Principal Electrical Engineer
Nuclear Sector | Chester-based | Hybrid | Electrical Design & Technical Delivery | Long-term Contract | Outside IR35 | Competitive Rate | Active SC Clearance Required
The Opportunity
We're recruiting a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead and deliver electrical design and technical solutions on a major infrastructure project in the nuclear sector. You'll be responsible for producing high-quality electrical design documentation, technical specifications, and ensuring all electrical work meets regulatory standards and client requirements.
Contract Details: Outside IR35 | Competitive rate | Hybrid | Chester-based | Hybrid working | Long-term contract | Active SC clearance required (or eligibility to obtain)
This is a hands-on technical role combining leadership with direct delivery. You'll produce electrical design documentation, conduct technical calculations, specify equipment, manage supplier relationships, and ensure all electrical work is delivered to specification and budget. You're a "lead and do" engineer -comfortable both directing work and rolling up your sleeves to deliver it yourself.
What You'll Be Doing
Electrical Design & Technical Delivery
- Prepare electrical design documentation including Basis of Design, Power System Calculations, Earthing and Lightning Calculations
- Produce equipment sizing calculations and Load Schedules
- Develop Equipment Specifications and Datasheets
- Create Single Line Diagrams (SLDs), Cable Schedules, Material Take Offs, Block Control Diagrams (BCDs)
- Produce Schematics and Equipment/Cable Routing Layouts
- Ensure all designs are safe, practical, cost-effective and meet client specifications
Design Checking & Approval
- Check and approve electrical design deliverables across the project
- Review designs produced by team members and subcontractors
- Ensure compliance with UK and international codes and standards
- Maintain design quality and regulatory compliance
- Conduct design reviews and technical assessments
Equipment & Procurement Management
- Prepare equipment and materials requisitions for switchboards, transformers, motors, UPS systems, power factor correction, trace-heating, lighting and other electrical equipment
- Review supplier quotations and prepare technical bid assessments
- Manage supplier relationships and procurement coordination
- Ensure all equipment meets specification and compliance requirements
- Support value engineering and cost optimisation
Installation & Construction Support
- Prepare installation scopes of work
- Support project schedule development
- Participate in change control processes
- Manage electrical package delivery
- Support site teams with technical queries and commissioning
Regulatory & Compliance Management
- Ensure compliance with all national and international codes of practice
- Maintain compliance with legislation, company standards and client procedures
- Support regulatory and standards compliance across all work
- Contribute to project governance and technical assurance
About You
Essential Qualifications & Experience
- Active SC (Security Clearance) -you must hold current clearance or be eligible to obtain. We'll support the vetting process.
- Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline
- Professionally qualified to IEng or CEng status with a relevant professional body
- Minimum 12+ years' electrical engineering experience
- Proven track record delivering electrical design on major projects
- MUST HAVE: Background working in nuclear or high-hazard environments - demonstrated experience on regulated infrastructure projects
- Expert-level knowledge of:
- Electrical system design and specifications
- Power system calculations and analysis
- Equipment specification and sizing
- Earthing, lightning and grounding design
- Cable systems and routing
- UK electrical standards and regulations
- Nuclear sector or similarly regulated infrastructure
- Design standards and best practice
- Proven ability to:
- Produce high-quality design documentation
- Lead and personally deliver technical work (not just supervise)
- Check and approve electrical designs
- Manage supplier quotations and assessments
- Balance leadership with hands-on delivery
- Excellent communication skills -confident engaging with project teams and stakeholders
- Safety and compliance focused - meticulous approach to standards and regulatory requirements
- Highly motivated - takes ownership of design delivery and technical excellence
Desirable
- Track record on nuclear infrastructure or defence projects
- Experience managing electrical teams on major projects
- Familiarity with 4D/BIM and integrated design management
- Experience with design management systems and document control
- Knowledge of CDM regulations and design responsibility
- Commissioning and Factory Acceptance Test experience
The Role in Practice
You'll be based in Chester, working on a major infrastructure project. You'll spend time producing electrical designs, specifying equipment, reviewing supplier proposals, checking team deliverables, and supporting site teams during installation and commissioning.
This is hands-on electrical engineering where your design expertise and technical judgment directly impact project delivery. You won't be purely strategic - you'll be doing the technical work yourself whilst also leading and checking work produced by others. Your ability to combine leadership with direct delivery, to produce high-quality designs quickly, and to manage the electrical scope effectively will determine how successfully the project is delivered.
Why This Role
You'll be working on a strategically important nuclear sector infrastructure project. This is professional electrical engineering at principal level where design excellence and regulatory compliance are genuinely valued. You'll work with experienced teams on complex, regulated infrastructure where electrical systems are critical to safety and performance.
The role offers competitive rates for principal electrical engineers with proven nuclear sector experience, long-term engagement on major projects, and genuine technical authority and responsibility on critical national infrastructure.
Active SC clearance is essential. You must either hold current clearance or be eligible to obtain it. Please confirm your clearance status and eligibility with your application.
