About The Role
Balfour Beatty is recruiting a Commissioning Manager to join our Power Transmission &
Distribution (T&D) Substation team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in
delivering National Grid substation projects across the UK and continually seeking to make the energy system cleaner.
Demand for clean, secure energy is rising, to meet this demand there is a significant industry investment. You’ll work on multi-million pound projects ranging from substation extensions to new-build substations, supporting the delivery of critical infrastructure that powers homes, communities, and industries to help revolutionise and decarbonise the future of energy.
While our team is based in the North East, we’re open to flexible working arrangements with regular travel to project sites nationwide.
We consider all applications based on experience and are open to
UK-wide applicants.
What you'll be doing
- You’ll lead all aspects of commissioning delivery across the lifecycle of our substation projects, from tendering and technical support to on-site execution and handover.
- Act as the go-to technical expert on substation commissioning, supporting design, operations, and delivery teams
- Oversee commissioning strategies from early contractor involvement through to final handover
- Provide technical guidance across HV equipment testing and National Grid commissioning standards
- Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and procedural standards across all commissioning activity
- Lead commissioning input during tender stages, including cost build-up, resource planning, and programme inputs
- Develop outline and detailed commissioning programmes and cost forecasts
- Attend project handovers, ensuring smooth transition from design to delivery
- Manage and mentor a growing commissioning team (engineers, technicians, and sub-contractors)
- Forecast and allocate resources across multiple projects.
- Confirm competence and authorisations of all commissioning resources
- Monitor progress, spend, and performance against plan
- Attend commissioning panels, site progress meetings, and provide regular updates to
- Continuously improve testing and commissioning productivity, innovation, and delivery outcomes.
Who we're looking for
Essential
- Extensive substation commissioning experience within the National Grid environment
- Previous Commissioning Authorisations and strong familiarity with BP141/BP106
- In-depth knowledge of National Grid commissioning procedures and HV equipment testing
- HNC (or higher) in Electrical Engineering or similar discipline
- Proven ability to manage remote technical teams and commissioning subcontractors
- Solid understanding of industry documentation and commissioning QA/QC processes
Desirable
- Experience delivering large-scale infrastructure projects
- Degree-qualified in a technical discipline
- Familiarity with digital commissioning tools and reporting platforms
- Chartered Engineer Status
Why work for us
Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK's most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.
About Us
Balfour Beatty's Power Transmission & Distribution teams work with regional, national and international electricity network owners and operators to provide technical engineering solutions across the full spectrum of the electricity grid, including overhead lines, cabling, substations and distribution networks.
From scoping and feasibility, to design, construction and on-going maintenance, our in-house experts, flexible resources and industry-leading innovations support customers in the development of some of the UK's most ambitious power transmission and distribution projects.
Diversity and inclusion
At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion
To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/
We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at:
[email protected] 
