Senior Protection and Control Engineer

Location: Reading, Melksham, Oxford, Slough or Portsmouth

Salary: £69,105 - £81,406 + car / cash allowance + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family. 

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time, 37 hours | Flexible First options available

The role

Join our team as a Senior Protection and Control Engineer, where you'll lead the design and development of protection schemes for high-voltage networks (6.6kV to 132kV).

From initial project scoping to detailed relay settings and schematic designs, you'll ensure technical excellence across the full lifecycle.

You'll collaborate closely with stakeholders — all while maintaining the highest safety and service standards.

You will 

• Design and Development of Protection and Control Schemes: Lead the design of protection and control systems for electrical networks from 6.6kV to 132kV, including relay settings, detailed drawings (AC/DC schematics), and protection diagrams.
• Project Lifecycle Management: Manage design projects from high-level scope through to detailed engineering, including equipment specifications, tendering, and evaluation of contractor submissions.
• Technical Review and Quality Assurance: Review and approve protection and control designs developed by third parties, ensuring compliance with company standards and network requirements.
• Mentorship and Continuous Improvement: Support junior engineers and team members, while identifying and implementing innovative solutions and process improvements to enhance engineering and operational performance.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: Collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure project delivery, while maintaining high safety standards and excellent customer relationships throughout all phases of work.

You have:

• Technical Expertise in Protection & Control Design: Proven experience in designing protection and control schemes for distribution networks.
• Educational Background in Electrical Engineering: Minimum HNC in Electrical Engineering, with strong knowledge of power system protection, commissioning, and fault investigation.
• Strong Safety Awareness and Compliance: High regard for safety, with a proven track record of embedding safety principles into daily work practices.
• Strong Analytical and Review Skills: Experience reviewing third-party designs for compliance and quality, with great attention to detail.
• Excellent Communication and Team Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Regular travel will be required for the position, and as a result we can only accept applications from candidates that hold a current driving license.

About SSE 

SSE has a bold ambition – to be a leading energy company in a net zero world. We're investing around £10 million a day in homegrown energy to help power a cleaner, more secure future. Our investment will see us build the world's largest offshore wind farm and transform the grid to deliver greener electricity to millions.

SSEN Distribution, part of the wider SSE group, powers 3.9 million UK homes and businesses. Our team of more than 4,200 skilled engineers, customer service advisors and energy experts keep customers connected to a safe, reliable supply of electricity while investing in and developing the flexible networks needed for our low carbon future. 

Flexible benefits to fit your life 

Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest-free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme. As well as generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave. 

Work with an equal opportunity employer 

SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. Please contact Kim on kim.annink@sse.com / 01738 344051 to discuss how we can support you. 

We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry. 

Ready to apply? 

Start your online application using the Apply Now box on this page. We only accept applications made online. We'll be in touch after the closing date to let you know if we'll be taking your application further. If you're offered a role with SSE, you'll need to complete a criminality check and a credit check before you start work. 

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