Project Engineer Substations

Client: European transmission system operator

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

Description

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.

Required Qualification

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.

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,