23rd January, 2026
Associate Director - High Voltage Power Engineering
Data Centres, Transmission & Distribution, Substations, Grid Connections
Manchester or Glasgow
Competitive salary, employee ownership, strong benefits, long-term progression
Full-time, permanent
The Opportunity
This role sits within the UK power division of a global, employee-owned engineering consultancy with deep capability across power, transmission & distribution, data centres, infrastructure, and complex buildings.
The organisation has a long-established reputation in North America and is now scaling its UK and European power capability in a deliberate, long-term way. The UK power team is growing rapidly off the back of hyperscale data centre demand and is now expanding into grid connections, transmission, distribution, substations, and wider DNO / TSO-led work.
This is a genuine opportunity for a senior HV engineer to step into a business at a formative stage of its UK growth, take ownership of delivery and capability, and progress toward senior technical leadership within an employee-owned environment.
The Business
The firm operates globally across power, data centres, infrastructure, and major building programmes, with established operations in the US, UK, and Europe.
Its international power group delivers large-scale programmes across:
- High voltage substations and switchyards
- Transmission and distribution networks
- Grid connections and power systems studies
- Power infrastructure for major private and public-sector clients
That depth is now being actively replicated in the UK, supported by global technical teams, established standards, and strong internal demand from data centre and infrastructure clients.
The business is employee-owned, financially robust, and focused on long-term engineering quality rather than short-term commercial pressure. This underpins a culture that prioritises technical standards, capability building, and professional development.
The Role The Associate Director - HV Power Engineer is a senior technical and delivery-focused position within the UK power team.
It is suited to engineers with a strong background in high voltage substation design, transmission and distribution, protection & control, or grid connections, who want to combine hands-on technical work with leadership and mentoring responsibility.
You will work closely with senior technical leaders, project managers, and global power teams, supporting delivery across data centre and power infrastructure projects while helping to build depth within the UK team.
Key Responsibilities Technical Delivery
- Lead and support high voltage engineering packages across substation design, plant layout, earthing, protection & control, and T&D interfaces
- Contribute to grid connection studies, power systems modelling, and technical analysis where aligned to your background
- Produce and review designs, calculations, specifications, and technical reports
Project & Team Capability
- Deliver work from concept through to detailed design
- Support technical governance, design reviews, and quality assurance
- Mentor and develop junior engineers, strengthening long-term team capability
Collaboration & Growth
- Work closely with project managers, senior technical leads, and global power teams
- Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders and external clients
- Contribute to the continued growth and shaping of the UK power capability
This role offers a balanced mix of hands-on HV engineering, delivery responsibility, and progression toward senior technical leadership.
About You - Degree-qualified Electrical Engineer
- Strong grounding in high voltage engineering through substation design, transmission & distribution, grid connections, or power systems analysis
- Familiarity with IEC, IEEE, and relevant UK / international standards
- Experience producing technical designs, calculations, and documentation
- Comfortable working within multidisciplinary teams and engaging with stakeholders
- Motivated by long-term growth, team development, and technical excellence
- Experience with DigSILENT, IPSA, ETAP, or similar tools is advantageous but not essential
This role will suit an existing Associate Director or a Senior/Principal/Lead Engineer ready to step into a growing, high-quality power team.
What’s On Offer - A clear and active workload driven by hyperscale data centre clients and global power programmes
- Significant investment in UK power capability, leadership, and long-term growth
- Support from established global power teams and technical frameworks
- Employee ownership with long-term value participation
- Strong commitment to chartership, professional development, and progression
For the right engineer, this is a rare opportunity to join at the right moment and help build a high-quality UK power engineering business with genuine influence over its future direction.
To discuss the role in confidence, contact Dean Forster at Tempest Jones on dean@tempestjones.com.
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