JD for Design Head – Substations & Transmission (HV/EHV):

SKIPPERSEIL

Job Description

Design Head – Substations & Transmission (HV/EHV)

Voltage Levels: 132 kV / 220 kV / 400 kV

Systems: AIS & GIS Substations, EHV Transmission Lines

Role Overview

The Design Head will provide strategic technical leadership across all primary design engineering, project execution, and bid activities for HV/EHV substations and transmission line projects. This is a senior leadership role responsible for building and guiding a high-performing engineering team, setting design standards, and ensuring technical excellence from concept through commissioning. The role requires deep expertise in AIS and GIS substation design up to 400 kV, combined with strong stakeholder management and the ability to drive quality, safety, and cost performance across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

1. Engineering Leadership & Team Management

Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of electrical design engineers across substation and transmission projects. Define and enforce engineering standards, workflows, and quality frameworks. Allocate resources across projects and manage engineering schedules to meet delivery milestones. Foster a culture of technical excellence, continuous improvement, and accountability.

2. Substation Primary Design — Oversight & Approval

Own and provide final technical sign-off on all primary plant designs for AIS and GIS substations up to 400 kV, including equipment layouts and elevations, busbar configurations, cable routing and trench layouts, earthing and grounding systems. Review and approve engineering deliverables such as Single Line Diagrams (SLDs), earthing designs and calculations, short-circuit and electrical stress calculations, and clearance, creepage, and phase separation studies.

3. Protection, Control & Secondary Systems

Provide senior-level oversight of protection and control design interfaces including relay and metering schemes, trip logic and interlocking philosophy, transformer sizing and specifications, lightning protection systems, SCADA, PLC, and fiber optic communication systems, and power and control cable layouts.



Ensure design coherence across all secondary systems and multidisciplinary interfaces.

4. Standards, Compliance & Safety by Design

Establish and maintain the organization's design compliance framework in line with IEC, IEEE, BS EN, IS, and client/utility-specific standards. Champion Safety by Design principles across all project phases and ensure full adherence to HSE requirements. Act as the final authority on technical compliance decisions.

5. Stakeholder & Client Engagement

Serve as the primary technical point of contact for clients, consultants, utilities, and key vendors. Lead technical presentations, design reviews, and approval meetings. Resolve complex technical queries and drive alignment between design, commercial, and project execution teams.

6. Bid Leadership & Cost Strategy

Lead technical input and review for major bids covering 132 kV / 220 kV / 400 kV AIS and GIS substations and EHV transmission line projects. Oversee preparation of detailed cost estimates, BOQs, and quantity take-offs for substation equipment, earthing, cabling, civil interfaces, and transmission line works. Guide feasibility studies and pre/post-bid cost comparisons. Support commercial strategy, risk pricing, and margin assessments.

7. Technical & Commercial Evaluation

Lead evaluation of vendor make lists, technical offers, and alternative design solutions. Identify cost-impacting technical requirements and drive value engineering where appropriate. Oversee rate analysis for materials, labor, equipment, and logistics. Support bid finalization, commercial clarifications, and negotiations at a senior level.

8. Risk, Quality & Cost Control

Identify and manage technical risks, exclusions, assumptions, and constraints across design and tendering activities. Ensure contingency and escalation provisions are appropriately incorporated.



Drive quality assurance through design audits, technical reviews, and hazard identification workshops.

9. Documentation, Governance & Knowledge Management

Ensure robust documentation standards across design records, cost databases, tender files, and technical reports. Maintain version control, traceability, and lessons-learned registers. Lead post-award technical handovers to execution teams. Develop and maintain a centralized design knowledge base for the organization.

10. Construction & Commissioning Support

Provide senior technical oversight and support during construction, testing, and commissioning phases. Ensure design intent is correctly interpreted and implemented in office. Lead resolution of technical issues arising during execution.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems / High Voltage preferred). Postgraduate qualification or MBA is an advantage. Professional certifications such as Chartered Engineer, MIET, or IEEE membership are strongly preferred.

Experience

Minimum 15 years of experience in HV/EHV substation primary design with at least 4–5 years in a leadership or head-of-engineering capacity. Proven background with utilities, EPC contractors, or power transmission design consultancies. Track record of leading large, complex substation and transmission projects up to 400 kV.

Skills & Competencies

Strong leadership, team-building, and mentoring capabilities. Deep technical expertise in AIS and GIS substation design across all voltage levels. Proficiency in AutoCAD, MicroStation, and related engineering design tools. Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Strong communication and stakeholder management skills. Commercial awareness with experience in bid management and cost estimation.

Preferred Attributes

Exposure to BIM workflows and digital engineering practices. Knowledge of transmission line engineering interfaces. Experience working with international clients or on cross-border power infrastructure projects. Ability to influence at board or executive level on technical and strategic matters.

📌 Gurgaon - EPC - Engineering and Design (India)
🏢 SkipperSeil
📍 India