Provide technical oversight and guidance for the design of HV primary systems for substations (AIS/GIS), including equipment layouts, busbar schemes, and HV cable design.
Ensure technical consistency and quality across substation projects by reviewing key design decisions, engineering strategies, and equipment selection in accordance with applicable standards and client specifications.
Oversee development and review of critical primary design deliverables, including:
o Substation general arrangements and equipment layouts and specifications
o Busbar configurations, calcs and conductor sizing
o Electrical clearances, insulation coordination and short-circuit calcs
o Lightning protection and shielding concepts
o Earthing and grounding system
Engineering Coordination
Act as senior technical authority for primary substation engineering, ensuring coordination between primary, secondary, civil, structural, and commissioning disciplines.
Support project leadership teams in defining engineering strategies, technical scopes, and delivery approaches for major infrastructure projects.
Maintain strong engagement with clients, contractors, and suppliers to ensure technical compliance and alignment with project objectives.
Construction & Commissioning Support
Provide senior engineering support during construction, installation, testing, and commissioning phases.
Review and guide resolution of complex site queries, technical deviations, and field design changes.
Ensure that implemented designs comply with technical specifications, safety standards, and project requirements.
Team Leadership & Development
Lead and mentor teams of primary substation engineers, supporting professional development, technical growth, and knowledge sharing.
Foster a collaborative engineering culture, ensuring alignment between teams, efficient workload distribution, and high technical standards.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
Requirements
Typically 12-15+ years of experience in HV primary substation engineering
Experience delivering large transmission or distribution substation projects across multiple phases (concept, FEED, detailed design, construction support)
Proven experience leading engineering teams or technical disciplines
Technical Skills
HV/EHV substation design (AIS/GIS)
Busbar configurations and substation equipment layouts
Insulation coordination and electrical clearances
Short-circuit calculations and equipment rating verification
Busbar and conductor sizing (thermal and short-circuit withstand)
Mechanical and electrodynamic force calculations for conductors
Integration of HV equipment, cables, and overhead lines
Earthing and grounding system design
Lightning protection and shielding studies
Transformer and reactive power compensation systems
Technical design reviews
Experience with engineering tools such as:
ETAP
DigSilent
CDEGS
CYMCAP
Revit
AutoCAD or similar design software
Soft Skills
Strong leadership and team management capabilities
Strategic thinking and decision-making abilities
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams
Experience working on UK transmission or distribution substation projects
Exposure to National Grid standards and technical specifications
Experience with EHV substations (220kV-400kV)
Chartered Engineer (CEng) or equivalent professional certification
Experience supporting construction, commissioning, or site engineering activities
About AECOM
AECOM is proud to offer comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absences, voluntary
Benefits
Dental insuranceVision insurance
Additional Information
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Associate Director - T&D Primary High Voltage Substations to join our growing Transmission & Distribution team, supporting the delivery of high-voltage substation infrastructure projects.
In this role, you will provide strategic technical oversight and leadership for the design and delivery of HV primary systems, including AIS and GIS substations across transmission and distribution networks. You will guide engineering teams through project development phases, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient technical solutions.
You will work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams, project directors, and clients, contributing to major grid reinforcement, renewable integration, and large-scale infrastructure programs.
Aecom2 · Madrid, Spain