Protection and Commissioning Engineer - SPN

81510 - Protection and Commissioning Engineer

This Protection and Commissioning Engineer will report to the Lead Protection and Commissioning Engineer and will work within Capital Programme and Procurement based in our Crawley (Sussex/Surrey) office. You will be a permanent employee.

You will attract a salary of £84,160 and a bonus of 3%.

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

Close Date: 30/08/2026.

We also provide the following additional benefits

• 23 Days Annual Leave plus bank holidays.
• Private Medical Cover
• 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:

As the Protection Commissioning Engineer in the Capital Programme Operations Team you will ensure installations, plant and equipment are correctly tested and proven prior to being put into service. This includes management and supervision of a commissioning team, as required.

The Commissioning Engineer will provide advice on technical issues for projects within the Capital Programme portfolio.

You will be required to act as or cooperate with the Lead Commissioning Engineer in the successful delivery of the APP and Connections portfolio, providing assistance with technical issues, operational duties, management of commissioning plans, and liaison with contract commissioning engineers to ensure full compliance with UKPN Policies and Procedures.

We require an inspirational and innovative Engineer to help achieve Capital Programme and our targets. You will be required to maintain the highest level of customer service and will be the point of contact for resolution of technical issues.

We are looking for an operationally authorised person who can help deliver several projects and support the progression of staff.

Dimensions:

• Liaison/coordination/cooperating with Programme managers to deliver the regional APP/Connections portfolio of circa £150M per year.
• Responsible for full compliance with UKPN policies and procedures.
• Sign off new multi-million-pound installations as fit for service.
• Operate the Network from an Authorised Person perspective up to and including 132kV.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Help develop Multiple Projects from Gate A to close out Gate D.
• Manage a portfolio of multiple electrical projects.
• Provide Engineering, Safety, Management, and leadership to a group of contract commissioning engineers and Fitters as required.
• Co-ordinate with the Construction team and other stakeholders to ensure resources are in place to deliver the project.
• Develop staff by being a mentor to support the team's authorisations development.
• Attend as required project specific meetings and project reviews, making sure UKPN standards are adhered to.
• Liaise on matters of Operational, plant and cable policy for delivery of several projects to time, quality, cost, and maintaining the highest levels of safety and environmental management.
• To contribute to Quality and Deliverability.
• Ensure commissioning assurance through audits on quality of work, technical competencies, adherence to specifications, compliance with testing and commissioning procedures, and safety and environmental procedures.
• Ensure the required project completion data gets completed and submitted for processing.
• Ensure compliance with CDM and Safety Documentation where required.
• Input into Project issues log and risk register.
• 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.
• Manage the commissioning drawings and test forms including as-built records.

Main Duties:

• Manage every stage of the commissioning process from cold commissioning to energisation for several projects.
• Keep up to date with new relay and testing software to to install multiple items of equipment onto the network.
• Check and apply settings to complex relays.
• Drive complex testing equipment to test and commission complex relay schemes.
• Commission Primary transformers, feeders, and primary plant onto the network.
• Review all designs before starting work to ensure compliance with current policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with Project Managers, Designers and Surveyors to ensure workable designs are produced.
• Have input to the Hazard Elimination and Management Checklist (HEML).
• Oversee a team of electrical fitters whether UKPN staff or contractors where required.
• Issue Safety documents following the DSRs, issue task instructions, and adhere to the Putting
• people To Work (PPTW) policy.
• Raise TQ's, CE and EWN issues that may affect project delivery and submit via Unifier.
• Provide guidance and create solutions from a commissioning perspective for complex challenges.
• Ensure work is delivered to design and specification.
• Ensure suitable Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) and Safe System of work (SSOW) are in place for each task requiring operational precautions.
• Carries out Site and BE audits and records them on AIRLine.
• Create, maintain, and review commissioning plans, commissioning switching programme, Inspection testing plans, and test forms.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience:

Essential

• You will be asked to have an Electrical Engineering HNC/HND.
• We ask that you be a sound background in Primary Substation and Cable/OHL systems and experience working in a project delivery environment.
• Primary or Secondary Operational experience in the Primary and Secondary network of a DNO.
• Holds full driving license.
• 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.
• Knowledge of, and Competent user of the Microsoft Office suite of applications (Outlook, Excel, Word and Project).
• Flexible attitude to work and working hours.
• The ability to use own initiative to solve problems, be self-motivated with an ambition to achieve.

Desirable

• Understanding and application of UK Power Networks policies and procedures.
• An awareness of the sections business, financial, and regulatory obligations.
• Holds a full AP status for a minimum of two Voltage levels.
• Is a member of the IET and holds Eng Tech status working towards IEng.
• Holds a NEBOSH safety General or Construction qualification.

Candidates that don't meet all the criteria may be considered subject to necessary training and formal qualifications. If the candidate does not hold the relevant competencies, they may be placed on a lower Band with a development plan.

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.

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.