Graduate Major Connections Engineer

About Us

We are the UK’s biggest electricity distributor delivering power to 8.4 million homes and businesses across London, the east and south east of England. We keep the lights on across 29,250 square kilometres, serving 19 million people from Cromer in the east to Brighton on the south coast. 

In addition to keeping the lights on, safely and sustainably, we are responsible for caring for our customers in the most vulnerable circumstances across our communities.

If you want to play a part in powering the lives of over 8.4 million homes, this is the place to be. We are a big business with a big responsibility, but we feel like a close-knit team.

Join us, and we’ll give you every opportunity to fulfil your potential and have a successful career, where you’ll help us shape the future of the energy and utility industry.

Working as part of the Connections directorate, Major Connections provide quotations for customers wishing to connect to the distribution network at HV or EHV level for loads / Generation projects above 5MVA. Typical projects include net zero generation and battery storage projects, large data centres, commercial and residential developments.

We take ownership of the customer relationship from job enquiry through to the supply being energised on the network, overviewing the works been delivered during the construction phase by other directorates within UK Power Networks.

About the role:

We are offering an amazing opportunity for learning and development across multiple areas of our business to help you acquire the skills needed to excel in our industry.

This Graduate Major Connections Engineer will report to the Senior Project Manager and will work within the Network Operations Distribution Capital Delivery directorate based in our Maidstone, Borehamwood or Bury St Edmunds office. You will be a Fixed Term (24 months) employee.

As an engineering graduate you will work on a variety of projects and help deliver engineering solutions to customers who want to connect to the distribution network alongside experienced project managers within the Major Connections team

You'll embark on a 2-year programme, where you'll experience different areas of the business across several assignments. You'll learn from our experts, gain valuable experience, and have the support of your line manager, mentor and buddy throughout the programme.

We're passionate about your development and we offer graduates a tailored training plan based on your discipline to help develop your skills and behaviours.

Responsibilities:

• From an initial customer application and any subsequent clarifications you will work with teams collaboratively from across the wider business to develop a solution that exceeds the customer expectations.
• Develop your skills to make presentations both internally to senior management to gain approval for the solutions and external customers to aid their understanding of the proposals.
• Visit Customer and UK Power Networks sites with operational and construction colleagues to understand site conditions ensuring our plans reflect what needs to be delivered.
• Ensure compliance with our statutory and regulatory duties as part of the quoting and delivery phases of the project. This ensures the network is operated safely and our customers receive a reliable supply of electricity.
• Engage partners to ensure our plans meet their needs and that the needs of the network are met in the long term.
• To learn the techniques leading toward the management of a portfolio of schemes at different stages of the project life cycle simultaneously.
• Manage the financial control of the projects that you are responsible for during delivery and ensure any changes to the scope during delivery are captured and managed with the customer.

What you'll need:

• You will have achieved or be on target to achieve a minimum of an Honours Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
• And/or an MEng in an Engineering or STEM related subject. 

We're also looking for:

• Analytical and data minded individuals with some experience in assessing data or models.
• Driven individuals who are eager to learn, willing to adapt and are good at forming relationships
• The ability to understand complex concepts, apply new approaches and communicate them at multiple levels with impact.

Personal Characteristics

• Work as a Team Player in a dedicated team of project managers and support staff
• Able to prioritise and manage multiple projects at the same time
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Willing to challenge and be different rather than accepting the status quo

Key areas of interest:

• Occasional business travel will be required across our region (East Anglia, London and the South East of England).

Why should you apply?

The 2-year structured graduate programme will offer you the opportunity of 9 months rotational placements, relevant to your role, helping you better understand the role of UK Power Networks and its directorates.

The second year will see you placed in your first supported role. Working towards the roles and responsibilities outline below, you will start contributing to your team’s success and delivering against objectives.

Throughout the programme you will develop the knowledge, competencies and leadership skills through embedded training and development sessions to help you thrive at UK Power Networks, along with mentorship from a senior leader.

Benefits

• Annual Leave
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit scheme
• Tax efficient benefits: cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers products.
• Discounted access to sports and social clubs
• Employee Assistance Programme.

1e127ede32d8f816eacfb0aed73cee11