Senior Design Manager – Power & Energy Infrastructure

The Team

Cundall is a global engineering consultancy known for innovative and sustainable design across energy, infrastructure and the built environment. With a 50-year history, we deliver projects that shape the future of energy systems, from grid transmission and distribution to renewable energy and critical infrastructure.

Our Power Systems team specialises in high-voltage design, protection and control systems and technical advisory services, delivering technically demanding projects in the UK and internationally.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Power and Energy Design Manager to lead the planning, coordination and delivery of complex substation and power infrastructure projects. This is a specialist design management role for someone who understands that the delivery of substations, grid connections and high-voltage infrastructure requires a different approach from conventional building projects.

You will provide the structure that enables technical leads and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safely, efficiently and consistently. You will establish clear scopes, interfaces, deliverables, programmes and governance; coordinate internal and external contributors; manage design risk and change; and maintain alignment between client requirements, technical decisions, commercial constraints and construction needs.

You won't need to be the technical authority on every Power Systems discipline, but you will need enough HV sector knowledge and engineering judgement to challenge assumptions, spot missing interfaces, understand the implications of technical decisions and drive the design team towards coordinated, buildable outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery leadership

• Lead the design management and coordinated delivery of substation, grid connection, BESS and critical power infrastructure projects through all relevant project stages.

• Translate client requirements, contracts, technical specifications and project objectives into clear work packages, team priorities and measurable deliverables.

• Support bids, mobilisation and project set-up, including delivery strategy, programme, resourcing, design management scope and fee assumptions.

Design coordination and interfaces

• Coordinate primary plant, protection and control, power system studies, civil, structural, cabling, earthing, auxiliary systems, MEP and digital/BIM interfaces.

• Chair design coordination meetings, client workshops, technical and constructability reviews and lessons-learned sessions, making sure actions are owned and closed.

• Manage client, contractor, supplier, utility and stakeholder interfaces, keeping communication clear and resolving competing requirements.

Governance, risk and change

• Set up and maintain the design controls - design execution plan, responsibility matrix, deliverables schedule, design programme and interface register.

• Lead design change control, risk and opportunity management, technical query coordination and decision tracking.

• Coordinate the review, checking and approval of deliverables in line with Cundall quality processes, and promote safety in design, CDM compliance, constructability and commissioning readiness.

Commercial and team

• Monitor design progress against scope, programme, budget and quality, identifying constraints early and agreeing practical recovery actions.

• Work with project commercial leads on fee forecasting, resource planning, scope control, change management and subconsultant management.

• Mentor engineers and less experienced design managers, sharing sector knowledge and building consistent ways of working across the Power Systems team.

Typical Projects

• UK transmission and distribution substations, including new-build, extensions, reinforcement and replacement projects.

• Grid connections for BESS, renewable generation, data centres and other major energy users.

• Private HV networks and critical power infrastructure for data centres, industrial and other critical infrastructure clients.

The Skills

Essential Experience and Capabilities

• Typically 8-12 years' relevant experience in the power or infrastructure sector, including substantial experience leading or coordinating the design delivery of substations, electricity networks, grid connections or comparable high-voltage infrastructure projects. Exceptional candidates with a different experience profile will also be considered where they can demonstrate equivalent capability.

• Demonstrable experience acting as Design Manager, Engineering Manager, Lead Design Engineer or Project Engineer on complex multidisciplinary power-infrastructure projects.

• Experience on UK DNO, TO or National Grid projects at 33kV and above, or comparable high-voltage infrastructure.

• Good working knowledge of the high-voltage design lifecycle and its key disciplines - primary plant, protection and control, power system studies, civil/structural interfaces and auxiliary systems - sufficient to coordinate them and manage complex interfaces.

• Proven ability to set up and run effective design controls, including programme, deliverables, risk and change.

• Experience working with clients, utilities, contractors, consultants, suppliers and multidisciplinary design teams.

• Strong understanding of project scope, programme, resource, quality, risk and commercial drivers.

• Ability to challenge constructively, make priorities visible, drive decisions and maintain momentum across multiple workstreams.

• Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to chair meetings and translate complex technical issues into actions and decisions.

• An engineering, project management, construction or related qualification, or equivalent relevant industry experience.

Desirable Experience

• Experience across concept design, FEED, detailed design, procurement, construction support, testing and commissioning.

• Experience of FIDIC, NEC or other infrastructure contract environments, early-warning/change processes, and management of consultant or subcontractor design packages.

• Understanding of CDM 2015, design risk management and Principal Designer interfaces.

• Experience with common project and information-management tools, such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6, SharePoint, common data environments and BIM coordination workflows.

• Professional accreditation or progress towards chartership with an appropriate institution.

What Success Looks Like

• Design teams understand the scope, interfaces, priorities and required outcomes.

• Deliverables are planned, coordinated, assured and issued in line with programme commitments.

• Technical decisions, risks, assumptions and changes are visible, traceable and actively managed.

• Clients and project teams receive clear, timely communication and practical resolution of issues.

• Projects protect commercial performance while maintaining technical quality, safety and buildability.

• Lessons learned are converted into stronger standards, templates and delivery methods for future projects.

Why Join Us?

• Lead technically challenging and commercially significant power infrastructure projects across the UK.

• Work within an integrated multidisciplinary consultancy, connecting specialist Power Systems capability with civil, structural, building services and critical infrastructure expertise.

• Help shape and scale design management capability within a growing Power Systems business.

• Collaborate with experienced engineers and project leaders across substations, renewable energy, BESS and data centres.

• Access flexible working arrangements and structured professional development.

Job Description

Your career at Cundall

We know that to be the best at what we do we need a diverse workforce underpinned by an inclusive culture. Creating environments where everyone can find joy doing their best work is also great for everyone. That's why we positively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and identities, and encourage, support, and celebrate the diverse voices of our people.