Lead Principal Substation Engineer

Become the Lead Principal Substation Engineer with SSE Renewables in various UK locations. Provide technical leadership for Substation engineering projects, ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Foster a supportive team culture and drive innovation in a pivotal role towards Net Zero. Enjoy the opportunity to shape the future of energy infrastructure. Join SSE Renewables as a Lead Principal Substation Engineer in locations across the UK, including Aberdeen and Glasgow. In this pivotal role, you'll provide technical leadership for Substation engineering projects, ensuring they meet business and safety requirements. You'll nurture a talented team, promote health and safety excellence, and drive innovation in the energy sector. This role offers a chance to make a meaningful impact on the future of energy infrastructure.

SSE Renewables Flexible Full Time GBP 78k–118k yearly UTC+00:00

Aberdeen, United Kingdom Inverness, United Kingdom Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

SSE Renewables

Company Overview

Name

SSE Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SSE plc

Headquarters

Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom

Founded

2010

Size

Employs around 1,800 professionals across the UK, Ireland, Continental Europe, and Japan, contributing to 1,998 direct, indirect, and induced full-time equivalent jobs in Scotland in FY24 and sustaining 16,000 total jobs there including wider economic impacts (source: leadiq.com). Revenue estimates vary with reports of $1.5 billion, $26.2 million, or $16 million as of October 2025, while SSE plc as parent reports £15.43 billion group revenue and SSE Renewables contributing £1,038.8 million in adjusted operating profit for 2024/25, representing 43% of group operating profit (source: zoominfo.com).

What They Do

SSE Renewables focuses primarily on onshore and offshore wind, hydroelectric power, pumped storage, solar, and battery storage. They develop and operate an operational portfolio of around 4.5GW, including nearly 2GW onshore wind, over 1GW offshore wind, and 1.5GW flexible hydro and pumped storage. They have a secured pipeline of almost 15GW and over 13GW prospective sites targeting 9GW by 2027 and over 16GW by 2032 under SSE's Net Zero Acceleration Programme (source: leadiq.com). SSE Renewables provides renewable electricity generation services, including project design, optimization, consenting, stakeholder engagement, financing, procurement, construction, and operations, supplying 100% renewable power from assets like the 72MW Meentycat wind farm in Ireland, the largest there (source: wikipedia.org). Their target markets span the UK, Ireland, and a growing international presence in Continental Europe and Japan, serving domestic, commercial, and industrial customers via SSE's retail arms like SSE Airtricity (Ireland) and SSE Business Energy (GB) (source: sse.com).

Projects & Track Record

Notable completed projects include the 504MW Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm, a 50/50 joint venture with RWE off England's coast, completed in 2012. The 588MW Beatrice offshore wind farm, completed in 2019, is Scotland's largest and the world's deepest fixed-bottom offshore wind farm, with SSE holding a 40% stake (source: sserenewables.com). The 72MW Meentycat onshore wind farm is Ireland's largest, and the 34.5MW Tievenameenta onshore wind farm, operational since 2017, abates 28,000 tonnes of CO2 annually (source: sseheritage.com). Ongoing major projects include the 1.1GW Seagreen offshore wind farm, which upon completion in 2023, will be Scotland's largest and the world's deepest fixed-bottom offshore wind farm (source: sse.com).

Recent Developments

In the last two years through 2025, SSE Renewables advanced Seagreen toward 2023 completion as Scotland's largest offshore wind farm and progressed Dogger Bank as the world's largest offshore wind farm (source: sserenewables.com). SSE plc announced a £33 billion investment in electricity infrastructure to 2030, with SSE Renewables allocating 34% of group capex and achieving 4.5GW operational renewables capacity as of 2023 (source: sse.com). Milestones include 20 years of offshore wind by June 2023 and SSE Renewables' £1,038.8m 2024/25 profit contribution amid SSE's 80% carbon intensity cut target by 2030 (source: sserenewables.com).

Working There

SSE Renewables hires across various roles including engineering, project management, construction, operations, development, financing, procurement, stakeholder engagement, and technical roles like apprenticeships. The workforce of 1,800 renewable professionals is skilled in delivering projects from design to operations (source: leadiq.com). Active hiring occurs at their Perth headquarters and UK/Ireland sites like Cromarty Firth, supporting hundreds of jobs (source: sserenewables.com). The company culture emphasizes the delivery of world-leading projects over 15 years and a just transition to net zero, with community funds like the 25-year Sustainable Development Fund for renewables-impacted areas (source: sseheritage.com).

Contact

Website · Careers · LinkedIn

Last updated on 2025-12-26 | Report an issue

Job Description

This isn't just a job-it's your chance to make a meaningful impact and shape the future of Substation engineering at a pivotal time for SSEN Transmission. As we deliver some of the UK's most ambitious infrastructure projects and accelerate towards Net Zero, we're looking for a collaborative and inspiring leader to join our Transmission Project Engineering team.

As Lead Principal Substation Engineer, you'll provide technical leadership in the development of standardised designs and innovations across all Substation engineering projects. You'll work closely with others, support and empower a talented team, and advocate for safety, consistency, and creativity while driving forward solutions that power a greener, smarter energy network. This is a role where your expertise will help others thrive and create lasting change.

You Will

Provide technical leadership and accountability for all Substation engineering projects, ensuring solutions meet business, regulatory, and safety requirements.
Guide and nurture a team of specialist engineers, fostering a supportive and inclusive culture and encouraging career growth.
Oversee and coordinate resolution of technical issues, applying collaborative problem-solving and thoughtful thinking across projects and workstreams.
Promote health, safety, and environmental excellence, ensuring compliance with CDM, ESQCR, and SSEN standards.
Drive Innovation by encouraging creativity and continuous improvement, implementing enhancements and engaging with industry forums to shape best practice.

You Have

A proven track record of bringing out the best in people and delivering complex Substation engineering projects.
A degree in an appropriate engineering discipline, with Chartered Engineer status (or equivalent) preferred.
Deep technical knowledge of Substation engineering, relevant legislation (including CDM & ESQCR), and industry standards.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trust and simplify complex ideas.
Strong problem-solving ability, collaborative decision-making skills, and a passion for supporting the growth of others.