HV Substation Engineer (400/230/66 kV)

Position Title: HV Substation Engineer (400/230/66 kV)
Organization: Ten X Group
Work Arrangement: Full-time or project-based annual contract, subject to assignment
Location: Syria - As assigned, including fragile and complex operating environments
Reports To: Program Technical Lead / Substation Engineering Manager / Authorized Project Executive

Position Summary

The HV Substation Engineer (400/230/66 kV) is responsible for the technical planning, engineering, rehabilitation, upgrade, and implementation support of high-voltage and extra-high-voltage substations. The role covers substation configuration, transformer integration, switchgear systems, bus arrangements, auxiliaries, DC systems, earthing, control and protection interfaces, testing, commissioning, and handover readiness.

This position requires a senior substation engineer with direct experience in brownfield and greenfield HV/EHV substations and the ability to convert technical requirements into buildable, procurement-ready, utility-grade delivery packages. The successful candidate must be capable of operating at owner’s engineer, lender-review, EPC interface, and implementation support level.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

· Lead technical assessment and engineering review of existing HV and EHV substations, including condition, operability, rehabilitation needs, and upgrade priorities.

· Develop technical recommendations on substation rehabilitation, reconfiguration, extension, or partial replacement strategies.

· Define and review substation layouts, busbar schemes, bay arrangements, equipment interfaces, maintainability requirements, and future expansion considerations.

· Prepare or review technical requirements for power transformers, autotransformers, switchgear, circuit breakers, disconnectors, instrument transformers, surge arresters, neutral grounding systems, and associated plant.

· Evaluate and recommend appropriate substation technologies, including AIS, GIS, hybrid configurations, and modular solutions, as applicable to space, security, reliability, and lifecycle considerations.

· Define engineering requirements for station service systems, AC/DC auxiliaries, batteries and chargers, LV distribution, lighting, HVAC, fire detection and suppression, oil containment, drainage, and access control.

· Review or prepare earthing and lightning protection concepts, cable routing philosophy, trenching requirements, and control building interfaces.

· Coordinate closely with protection and control, SCADA, telecom, civil, structural, and mechanical teams to ensure full integration and operability.

· Support preparation of owner’s requirements, technical specifications, bills of quantity, technical schedules, inspection and test plans, FAT/SAT criteria, and commissioning procedures.

· Support procurement strategy, technical bid evaluation, vendor drawing review, contractor design review, site queries, and implementation oversight.

· Participate in factory inspections, site acceptance processes, energization planning, snag resolution, and operational handover support.

· Contribute to technical risk assessments, cost inputs, phasing logic, outage planning, construction sequencing, and system restoration priorities.

· Ensure all engineering outputs comply with applicable international standards, utility practice, and project-specific technical and compliance requirements.

Minimum Required Education

· Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Engineering, or closely related discipline from an accredited institution.

Preferred Education

· Master’s degree in Electrical Power Systems, High Voltage Engineering, Utility Engineering, or related field.

· Specialized postgraduate training in substation engineering, high-voltage systems, or utility asset management is advantageous.

Minimum Required Experience

· Minimum 8 years of directly relevant experience in HV/EHV substation engineering, rehabilitation, detailed design, implementation support, or commissioning.

· Minimum 5 years of experience involving 220 kV, 230 kV, 400 kV, 66 kV, or equivalent utility-scale substation systems.

· Demonstrated experience in brownfield substation rehabilitation and/or extension works.

· Demonstrated experience supporting EPC, design-build, utility, or owner’s engineer delivery environments.

Required Technical Experience

Candidates should demonstrate substantial experience in most of the following:

· High-voltage and extra-high-voltage substation engineering

· 400/230/66 kV transformer and bay integration

· AIS, GIS, and hybrid switchyard configurations

· Circuit breakers, disconnectors, CTs, VTs/CVTs, and surge arresters

· Busbar arrangements and substation reliability philosophy

· AC and DC auxiliary systems

· Battery and charger systems

· Earthing and lightning protection systems

· Cable systems, terminations, and control interfaces

· Fire protection, oil containment, drainage, and safety systems

· Brownfield substation rehabilitation and outage-constrained works

· Factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, and commissioning support

Preferred Sector Experience

Strong preference will be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following:

· National grid rehabilitation or emergency restoration programs

· Post-conflict, fragile, or security-constrained environments

· Utility modernization or substation uprating programs

· Cross-border interconnection substations

· Multilateral, donor-funded, or lender-reviewed infrastructure projects

· Projects requiring coordination between legacy infrastructure and new plant installations

· Operational substations with staged outage and sequencing constraints

Required Certifications / Licenses

At least one of the following is strongly preferred, and candidates with multiple credentials will be prioritized:

· Professional Engineer / Chartered Engineer / equivalent engineering licensure in a relevant jurisdiction

· Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to project sites as required

· Construction or industrial safety training relevant to field engineering assignments

Preferred Certifications

· Chartered Engineer (CEng), PE, EUR ING, or equivalent

· High-voltage engineering or substation design certification/training

· Transformer specialist training

· GIS/AIS OEM training or equivalent equipment-specific training

· OSHA, IOSH, NEBOSH, or equivalent construction safety certification

· PMP or equivalent project management certification

· FIDIC contract awareness training is advantageous

Core Competencies

· HV/EHV substation technical expertise

· Brownfield engineering judgment

· Equipment integration and interface control

· Testing and commissioning discipline

· Procurement-grade specification development

· Technical QA/QC

· Multidisciplinary coordination

· Operational practicality and maintainability focus

· Technical problem-solving under implementation constraints

· Clear reporting and engineering documentation

Functional Skills

· Ability to assess substation assets and define realistic rehabilitation interventions

· Ability to compare and recommend AIS, GIS, or hybrid options based on technical and commercial realities

· Ability to define transformer and primary plant requirements with precision

· Ability to coordinate civil, structural, MEP, telecom, SCADA, and P&C interfaces

· Ability to review vendor and contractor submittals and identify technical risk early

· Ability to support staged construction in live substations and constrained outage environments

· Ability to convert engineering scope into procurement-ready package structure

Language Requirements

· Professional fluency in English, written and spoken, is required.

· Arabic is highly desirable.

· Additional regional language capability is advantageous but not required.

Deliverables Typically Expected

· Substation condition assessment reports

· Rehabilitation and upgrade recommendations

· Transformer and primary equipment technical specifications

· Bus configuration and substation arrangement recommendations

· Auxiliary systems design criteria and schedules

· Earthing and lightning protection criteria

· FAT/SAT and commissioning requirements

· Technical bid evaluation inputs

· Vendor drawing review comments

· Site engineering reports and handover readiness inputs

Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Contract length: 12 months

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Dubai: Reliably commute or willing to relocate with an employer-provided relocation package (Required)

Education:

• Master's (Required)

Experience:

• HV/EHV substation engineering: 8 years (Required)
• commissioning: 8 years (Required)
• detailed design & rehabilitation: 8 years (Required)

Location:

• Dubai (Preferred)

Willingness to travel:

• 75% (Required)

Work Location: In person