Project Engineer (Data Centres & Industrials)
Octopus Energy · London +1 · 7d ago
About the role
Octopus is building a new business line delivering low-cost, reliable, clean energy and faster speed-to-power for data centres and large industrials. We're looking for a Project Electrical Engineer to be the electrical owner on first-of-a-kind power projects - private wire, behind-the-meter generation and storage, MV and HV grid connections.
This is a technical role with a unique expanded scope to broader infrastructure project management. Early on you are the project manager: you hold the programme, the development budget and the external parties, from concept design through connection offer to design freeze and financial close. From there you stay on as the electrical owner through construction, commissioning and energisation, with a delivery team around you.
What you'll do
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Own the programme and the development budget. Schedule from early concept to design freeze - siting, connection application, planning, consents, procurement, long-lead items - worked back from the customer's energisation date. Appoint and manage consultants, ICPs and study providers. Surface risk early and clearly communicate them to the stakeholders.
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Own the electrical concept through to sign-off. Single-line diagrams, general arrangements, switchgear and plant layouts, cable routes, metering and comms architecture. Direct and interrogate the studies (load flow, short-circuit, protection coordination, arc flash, earthing, power quality). Chair design reviews and stage gates, and take options to the Project Lead and customer with a recommendation.
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Lead the grid interface. DNO, TO and NESO - applications and offers, technical requirements, securities and milestones, contestable and non-contestable scope, ICP/IDNO coordination, MPAN registration.
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Budget ownership through completion. Credible capex inputs for the project model across plant, substation, civils and enabling works, with value engineering and optioneering. Then FAT/SAT witnessing, commissioning plans and sequences of operation, energisation and handover.
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Take on what you haven't done before. First-of-a-kind means no precedent, no standard design and no colleague who's done it. Get to a working understanding of an unfamiliar technology or scope fast, and deliver it.
What you'll have
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Master’s degree, or equivalent, in electrical or power systems engineering. CEng welcome, not essential.
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5+ years delivering energy or infrastructure projects, with a strong grounding in MV and HV systems.
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Real infrastructure experience - substations, networks, industrial plant, data centres, utilities, water or transport. We care that you've dealt with ground conditions, easements, consents, tie-ins to live assets and construction sequencing. This is not a grid-only role.
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You've personally held a programme and a budget on a development or pre-construction project.
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A GB/European grid connection taken from connection offer to grid code compliance and energisation, with working knowledge of the Grid Code, CUSC, SQSS, G99/G100, ENA engineering recommendations and BS 7671.
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Able to coordinate a multi-discipline design where you're not the expert in every discipline - and to spot a weak answer from a civil or mechanical engineer.
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Comfortable as the single point of accountability with an incomplete picture, holding external parties accountable without formal authority.
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Full UK driving licence and willing to travel to site.