Lead HV Substation Design Engineer (Data Centre Infrastructure)

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Industry: Data Centre Infrastructure / Power Engineering
Project Coverage: Malaysia, Thailand and Southeast Asia
Travel Requirements: Regional travel and potential relocation based on project requirements

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior / Lead HV Substation Design Engineer to support the planning, conceptualisation, engineering design and delivery of high-voltage electrical substations for hyperscale data centre developments across Southeast Asia.

The successful candidate will be responsible for providing technical leadership and engineering oversight for 275 kV, 132 kV, 115 kV, 33 kV and 11 kV substations, ensuring reliable and scalable electrical power infrastructure capable of supporting mission-critical data centre operations.

This position requires extensive expertise in high-voltage primary and secondary system design, grid interconnection, power system studies, protection and control engineering, substation automation, SCADA integration and utility coordination.

The role will involve close collaboration with utility authorities, engineering consultants, EPC contractors, equipment manufacturers and internal project stakeholders throughout the development lifecycle, from initial feasibility and conceptual design through detailed engineering, construction, testing, commissioning and energisation.

A key responsibility will be ensuring that electrical infrastructure designs meet applicable grid codes, engineering standards, safety requirements, availability objectives and project delivery schedules, while maintaining cost efficiency, constructability and long-term operational flexibility.

Key Responsibilities

1. High-Voltage Substation Engineering & Design

• Lead the development, review and technical validation of conceptual, preliminary, basic and detailed engineering designs for 275 kV, 132 kV, 115 kV, 33 kV and 11 kV substations supporting hyperscale data centre campuses.

• Develop and review electrical Single Line Diagrams (SLDs), substation layouts, electrical system configurations, equipment specifications and engineering design philosophies.

• Evaluate substation configurations, including Air Insulated Switchgear (AIS) and Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) installations.

• Review double-busbar, one-and-a-half breaker and other applicable busbar arrangements to achieve the required system reliability, operational flexibility and maintainability.

• Ensure electrical designs support the required redundancy and resilience strategies, including N+1 and 2N configurations where applicable.

• Assess system reliability and concurrent maintainability against project availability objectives, including five-nines (99.999%) availability targets.

• Review the technical specifications, selection and sizing of high-voltage equipment, including:

  • Power transformers, including multi-winding configurations, impedance, vector groups and on-load tap changers (OLTC).

  • Earthing transformers, neutral grounding systems and associated protection equipment.

  • HV/MV switchgear, circuit breakers, disconnectors, earthing switches and busbar systems.

  • Current transformers (CTs), voltage transformers (VTs), surge arresters and associated primary equipment.

  • HV power cables, conductors, terminations and electrical interconnection systems.

• Verify equipment ratings and electrical system capacity under normal operating conditions, peak demand and contingency scenarios.

• Review equipment loading, thermal limits, short-circuit withstand capability, insulation coordination and operational clearances.

• Ensure designs consider equipment accessibility, maintenance requirements, constructability, future expansion and operational safety.

2. Power System Studies & Electrical Network Analysis

• Lead, review and validate electrical power system studies to support substation design development and grid interconnection requirements.

• Perform or oversee technical assessments covering:

  • Electrical load forecasting and demand calculations.

  • Load flow and power flow analysis.

  • Short-circuit and fault-level calculations.

  • N-1 and other applicable contingency assessments.

  • Protection coordination and relay grading studies.

  • Arc-flash hazard analysis.

  • Earthing and grounding system design.

  • Lightning protection and surge protection studies.

  • HV cable sizing, ampacity and thermal calculations.

  • Underground cable temperature-rise assessments, including Neher-McGrath methodology where applicable.

  • Transformer loading, voltage regulation and reactive power considerations.

• Review electrical network performance under normal, emergency and maintenance operating scenarios.

• Identify potential electrical design constraints, network bottlenecks and system reliability risks.

• Recommend technically appropriate and cost-effective engineering solutions to improve power system performance, reliability and operational flexibility.

• Validate engineering study assumptions, modelling inputs, calculation methodologies and technical recommendations.

3. Primary, Secondary, Protection & Control System Design

• Provide technical oversight for primary and secondary electrical engineering design activities.

• Review HV/MV protection philosophies, relay schemes, control circuits and associated engineering documentation.

• Assess protection and control requirements for transformers, busbars, transmission feeders, underground cables and substation equipment.

• Review protection coordination, fault detection, isolation strategies and system restoration arrangements.

• Evaluate control and protection panel designs, wiring diagrams, interlocking schemes and equipment interfaces.

• Ensure the protection architecture supports safe operation, system selectivity, fault clearance and electrical network reliability.

• Coordinate technical interfaces between primary equipment, secondary protection systems, control panels and utility infrastructure.

• Review engineering deliverables to ensure consistency between electrical design philosophies, protection requirements and operational procedures.

4. Substation Automation, SCADA & Data Centre System Integration

• Define and review substation automation system architectures, including IEC 61850-based communication and control systems.

• Review SCADA system requirements, communication interfaces, remote monitoring capabilities and substation control philosophies.

• Coordinate the integration of substation automation and control systems with utility SCADA platforms and data centre monitoring infrastructure.

• Ensure compatibility between high-voltage substation systems and relevant data centre platforms, including:

  • Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS).

  • Building Management Systems (BMS).

  • Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.

• Review system architecture, equipment interfaces, signal requirements, communication arrangements and operational monitoring functionality.

• Work with specialist consultants, automation vendors and utility representatives to resolve technical integration issues.

• Support system testing, functional verification and commissioning of protection, control and automation interfaces.

5. Grid Interconnection & Utility Coordination

• Lead and coordinate grid connection planning, technical studies, applications and engineering submissions with relevant utility authorities.

