Principal Electrical Engineer - Nuclear

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

6/23/2025

Job Description

This is an exciting and challenging role where you will perform the Principal Electrical Engineer role on a range of Defence and Nuclear Energy projects from Concept Studies through to Detailed Design provide a variety of interesting work.

Working predominantly for our Defence and Nuclear Energy clients there may also be a requirement to support work across other sectors within Costain. Industries can range across Water, Transport and Energy including Green Energy, Nuclear and Oil and Gas

Working in a multi-disciplinary team delivering projects in the Nuclear Sector, you will be responsible for the production of electrical design deliverables including analysis, calculations, reports and specifications.

Taking responsibility for leading projects and sub tasks from a technical perspective.

Communicating designs effectively to electrical engineer and designers, other disciplines, construction personnel and stakeholders.

Hybrid role with a mix of remote and site/office based work.

Attendance occasionally required for site visits, design reviews and client meetings, mainly within the Northwest region.

You will also support and guide more junior team members. You will challenge and deliver value engineering solutions so you will need to be confident and assertive in front of clients.

Responsibilities

As a client facing Principal Engineer, your responsibilities will/may involve:

• Electrical discipline technical input for projects and/or proposals; including preparation, checking and/or approval of engineering documentation
• Organising discipline staff, allocating work and ensuring delivery against plan
• Mentoring and developing graduates and less experienced engineers
• Production of high-quality electrical engineering deliverables to schedule, budget and client satisfaction
• Ensuring designs are compliant with all applicable national and international codes of practice, legislation and company/client standards
• Preparing equipment specifications and requisitions for a variety of electrical equipment including HV and LV switchboards, transformers, UPS systems, power factor correction, motors, VFD’s, trace-heating, lighting and other electrical equipment
• Preparing installation scopes of works
• Reviewing supplier’s quotations and preparing technical bid assessments
  
  

More Specific Tasks Could Include

• Protection grading studies and earthing calculations
• Power system analysis including fault level calculations and load flows
• Electrical equipment sizing calculations
• Commissioning support
• DNO engagement and procurement support
  
  

Essential

QUALIFICATIONS

• Good knowledge of design working practices and installation requirements of the discipline within the Nuclear sector.
• Significant electrical engineering experience within the Nuclear sector
• Security Clearance or capability to achieve it
• Extensive knowledge of UK legislation and standards
• Competence in the requirements for installation of equipment on Nuclear plant
• Experience in the requirements for CE marking of plant and equipment, including ATEX, PED, Low Voltage Directive, Machinery Directive and EMC Compliance
• Awareness of risk identification, quantification, management and of HSE requirements
• Degree in electrical engineering or suitable equivalent (e.g. Electronic / Electrical / Control Engineering) Apprenticeships may be considered
• Chartered or Incorporated engineer status with a relevant professional body or evidence of being close to gaining these professional titles
  
  

Desirable

• Experience of working in multi-discipline teams
• Experience of leading projects in a client facing role
• Experience in the requirements for ATEX
• 18th Edition Wiring Regulations
  
  

About Us

Costain helps to improve people’s lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK’s energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK’s leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.

Costain appreciate the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at application phase.

We do share individual feedback following an interview .

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that disclose they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer.

It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.

For more details please go to the Disability Confident website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign