Protection and Control (Secondary) Design Engineer

Internal applicants are welcome.

Mott MacDonald Bentley is a fully integrated design and build business with access to the design expertise of Mott MacDonald with the contracting experience of JN Bentley, operating across energy, water and environment sectors throughout the UK.  With an annual turnover surpassing £500 million, Mott Macdonald Bentley cements its position as a leader within the industry. The sustained, robust business performance creates an ideal environment for career growth. 

JN Bentley are currently looking for a Protection and Control Design Engineer to join our growing battery energy storage system (BESS) team. You will provide subject matter expertise and collaborate with an experienced and knowledgeable team of engineers and designers, as well as supporting and mentoring junior members of the team.

Being a part of the wider design team, the Protection and Control Engineer will lead on the development of the protection and control design for BESS projects, typically interfacing with TO / DNO substations and networks.  This will include HV substations, switchrooms, BESS connections and control systems, delivering robust protection schemes to ensure safe, compliant and reliable operation of BESS asests.

As part of Mott MacDonald Group, the role will offer the opportunity to work with other industry-leading specialists to deliver flagship industry projects.  Within MMB, the role also offers the unique opportunity to work as part of a fully integrated design-and-build project, liaising closely construction and commissioning teams throughout to ensure the successful end-to-end delivery of the project.

The role of a Protection and Control (Secondary) Design Engineer includes: 

• Development of detailed protection schemes for transformers, feeders, switchgear and BESS inverters including differential protection, G99/G100 compliance, and all required intertrips.

• Prepare AC/DC schematics, protection logic, relay functional diagrams, and work with others to produce settings and co-ordination studies.

• Prepare single and key line diagrams, cable block diagrams, wiring diagrams, schedules, and technical reports.

• Specify CTs, VTs, relays, protection panels and marshalling kiosks; review vendor equipment specifications for compliance.

• Contribute to short-circuit, load flow and fault-level studies to support protection settings and equipment ratings, along with intertrip schemes and co-ordination with TO and DNOs.

• Develop SCADA interfaces, signal lists, communications architectures and protocols for integrating BESS, PCS, BMS and substation equipment.

• Ensure all designs comply with G99/G100 and DNO G81 standards, British and international standards, and contract specifications.

• Work closely with other design disciplines to efficiently and effectively deliver integrated complex design solutions.

• Liaise with and support the installation and commissioning teams to ensure that the system is installed and tested in accordance with the design.

• Contribute to development of standardised systems, processes, designs and specifications.

What you can offer: 

• A Degree/HND/HNC in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems preferred). 

• Previous experience with consultancy, contractor or utility in the Power industry. 

• Demonstrable experience in the design of complete HV AC protection systems ranging from 11kV to 132kV from previous roles and projects, ideally extending experience into 275kV and 400kV electrical projects. 

• A working understanding of industry HV and EHV substation installation standards and specifications, including a demonstrable working understanding of TO / DNO specifications.

• The ability to take the initiative, demonstrate a pro-active approach to activities and problems.

What’s in it for you:   

Financial wellbeing  

• MMB match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.  

• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues including our annual bonus schemes.  

• Payment of annual professional institution subscription costs  

Health and wellbeing  

• A minimum of 33 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays, with the ability to buy, sell or carry over annual leave through our flexible benefits programme.  

• Access to Life Assurance / Private Medical Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance and Health Screening options  

• We are happy to talk openly about flexible working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.  

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.  

Enhanced family and carers leave  

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave plus the option for shared parental leave.  

• Up to 2 paid additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities  

Learning and development  

• MMB are committed to empowering our people to grow professionally and thrive in their careers. We offer structured development schemes that support your journey toward professional chartership. From day one, employees are fast-tracked towards chartership reviews and benefit from mentorship, hands-on experience, and tailored training opportunities  

**Mott MacDonald Bentley are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.**

Other Information

About Mott MacDonald

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management and development consultancy.

Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.

Our values: progress, respect, integrity, drive, excellence.

We believe that because we care about what we do, we do things better.

We know that our people are our most valuable asset, so we are dedicated to investing in them, through our comprehensive training and development schemes, exposure to the wider design and build business and endless opportunities.

We are committed to creating a workplace where our people are safe, have a voice, can reach their full potential, and everyone shares in the rewards.

You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to projects that benefit our communities – from helping to secure water supplies for future generations to protecting homes and businesses from flood risk – our projects make a real difference.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

A Mott MacDonald Bentley we welcome applications from all sectors of the community. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace where everyone feels included, has the opportunity to thrive, and is treated with respect.

Even if you don’t meet every requirement for this role but are excited about the opportunity, we encourage you to apply. Find out more about our approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion here: https://www.mottmacbentley.co.uk/people.

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment practices are barrier-free and as inclusive as possible. This includes making adjustments during the job application process and throughout your future career with us. Please call 01756 691572 or email recruitment@jnbentley.co.uk to discuss any such adjustments that we can make. You can read more about our Equal Opportunities Policy here: Equality, diversity and inclusion - Mott MacDonald

Agile working

We are committed to providing a flexible and agile working environment that supports both our employees and the needs of the business.

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