HV Substations Protection

Shape a future with purpose at Arup in Spain Supporting National Grid transmission substation projects in the United Kingdom Arup’s purpose, shared values, and collaborative approach have set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world. We have been present in Spain since 1993 and have a team of more than 300 engineers, consultants, and qualified technical personnel. This role will be based in Spain under a local Spanish employment contract while supporting major UK transmission infrastructure projects. Arup undertakes transmission and distribution design projects across the globe. In the UK, we deliver projects from concept through detailed design for established asset owners and new market entrants. Arup is supporting the Great Grid Partnership, a major programme for the transformation of the National Grid transmission network.
The Opportunity
This is your chance to develop your career while contributing to the protection, control, communications and SCADA design of HV and EHV transmission substations for National Grid projects in the United Kingdom. You will work predominantly remotely from Spain, be fully integrated into the relevant UK substation project team and receive structured technical guidance from experienced engineers in Spain and the UK. You will have a local line manager and team support in Spain while working under the day-to-day technical and project direction of the relevant UK project team. Your development will be supported through day-to-day coaching, formal technical reviews and progressively more complex assignments. You will primarily work under experienced G6, G7 and G8 engineers within the Spain T&D structure and the relevant UK discipline teams, creating a clear pathway to deepen your expertise, work towards professional registration and progress within Arup.
As a HV Substations Protection & Control, Communications and SCADA Engineer at Arup, you will:
Contribute to the design and review of protection and control systems for HV and EHV transmission substations, from concept and scheme development through detailed design, construction support, testing and commissioning, under the guidance of experienced engineers.
Prepare and develop protection philosophies, functional specifications, single-line diagrams, protection block diagrams, AC and DC schematics, tripping and intertripping schemes, control logic, interlocking diagrams, wiring diagrams, I/O schedules, cable schedules and interface documentation, with appropriate technical review and support.
Support the development and review of schemes for transmission lines, transformers, busbars, reactors, feeders and auxiliary systems, including main and backup protection, breaker-failure protection, autoreclose, synchrocheck, teleprotection and lockout functions as applicable.
Support protection coordination and settings activities, including fault studies and preparation of technical inputs using recognised power-system analysis tools where required.
Contribute to the design and review of substation control, automation and communication architectures, including bay-level and station-level systems.
Apply IEC 61850 engineering principles, including data modelling, GOOSE messaging, MMS, Sampled Values where applicable, SCL files and multi-vendor system integration.
Support the development and review of resilient station-bus and process-bus architectures, time synchronisation, network redundancy and segregation in accordance with applicable National Grid requirements, British Standards, BS EN/IEC standards and project procedures.
Coordinate protection and control interfaces with TSO, SCADA, telecommunications, metering, auxiliary systems, cybersecurity requirements and other substation disciplines.
Take responsibility for allocated P&C design tasks and defined work-package activities, delivering them to the agreed quality and programme under the supervision of G6, G7 and G8 engineers.
Participate in checking and technical review processes, respond to review comments and progressively develop the capability to identify design risks and resolve technical interfaces with multidisciplinary teams.
Support technical queries during procurement, manufacture, installation, testing, commissioning and energisation.
Prepare and review FAT, SAT, site testing and commissioning documentation for protection, control, SCADA and communication systems.
Support relay configuration, secondary-injection testing, scheme testing, end-to-end testing, IEC 61850 system testing and energisation activities as required by the project.
Participate in meetings with Arup project teams, National Grid, contractors, manufacturers and other stakeholders, developing confidence in presenting technical information and contributing effectively to project discussions.
Share knowledge with colleagues, actively seek feedback and take ownership of personal learning and professional development.
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