Protection Settings Engineer

About Us

We’re National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), the owner and operator behind the electricity distribution systems for the Midlands, the Southwest of England and South Wales. Serving communities of more than 8 million people, our expert teams deliver heat, light and power for homes and businesses.

National Grid employs over 29,000 people worldwide. We are building an inclusive workplace, a place to actively celebrate the cultures, personalities and preferences of our colleagues – who in turn help to build the success of our business and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Our vision is to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future and we are doing this in a fast-moving industry with an increasing focus on tackling climate change, exploring new energy sources that are renewable, low carbon, and improve efficiency to meet demand.

Job Introduction

A great opportunity is available for a Protection Settings Engineer within the South Wales Engineering Design team.

The Engineering Design Team prepare  electrical, protection/control, mechanical and civil designs for schemes to construct, extend or modify electricity substations energised at up to 132kV. The team assists network design colleagues with the assessment of substation options and develops selected schemes from a broad engineering brief into a fully specified build package. The team also has responsibility for the preparation, issue and archival of protection relay configurations and settings at up to 132kV

The broader ED Team comprises 75 design staff, primarily based at offices in Tipton, Pegasus, Avonbank and Cardiff.  It handles in excess of 500 active design commissions at any time ranging in capital value from £50k to £10m.

As part of our hybrid working approach this role offers a mix of office and home working. Hybrid working can only be considered once your initial training is complete and subject to business need.

Depending on experience, you may initially be appointed at a lower salary until all relevant courses and training are complete.

Main Responsibilities

We are seeking to recruit a strong team player to join us in the role of Protection Settings Engineer.

It is imperative that the candidate is able to hit the ground running in the following areas:

• Experienced in the calculation, issue and recording of protection settings, and voltage control settings for applications from 11kV to 132kV.
• Experienced in the configuration of programmable scheme logic for protection relays.
• Specialist response to incidences of potential mal-operation of protection systems

The Ideal Candidate

Candidates will need to demonstrate an aptitude and experience in protection settings and configuration activities, together with experience in numeric/modern protection device application, programming, configuration, and settings.

Longer term, the candidate would be encouraged & supported to develop the following complementary skills:

• Design and specification of substation plant and protection systems, for applications up to 132kV.
• Acting as lead designer for substation design outputs up to 132kV.
• Provision of specialist substation engineering advice to project stakeholders.

You will be expected to gain proficiency in the use of IPSA, PSSE, Aspen, and AutoCAD.

You should be qualified to higher national certificate level or above, in an appropriate engineering discipline. Evidence of your qualifications will be required prior to appointment.

Good communication skills and the ability to manage multiple diverse projects simultaneously are also essential. Applicants should hold a full UK driving license.

National Grid Electricity Distribution is committed to safeguarding the interests of the Company, colleagues and customers. This role is subject to a satisfactory Barring Service, (DBS) check, depending on the role different levels of screening and vetting are required. Some roles require a triannual check.

About The Company

Joining the UK’s leading electricity distribution business means plenty of career opportunities and well-deserved recognition. We reward hard work and encourage ambition. So, as well as a competitive salary, you will also benefit from:

• 26 days paid leave plus 8 bank holidays, up to 28 days with continuous service
• Competitive contributory pension scheme (we double match your contributions up to a maximum of 12%)
• Annual Share Save plan
• Contributory private healthcare scheme for you and your family
• Support via our Employee Assistance Programme, including musculoskeletal and physiotherapy services
• Free on-site parking at all our main sites

Things you need to know

As an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we celebrate individual difference and are actively bringing in more employees from diverse backgrounds to build on our inclusive culture. We anonymise all applications in our recruitment system so we can eliminate unconscious bias and be a workplace that reflects the community we serve. Hiring managers only have access to necessary information at interview stage. If you require additional support to complete your online application, please email nged.recruitment@nationalgrid.co.uk

Recruitment correspondence is usually sent by email, please check your email account including spam/junk folders regularly after the closing date.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should sufficient numbers of suitable applications be received, so it would be best to apply as soon as you can