 132kV full SAP status.
• Holds a NRSWA supervisor certificate.
• Holds a NEBOSH Certificate.
• Holds SMSTS qualification.
• Knowledge to be able to complete Incident investigations and reporting when required.
• Holds full driving license.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills.
• A working knowledge of the safety & environmental regulations relating to construction work in the industry. Must have experience of working with the CDM regulations and ISO9001 quality processes.
• Understanding and application of UK Power Networks policies and procedure.
• Be a member of the IET and working towards their Chartered Engineer status.
• Knowledge of P6 Primavera, Competent user of the Microsoft Office suite of applications (Outlook, Excel, Word and Project).
• Project Management knowledge would be an advantage.
• Flexible attitude to work and working hours.
• An awareness of the sections business, financial and regulatory obligations.
• Ability to build working relationships with colleagues and other teams within UKPN and with external partners.
• Ability to work as part of a highly focused team to meet tight deadlines and to work with others to achieve shared goals and optimise the contribution of the team.
• The ability to use own initiative to solve problems, be self-motivated with an ambition to achieve.

Candidates that don't meet all the criteria may be considered subject to necessary training and formal qualifications.

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

Employees need to be aware that for some craft and operational roles that work at height, or use fall arrest devices, there is an upper weight limit of 116Kg due to maximum safe working load of the safety equipment that is used.

If in doubt ask!

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.