Senior Project Engineer

80112 - Senior Project Engineer

This Senior Project Engineer will report to the Operational Telecoms Manager and will work within Network Operations based in our EPN- Essex/ Norfolk / Cambridgeshire /Hertfordshire/Suffolk office. You will be a permanent employee.

You will attract a salary of £89,786 per annum and a bonus of 3%.

Close Date: 19th March 2025

We also provide the following additional benefits

• 25 Days Annual Leave plus bank holidays. 
• Reservist Leave – Additional 18 days full pay and 22 unpaid
• 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, Season Ticket Loan
• Tax efficient benefits: Cycle to Work, Home & Tech, and Green Car Leasing Schemes
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers’ products
• Discounted gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme

Job purpose:

To oversee the daily management of the Operational Telecoms EPN Team, ensuring their safe and efficient operation; deliver Telecontrol Cubicles and other SCADA equipment to the business. You will also have responsibility for the development and provision of SCADA and SMART Grid technologies and the management of financial reporting for the Maintenance and Fault Repair functions within a geographical area.

Dimensions:

To deliver Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA) projects, fault rectification and maintenance programmes within the Operational Telecoms Team, situated in the Networks Operations Business.

Responsible for up to 20 staff comprising of Workshop and Field based Fitters, Engineers and additional contractors.

Capex over £5 Million – comprising of the Telecontrol Cubicle build programme and all allocated projects.

Opex circa £3 Million – The position will be for budget control (APP Budgets).

Principal accountabilities:

• Ensure that a high standard of safety management prevails throughout the responsibilities and that safety performance exceed defined parameters. Ensuring that staff are aware of all safety issues, that they adopt safe working procedures and participates in active monitoring concerning work under your direction. Ensure that health surveillance, sickness monitoring and site environmental controls are maintained. Provide leadership to the team concerning all SHE matters.
• Accountable to the Operational Telecoms Manager for the design, construction and supply of UKPN SCADA & SMART Grid assets. The post holder has the responsibility for the delivery, against the business pre-defined and agreed Service level agreements, of Telecontrol Equipment Cubicles (TEC's) and other SCADA equipment to meet the demands of Network Operations, Asset Management, Capital Programme, Connections and UKPN Services.
• Manage all Ops Telecoms activities associated with network projects to time, cost and quality
• Complete the designated CAPEX & OPEX delivery plans as defined in the Network Asset Management Plan. Develop strategies for delivering the plan, including producing reports to show the outturn against agreed budgets and progress against plan.
• Allow staff to operate across all three networks to ensure best use of resource, maximise efficiency to meet all goals.
• Develop and implement the Ops Telecoms training plan derived from the output of IPR's that meets the present and future needs of the team.
• Create procedures used within the Operational Telecoms Team.
• Help use design solutions and be seen to lead the application of developments in the Ops Telecoms fields. Provide leadership and balance in technical development and assessment of solutions to maintain reliability of new solutions introduced to the network.
• Develop management processes relevant to service transition (change / release / service introduction). Identify and progress any approved ongoing improvement activities relating to service management processes.
• Communicate with important suppliers on both the development of new products and the resolution of faults on existing plant and equipment.
• Apply UKPN disciplinary rules and code of conduct.
• Ensure that procurement and contract management processes are followed and that control measures are complied with.
• Lead in commercial negotiations and chair Contract Review Meetings.
• Ensure that management information is provided.
• Conduct monthly briefings to promote team and employee engagement.
• Collaborate with other departments in the implementation of all projects requiring Telecoms and SCADA expertise.
• Represent UKPN on Energy Networks Association committees dealing with UK wide projects such as SMART Grid network communications.
• Be a point of escalation and provide support for fault rectification, system development of Radio, Satellite, Telecommunications, Sub Station security and SCADA systems.
• Deputise for the Ops Telecoms Manager during periods of holiday or sickness.
• Co-ordinate and participate in the SCADA Standby rotas.

Nature and scope:

Reporting to the Operational Telecoms Manager, who in turn reports to the Head of Network Operations & Control. The post holder manages a team who will develop and test SCADA & SMART Grid equipment to be deployed across the UKPN footprint. These staff are a core resource to the success of Network Operations and need to be managed.

You will provide vision and leadership to the team and for their management, ensuring all staff are engaged. Representing UKPN at industry forums and being a point of reference within UKPN for SCADA issues.

As part of the Ops Telecoms Management Team the jobholder will develop a resource plan, together with the Operational Telecoms Manager, ensuring deployment of the wider team to meet all goals. Cost management and team efficiency must be a consideration to maximise utilisation and team potential.

The role also includes developing a training plan ensuring all staff in Ops Telecoms are kept up to date on technology developments. This will include refresher training on all equipment operated by the team.

Develop procedures implemented within the Operational Telecoms team.

You carrying out this role is likely to be an engineer with management experience who can demonstrate technical skills.

Qualifications:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Already work at Engineer level with experience in SCADA.
• Membership of a professional body such as the IET or working towards membership.
• Solid experience in people management, especially of technical teams.
• IT literate, able to produce financial and management and technical reports.
• Can maintain a strategic focus on long-term aims and goals while dealing tactically with operational issues.
• Safety management qualification such as NEBOSH certificate or equivalent.
• Experience with the CDM regulations and ISO9001 quality processes.
• Have technical knowledge of:
• SCADA Networks and Operations
• Comms Technology (Serial, xdsl, GPRS/4G LTE and Fibre Optic & Satellite)
• IP Networks and Protocols
• Manage copper and fibre optic communication assets.
• Required Experience:
• Safety Management.
• Current Valid driving Licence
• Exhibit experienced, balanced judgements in all matters.
• To lead excellence and quality in all aspects of their your responsibilities identifying and embracing best practice.

Competencies:

• A Team player.
• Keep a clear head when handling more difficult problems.
• Enthusiastic and reliable.
• Work under the direction and own initiative.
• A well-balanced individual in all situations.
• Can work within a team to ensure the departmental goals are met.

Measure of Success:

• Safe operation of the Operational Telecoms team.
• Staff are engaged meeting all SCADA and SMART Grid challenges.
• New products are tested, and approved and deployed for use on the Network promptly.
• Any faults are identified and resolved within the pre-agreed timeframes.
• Customer feedback expresses that the role holder enhances the department and implements use of communication methods.
• Record, Processes and Procedures are up to date and accurate.
• Report produced are relevant in the support of Management decision-making.
• Projects are implemented to quality, specification and time.
• The business is judged to be compliant with all external legal requirements.
• Advice is timely, correct and complete, and leads to quality results.
• Staff all work together as an effective team.

The Senior Project Engineer can often be provided with minimum information about the extent or nature of problems or tasks affecting SCADA. This information could come from a variety of sources. You will consider the nature of the work, evaluate the problem and make sure whether they or their team have the appropriate knowledge and information to implement a resolution.

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.

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.

If you have any queries in connection to this vacancy or your application, please contact us at careers@ukpowernetworks.co.uk quoting the vacancy reference number and a member of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.