DCS Norway AS (Part of CTS Group)

Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

Primary Design Engineer

Job ID JOB-005-0000253

Department: Operations (Pre-Construction Team) Reports To: Head of High Voltage Design & Budgeting

1. PURPOSE OF THE ROLE The Primary Design Engineer is responsible for the primary electrical design of air-insulated (AIS) and gas-insulated (GIS) high-voltage substations and medium-voltage distribution systems serving data centre and industrial clients in the Scandinavian market.

The role focuses on substation physical layout design, primary equipment arrangement, busbar configuration, clearance management, and the integration of primary equipment within the overall substation design. The position works with PRIMTECH and/or Revit as primary design tools and coordinates closely with civil and structural engineering partners for foundations, buildings, and access requirements.

The Primary Design Engineer ensures that primary designs are technically sound, constructable, and aligned with client requirements, grid connection specifications, and applicable standards. The role also supports equipment interface design between HV/MV primary equipment and the secondary, protection, and automation systems.

Note: DCS Norway operates a competence-based resource model. While this job description defines the primary function of the role, individuals are expected to contribute across other engineering and project functions based on their competencies and the needs of the business. This approach supports team flexibility, professional development, and efficient resource utilisation across projects.

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

AIS Substation Design

• Develop physical layout designs for AIS high-voltage substations.
• Design busbar configurations, equipment spacing, and clearance management.
• Prepare primary equipment arrangement drawings and general arrangement plans.
• Ensure compliance with insulation coordination requirements and safety clearances.
• Coordinate with civil and structural engineering partners for foundations, structures, and buildings.
• Support constructability reviews and site-specific design considerations.

GIS Substation Design

• Develop bay arrangement and layout designs for GIS substations.
• Design interfaces between GIS equipment and external connections (cable sealing ends, bushings, transformer interfaces).
• Support GIS extension philosophy and future expandability design.
• Ensure GIS layout integration with overall substation design.
• Coordinate with GIS equipment suppliers on layout requirements and interface details.

MV Distribution Design

• Support MV distribution layout design for data center applications.
• Ensure MV distribution topology meets data center redundancy requirements (N+1, 2N, concurrent maintainability).
• Design MV switchgear room layouts and equipment arrangements.
• Coordinate MV design with data center MEP boundary requirements.

Primary Equipment Integration

• Coordinate primary equipment interfaces with secondary, protection, and SCADA systems.
• Support specification of primary equipment (transformers, switchgear, busbars, cable systems).
• Ensure primary design is consistent with power system study results and equipment sizing.
• Prepare technical specifications for primary equipment procurement.
• Support equipment selection in coordination with the Procurement Engineer.

Engineering Coordination & Documentation

• Coordinate primary design with all engineering disciplines and external engineering partners.
• Prepare and maintain primary design documentation, including layout drawings, sections, and elevations.
• Participate in engineering design reviews.
• Support preparation of as-built documentation.
• Ensure primary design documentation is complete for construction handover.

3. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in primary substation design.
• Experience with AIS and/or GIS substation layout design.
• Experience with HV equipment arrangement and clearance management.
• Experience coordinating with civil and structural disciplines.
• Experience in data center or industrial electrical infrastructure is a plus.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in PRIMTECH and/or Revit for primary substation design.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD for engineering drawings.
• Understanding of HV and MV primary equipment (transformers, switchgear, busbars).
• Knowledge of insulation coordination and safety clearance requirements.
• Working knowledge of ETAP for equipment sizing validation.
• Understanding of data center MV distribution and redundancy architectures.
• Knowledge of IEC standards for substation design.
• Familiarity with AIS and GIS substation configurations.

Interpersonal & Communication Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication in English (Portuguese is considered a plus).
• EU citizenship preferred to facilitate site visits across Scandinavia.
• Based in Lisbon or Porto, Portugal.
• Strong organisational and multitasking capabilities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to coordinate across multiple engineering disciplines.

4. STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE METRICS (KPIs)

• Quality and accuracy of primary substation layout designs.
• Compliance with engineering standards, clearance requirements, and project specifications.
• Timely delivery of primary design documentation.
• Effective coordination with engineering disciplines and external partners.
• Constructability and feasibility of primary design solutions.

5. HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT (HSE)

• Comply with all applicable health, safety, and environmental legislation, regulations, and company procedures.
• Integrate safety-by-design principles into all engineering and project activities, ensuring that designs and solutions prioritise the safety of personnel, equipment, and the environment.
• Participate in risk assessments and hazard identification activities relevant to the role.
• Report safety concerns, incidents, and near-misses in accordance with company HSE procedures.
• Support the development and maintenance of a positive safety culture within the team and across projects.
• Ensure compliance with the company Integrated Management System (IMS) covering quality, safety, and environmental standards.

6. REPLACEMENT POLICY In case of absence of less than one month, the role will be supported by a Senior Engineer or the Head of Design. For absences exceeding one month, a temporary replacement will be appointed by senior management according to DCS Norway replacement policy guidelines. The replacement person will assume the key responsibilities outlined in this job description to ensure continuity of primary design engineering activities.

Required Skills

Desired Skills