Senior Electrical Commissioning (High Voltage)

The Senior Electrical HV Commissioning Engineer will support the Lead Electrical Commissioning Authority on all high-voltage commissioning, energisation, switching, protection testing, and IST activities on data centre or other mission-critical projects.

Key responsibilities include\:

• Support the Lead Electrical Commissioning Authority on all HV-related commissioning activities.
• Act as the HV subject-matter expert during energisation, switching, protection testing, fault testing, and IST scenarios involving HV systems.
• Work closely with utilities, HV contractors, protection engineers, vendors, and site teams to coordinate HV commissioning activities.
• Ensure HV activities are carried out safely, correctly, and in line with approved procedures, method statements, switching programmes, and site rules.
• Challenge unsafe, unclear, or poorly sequenced activities when required.
• Support commissioning activities related to MV / HV incoming supplies, HV switchgear, transformers, protection relays and schemes, HV/LV interfaces, and HV earthing systems.
• Be on site for HV commissioning, energisation, switching, and fault testing activities.
• Review and support approval of HV switching programmes, method statements, and energisation procedures.
• Support the production and execution of L2 and L3 pre-functional and functional HV checklists.
• Review contractor HV test evidence, certificates, inspection records, and commissioning results.
• Support execution of L4 functional testing involving HV systems.
• Review switching procedures, protection logic, interlocks, alarms, trips, and fail-safe behaviour.
• Support Level 5 Integrated Systems Testing, particularly where tests involve HV faults, trips, loss of supply scenarios, black-start sequences, or restoration logic.
• Provide HV technical input to IST risk reviews, sequencing decisions, test readiness, and go / no-go discussions.
• Support primary injection testing, secondary injection testing, protection relay testing, and end-to-end trip testing.
• Maintain clear control, communication, and coordination during live HV works.
• Escalate technical, safety, or sequencing concerns immediately if something does not feel right.
• Operate strictly within HV safety rules, permit-to-work requirements, switching control procedures, and site safety processes.
• Act as an HV safety lead within commissioning activities where required.
• Ensure correct isolation, earthing, permit control, switching control, and role clarity during switching, energisation, and fault testing.
• Stop work immediately if safety is compromised.
• Support compilation of HV commissioning records, test results, protection settings, snag items, and handover documentation.
• Support operational training and handover activities related to HV systems.
• Assist with final readiness reviews and sign-off for live operation.

Required Qualifications\:

• Minimum 8–10 years of experience working with HV electrical systems in utilities, data centres, power generation, industrial infrastructure, or similar environments.
• At least 4–5 years of direct involvement in HV commissioning, energisation, protection testing, or switching activities.
• Strong experience supporting or leading HV energisation, protection testing, fault testing, and trip testing.
• Real site experience controlling or directly supporting HV switching activities; observer-only experience is not sufficient.
• Electrical engineering background or equivalent technical experience.
• HV authorisation or switching qualification appropriate to the project region.
• Experience as an Authorised Person, Senior Authorised Person, or equivalent role depending on project and country requirements.
• Strong understanding of HV system operation and protection.
• Practical experience with MV / HV incoming supplies, HV switchgear, transformers, protection relays, protection schemes, and HV/LV interfaces.
• Understanding of relay schemes, protection coordination, transformer operation, transformer protection, and electrical system restoration.
• Ability to read, review, and challenge protection philosophies, relay settings, switching sequences, method statements, and energisation plans.
• Understanding of how HV failures impact overall facility operation, including data centre resilience and integrated system behaviour.
• Experience supporting L4 functional testing and L5 IST scenarios involving HV systems.
• Ability to operate calmly and safely during high-risk HV activities.
• Clear communication skills during switching, energisation, fault testing, and live electrical works.
• Confidence to challenge contractors, utilities, vendors, or programme pressure when safety or technical quality is at risk.
• Safety-first mindset with no tolerance for shortcuts during HV works.
• Ability to work under the direction of a Lead Commissioning Authority while owning the HV technical space.

Preferred Qualifications\:

• Previous experience on data centre or other mission-critical commissioning projects.
• Experience supporting IST where HV failure scenarios are deliberately introduced.
• Experience with black-start, restoration logic, loss of supply testing, and facility-wide failure recovery testing.
• Experience coordinating directly with utilities during energisation and switching activities.
• Experience reviewing and validating protection relay settings, trip logic, interlocks, alarms, and fail-safe behaviour.
• Experience supporting operational readiness reviews and final sign-off for live HV operation.
• Familiarity with BMS, EPMS, generator systems, UPS systems, and downstream LV system impacts during HV events.
• Commissioning certification such as CCP, ACP, or equivalent.
• Experience supporting client training, operational handover, O&M reviews, and as-built documentation.

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