Head of Commissioning - England & Wales

Overview

As Head of Commissioning for England & Wales, you lead the safe, successful commissioning of major HV substations, guiding projects from construction completion through testing and handover. You set the commissioning strategy, govern governance and assurance, and build internal and partner capability to deliver safe, compliant outcomes. You will lead cross-functional teams, manage specialist subcontractors, and align with network operators and suppliers to enable energisation and client acceptance. This role offers strategic influence across a portfolio of substation projects and the opportunity to shape delivery at scale.

Pay / Benefits

• Smart working
• 25 days paid annual leave
• maternity/adoption leave with pay
• pension
• share incentive plan
• volunteering leave

Responsibilities

• Define and implement the commissioning strategy, governance, and assurance for HV substation projects across England & Wales
• Lead internal teams and manage specialist subcontractors, OEMs and agency partners
• Coordinate with project teams, network operators, procurement and workforce planning to ensure safe energisation and client acceptance
• Provide strategic and technical leadership, influencing clients and partners in safety-critical environments
• Oversee the full commissioning lifecycle including factory/site acceptance testing, protection and control, SCADA, transformers, switchgear and auxiliary systems
• Ensure compliance with UK legislation, CDM, electrical safety rules and industry standards
• Manage risk, readiness reviews, defect management and commissioning documentation
• Maintain strong stakeholder engagement and financial acumen to support delivery and commercial outcomes

Key requirements

• Degree, HNC/HND or equivalent in electrical engineering, power systems or related discipline
• Strong knowledge of the full substation commissioning lifecycle
• Proven track record leading commissioning across major projects and managing multidisciplinary teams
• Understanding of UK legislation, CDM, electrical safety rules, competences and industry standards
• Experience with live operational environments, outage planning and client handover
• Strong commercial and financial acumen and stakeholder management
• Experience with National Grid Electricity Transmission or equivalent regulated transmission network client; knowledge of National Grid requirements is valuable
• Chartered Engineer status or equivalent; current or previous transmission-level authorisation advantageous

• Leadership and people management
• Stakeholder management and negotiation
• Clear communication and influencing across cross-functional teams
• High-voltage substations commissioning
• Protection and control systems
• SCADA

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