Project Engineer Substations

Summary

• Client: European transmission system operator
• Department: Infrastructure Projects – Engineering | PE Substations discipline
• Contract type: Freelance / consulting service – full-time
• Compensation: Competitive – to be confirmed
• Start: ASAP
• End: 31 December 2027
• Location: Brussels + project sites in Northeast Belgium
• Telework: After initial training period: up to 3 days/week remote. Work is organised across site visits, the Monnoyer office, and remote.
• Region: REGIO NO – Northeast Belgium
• Language: Dutch: excellent level REQUIRED – working language of the role and all projects
• EU authorization: Non-EU candidates must hold a valid work permit and residence permit for Belgium

Context

Our client (European transmission system operator), manages and develops the high-voltage grid in Belgium at voltage levels of 380, 220, 150, 70, and 36 kV. Within the Infrastructure Projects department, the Engineering team delivers technical design and engineering oversight for HV infrastructure projects — covering substations, overhead lines, protection and automation systems, and civil works.

The Project Engineer Substations (PE SUB) is the technical keystone of a project: the link between the Project Leader, the external engineering bureau, and the various technical experts across disciplines. While the Project Leader manages the organisational and contractual dimensions of a project, the PE SUB owns its technical integrity — from feasibility through to energisation. This is not a back-office design role; the PE SUB leads the engineering team, drives cross-discipline coordination, and is the primary technical interface with the project's internal client.

This vacancy concerns projects in Northeast Belgium region (Regio NO). The engineering team covers four PE disciplines: PE Substations (this role), PE PAC (protection and automation), PE Lines (HV lines and pylons), and PE Civil Works. The PE SUB is responsible for integrating the contributions of all four disciplines into a coherent and deliverable project design.

Responsibilities

Technical project leadership — from feasibility to close-out

• Be the key technical figure across the full project lifecycle — from early feasibility (conceptual study) through detail engineering, procurement support, construction, commissioning, and project close-out
• Work in close coordination with the Project Leader: the PE SUB takes ownership of the technical dimension of the project; the Project Leader owns the organisational and contractual management. Alignment between the two is continuous and structured.
• Contribute to the technical development of project scope and design — including preparatory technical studies, design options assessment, and technical validation of engineering deliverables produced by the external engineering bureau

Engineering integration and interface management

• Hold a leading role within the engineering team — ensuring that contributions from the four PE disciplines (Substations, PAC, Lines, Civil Works) are integrated into a coherent technical solution. No single discipline operates in isolation: the PE SUB is the integration point.
• Manage technical interfaces between disciplines — identifying and resolving conflicts early, before they become construction issues or rework. Interface management is a core deliverable, not a secondary task.
• Monitor the engineering schedule in coordination with the Project Leader — flagging risks to technical milestones early and proposing corrective actions to maintain the project on programme

PE Substations technical scope

• HV components within the substation: primary switchgear, power transformers, busbars, disconnectors, earth switches, surge arresters, and HV cable connections. The PE SUB validates the technical adequacy of these components against the client's functional specifications and the applicable standards.
• Utilities and building equipment: secondary systems housed within the substation building — HVAC, fire detection, lighting, earthing networks, and building services. Ensuring the utilities support the reliability requirements of the HV installation.
• LV power distribution within the substation: 400 Vac auxiliary power distribution and 110 Vdc battery-backed systems. The PE SUB validates the LV single-line design, load calculations, and the coordination with PAC discipline for protection supply circuits.

Engineering bureau oversight — during detail design

• During the detail study phase, accompany and guide the external engineering bureau — reviewing deliverables, ensuring studies are conducted to the required quality and within the agreed scope, and raising technical comments in a structured and traceable manner
• Act as the technical gatekeeper for engineering deliverables produced by the bureau — ensuring consistency between documents, between disciplines, and between the design and the client‘s internal standards

Execution phase — technical support

• During the construction and commissioning phase, provide technical support to the Project Leader — attending site as required, answering technical queries from contractors, reviewing technical deviations, and ensuring that the built installation conforms to the approved design
• Participate in site visits to HV substations and infrastructure works across Northeast Belgium — frequency depends on project phase (more intensive during construction, lighter during design phases)

Communication and reporting

• Communicate and report regularly on project technical progress — to the Project Leader, to internal clients, and to the engineering bureau as required
• Act as the engineering department's primary technical contact point toward internal clients — with the maturity and communication skills to lead coordination meetings across disciplines and represent the engineering position clearly

Requirements

Education and background

• Master's degree in electrical engineering or electromechanics — or equivalent through professional experience in a directly relevant technical role
• Technical experience in the high-voltage domain is a strong asset — whether from a TSO/DSO, an engineering consultancy, an HV equipment manufacturer, or an EPC contractor working on HV infrastructure
• Understanding of HV substation design: primary equipment (switchgear, transformers), LV auxiliary distribution (400 Vac / 110 Vdc), and utilities integration. Experience with any of the adjacent disciplines (PAC, civil, lines) is an advantage — the PE SUB must coordinate with all of them.

Profile

• Analytical and conceptually strong: able to work through complex technical problems, develop solutions that comply with applicable norms and standards, and account for multiple constraints simultaneously (safety, operability, maintainability, cost)
• Mature and credible in coordination: the PE SUB leads multi-discipline coordination meetings and is the engineering department's face to the internal client. This requires the interpersonal maturity to hold the room, challenge other disciplines constructively, and represent technical positions with confidence
• Organised and proactive: able to monitor multiple project threads simultaneously, identify schedule risks early, and take initiative to resolve issues rather than escalating everything to the Project Leader
• Assertive communicator: direct and clear in technical communication — with both internal colleagues and external bureau teams. Capable of writing structured technical reviews and communicating engineering positions without ambiguity
• Mobile within Belgium: the role involves regular autonomous travel to HV substation sites across Northeast Belgium — a driving licence and willingness to travel within Belgium are required

Language — Dutch is mandatory

Excellent command of Dutch is a hard requirement for this role - Dutch is the working language of all projects in Regio NO, of internal coordination, and of site interactions with Belgian contractors and authorities. Candidates who do not speak Dutch at a working level cannot be submitted, regardless of technical profile.

• French: useful for internal coordination (the organisation is bilingual) — not a blocker, but an asset
• Dutch is MANDATORY as it is the working language of all projects in Regio NO
• English: useful for technical documentation and Group-level exchanges — not required at a high level for daily operations in this role

Work authorisation

• EU candidates: no restriction
• Non-EU candidates: must hold a valid work permit authorising employment in Belgium AND a valid residence permit confirming the right of residence