HV Electrical Engineering Manager
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Job Purpose / Overview
As the HV Electrical Engineering Manager, you are the custodian of Fidra Energy's HV safety framework and culture for BESS operations.
You are accountable not only for the development of HV rules, procedures, and technical standards, but for ensuring these are embedded, understood, consistently applied, and continuously improved throughout the full asset lifecycle - from design handover and commissioning through steady-state operation, maintenance, outages, and future modification.
The role acts as the HV technical authority for operational assets, ensuring that safety, compliance, operability, and long-term asset integrity are maintained without erosion as commercial, operational, or lifecycle pressures evolve.
Contextual Information
Operating Environment
The HV Electrical Engineering Manager will report to the Station Director and be based at the Fidra Technical and Engineering hub at Thorpe Marsh BESS project. Travel across the UK will be required.
The HV Electrical Engineering Manager has overall accountability for the electrical safety and maintenance at Thorpe Marsh and West Burton C BESS along with any potential future projects.
Principal Accountabilities
Operational Readiness & Technical Governance
• Develop, own, and continually refine HV operational procedures, switching schedules, and safety rules, ensuring they are practically embedded into day-to-day operations and understood by all relevant parties.
• Act as the owner of the HV safety framework, ensuring rules are actively applied, challenged, and improved based on operational experience, incidents, near misses, and lessons learned.
• Provide visible HV safety leadership through field engagement, switching observations, permit reviews, and operational audits to verify correct application of HV rules in practice.
• Define and enforce operational engineering requirements, HV safety standards, and governance arrangements, ensuring consistent application across all operational activities and contractors. Establish technical acceptance criteria for handover from EPC to Operations.
• Evaluate design documentation to ensure long-term operability, maintainability, and compliance (not construction supervision).
HV Asset Management & System Performance
• Act as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for HV transformers, switchgear, protection systems, and grid interfaces.
• Ensure HV safety principles and safe systems of work are fully integrated into asset lifecycle strategies, including maintenance planning, outage execution, fault response, asset modification, and life-extension decisions.
• Lead fault investigations and root-cause analysis for HV issues, ensuring outcomes directly inform updates to HV rules, procedures, training, and asset strategies.
• Support procurement of long-term service agreements, spare parts, and specialist testing services.
Compliance & Grid Interface
• Ensure ongoing compliance with DNO/TSO requirements, G99/G100, RfG, and relevant national electrical standards, while maintaining HV safety standards that meet or exceed regulatory minimums
• Translate grid and network interface requirements into clear, practical HV operating rules and safety controls applicable to site operations and switching activities.
• Review protection schemes, implement settings updates, and ensure proper functioning of protection relays and interlocks.
• Manage HV outage plans, switching programmes, and communication with network operators.
Technical Documentation & Risk Management
• Own and maintain HV system documentation as a living body of work, ensuring alignment with site reality, operational practices, asset modifications, and evolving safety requirements.
• Develop and actively manage HV risk registers, ensuring risks are reviewed, mitigations implemented, and outcomes reflected in HV rules, procedures, and operational behaviours.
• Oversee periodic audits of HV equipment, protection systems, and operational performance.
Stakeholder & Contractor Engagement
• Set and enforce Fidra Energy's HV safety expectations with all contractors, independent engineers, and third parties, ensuring alignment to Fidra HV rules, safety culture, and behavioural standards.
• Support technical reviews of OEM service reports, diagnostic tests, and asset condition data.
• Provide technical input to operational strategy, emergency response plans, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure contractors and partners operate to Fidra HV safety rules rather than minimum external standards, challenging unsafe practices and reinforcing consistent behaviours.
This list is not exhaustive:
Dimensions
• 1 Direct Report - EC&I Technician
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
• In-depth understanding of HV equipment (transformers, switchgear, relays, cables, earthing systems).
• Strong knowledge of grid codes, protection systems, and operational HV safety rules.
Desirable
• Working knowledge of SCADA/EMS, power quality, and IEC 61850.
• Familiarity with UK DNO/TSO processes (or local equivalents).
Qualifications & Experience
Essential
• Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years HV engineering experience (400kV), with strong operational or asset management focus.
• Experience with power system analysis tools (DIgSILENT, ETAP, or similar).
• Experience preparing HV operational procedures, switching plans, or asset strategies.
Desirable
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or close to chartership.
• Experience in operational BESS, solar, wind, or other grid-connected generation assets.
Key Competencies
• Demonstrated ability to lead, embed, and sustain HV safety culture through influence, challenge, and visible leadership - not solely through documentation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills.
• Clear understanding of HV operational safety and compliance.
• Ability to work autonomously as a technical authority.
• Proactive, structured, and risk-focused approach.