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Substation Primary Principal Engineer or Designer

ArcadisBrisbane🇦🇺AustraliaPosted 30 Jul 2026

Why this role stands out

Advance your career at Arcadis by leading high-impact renewable energy projects while enjoying the professional flexibility of a hybrid work environment. This role is perfect for a technical expert who thrives on mentorship and complex problem-solving within a globally respected team. Apply today to help shape the future of sustainable infrastructure and elevate your expertise alongside industry-leading professionals.

Quick overview

SeniorityLeader
Work modeHybrid
LocationBrisbane, Australia
Posted2 months ago
Microsoft OfficeCapacitorGISSystem Design

Job description

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world's most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:
Working closely with our National Renewables & Substations Lead, you will play a key role in delivering national projects within the Energy Sector. You will lead technical project teams and provide technical expertise, support, and guidance to junior engineers, helping to build their knowledge and capabilities. This role is integral to supporting the growth of the team from within, while ensuring high-quality outcomes on significant national projects. You will also receive ongoing support and training to further develop your skills and advance your career.
Role accountabilities:
  • Preparing and delivering complex designs, reports, proposals and presentations to clients in the following areas: 
    • Concept, FEED, detailed design and owner's engineer services for transmission and distribution substations.
    • GIS, AIS and hybrid switchyard configurations.
    • Brownfield and greenfield substation developments.
    • Substation extensions, refurbishments, replacement programs and life extension projects.
    • Equipment selection and specification including transformers, switchgear, reactors, capacitor banks, surge arresters, instrument transformers and auxiliary systems.
    • Substation layout optimisation, safety in design and constructability assessments.
    • Integration of renewable energy, battery energy storage systems and large customer connections.
    • Earthing system design and optimisation.
    • Touch, step and transferred voltage assessments.
    • Earth Potential Rise (EPR) studies.
    • Lightning protection and shielding studies.
    • Cable system design and ratings studies.
    • Thermal modelling and ampacity assessments (e.g. CYMCAP, ELTEK).
    • Support construction and technical queries during project delivery.
  • Manage the delivery of specialised components of projects, advising on the most effective team to achieve this.
  • Working in collaboration with other design disciplines to ensure the integrity of the overall design
  • Leading and mentoring  younger team members
  • Provide technical expertise and overview to client and stakeholders and to assist clients through technical decision-making and provide alternative options/solutions if there are changes to project parameters.
  • Liaising with the Project Manager and the client to keep informed of all developments associated with the project
Qualification & Experience:

12- 15 years’ experience as substation engineer, with at least 5 years recent experience as a recognised technical authority for HV and EHV substation primary, earthing and bonding design;

  • Tertiary qualification in electrical/power engineering, preferably chartered engineering and RPEQ status;
  • Excellent spoken and written communication skills including a working knowledge of MS Office;
  • Highly regarded skills include: 
    • Experience in a design consultancy role
    • Demonstrated ability to lead the design teams and and deliver substation design packages
    • The ability to develop earthing and induction models in CDEGS earthing system software is desirable
    • HV substation design, Protection system design, Power system studies
    • The ability to develop power system models in ETAP or equivalent software tool.
    • The ability to develop transient studies in ATP/PSCAD/EMTP
    • The ability to develop EMC management plans and manage the EMC management procedure.
    • The ability to develop maintenance strategies and procedures, commissioning plans and documentation
Why Arcadis?
We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It's why we are pioneering a skill-based approach, where you can hardness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.
You'll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you'll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.
Together, we can create a lasting legacy.
Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging:
We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day  which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people.
As an equal opportunity employer, we value and promote diversity at Arcadis and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Veterans and spouses are invited to apply.
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