• Interface with transmission and distribution network operators, including Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and other applicable regional utilities.

• Ensure substation and grid interconnection designs comply with relevant national grid codes, bulk supply requirements, interconnection standards and utility technical specifications.

• Coordinate utility requirements relating to connection capacity, fault levels, protection interfaces, metering arrangements and system operating conditions.

• Review and coordinate interfaces with:

  • Overhead transmission lines and transmission pylons.

  • Underground high-voltage cable routes.

  • Cable sealing end structures and transition arrangements.

  • Utility substations and grid connection points.

  • Associated electrical infrastructure and right-of-way constraints.

• Participate in technical discussions, design reviews and coordination meetings with utilities, engineering consultants and project stakeholders.

• Support the resolution of grid connection constraints, engineering discrepancies and utility-related technical issues.

• Ensure engineering submissions and design deliverables are aligned with applicable regulatory approval processes and project milestones.

6. Data Centre Power Infrastructure & Reliability Engineering

• Ensure high-voltage infrastructure designs support the electrical capacity, resilience and scalability requirements of hyperscale data centre developments.

• Coordinate HV/MV substation design requirements with the broader data centre electrical distribution architecture.

• Assess electrical system redundancy, failure scenarios, maintenance configurations and operational continuity requirements.

• Review electrical infrastructure solutions to support concurrent maintainability and high-availability operations.

• Collaborate with internal electrical engineering, data centre operations, design management and development teams to align substation infrastructure with overall campus requirements.

• Evaluate future capacity expansion requirements and phased development strategies.

• Ensure the proposed electrical infrastructure can accommodate changing load demands, future equipment additions and evolving operational requirements.

• Support design optimisation to balance system resilience, capital expenditure, operational efficiency and project delivery timelines.

7. Energy Transition & Future-Ready Electrical Infrastructure

• Incorporate applicable renewable energy policies, grid decarbonisation initiatives and regional regulatory frameworks into electrical infrastructure planning.

• Assess opportunities to integrate renewable energy sources and alternative power solutions into data centre electrical networks.

• Support engineering studies and technical assessments involving:

  • Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

  • Microgrids and distributed energy resources.

  • Demand Side Management (DSM).

  • Interruptible Load Programmes.

  • Combined Cycle Power Plants (CCPP).

  • Cogeneration and alternative power generation arrangements.

• Evaluate potential technical implications of energy storage and distributed generation integration on protection systems, electrical network stability and grid interconnection.

• Ensure substation designs consider future energy transition requirements and regional power infrastructure development plans.

• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to identify practical opportunities for improving long-term energy resilience and infrastructure flexibility.

8. Engineering Management, Procurement & EPC Coordination

• Provide technical guidance and engineering oversight throughout the project development and execution lifecycle.

• Review engineering consultants design deliverables, technical calculations, specifications and drawings.

• Support preparation and evaluation of technical requirements for major electrical equipment procurement and EPC tender packages.

• Participate in technical bid evaluations, vendor clarification meetings and equipment selection discussions.

• Review vendor technical submissions, equipment drawings, specifications and compliance documentation.

• Coordinate engineering interfaces between utilities, consultants, EPC contractors, equipment suppliers and internal stakeholders.

• Identify technical risks, design discrepancies, constructability constraints and potential project delivery challenges.

• Recommend engineering solutions that balance safety, reliability, technical compliance, cost efficiency and project schedules.

• Support value engineering, design optimisation and technical decision-making throughout project execution.

• Monitor engineering progress and support the timely resolution of technical queries and design changes.

9. Construction, Testing, Commissioning & Energisation

• Provide technical support and oversight during substation construction, equipment installation, testing, commissioning and energisation.

• Attend construction site inspections, technical workshops, engineering reviews and project coordination meetings as required.

• Review construction drawings, installation arrangements and contractor technical submissions.

• Verify that installed equipment and systems comply with approved engineering designs and project specifications.

• Participate in Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) and relevant commissioning activities.

• Support technical reviews of testing and commissioning procedures for HV/MV equipment, protection systems, control systems and SCADA interfaces.

• Coordinate with contractors, vendors and utility representatives to resolve engineering and commissioning issues.

• Support the review of commissioning records, technical punch lists, as-built documentation and system handover requirements.

• Provide technical input to energisation readiness assessments and electrical system handover activities.

• Undertake regional travel to project sites to oversee engineering execution and construction progress.

10. Engineering Standards, Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure electrical engineering designs comply with applicable international standards, national regulations, utility requirements and project specifications.

• Apply relevant IEC, IEEE and other recognised engineering standards as appropriate to project location and scope.

• Incorporate safety-in-design principles into high-voltage electrical infrastructure development.

• Review electrical safety, equipment accessibility, operational clearances, isolation arrangements and maintenance considerations.

• Support design risk assessments, technical reviews and engineering compliance verification.

• Ensure engineering solutions consider long-term operational reliability, maintainability, personnel safety and environmental conditions.

• Maintain appropriate engineering documentation and technical records to support regulatory submissions, construction and project handover.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education & Professional Registration

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Power Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline from a recognised institution.

• Registered Professional Engineer (Electrical) with a valid practising certificate in an applicable jurisdiction.

• Professional engineering registration relevant to the project's country of execution will be advantageous.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 10 years of relevant engineering experience in high-voltage substation design, electrical power systems or transmission and distribution infrastructure.

• Proven experience working in an engineering consultancy, electrical utility, EPC contractor or major infrastructure development environment.

• Demonstrated involvement in the concept, basic and detailed design of high-voltage substations.

• Strong understanding of 275 kV, 132 kV, 115 kV, 33 kV and/or 11 kV electrical infrastructure.

• Experience with primary and secondary electrical systems, protection and control engineering, grid interconnection and substation automation.

• Proven experience supporting projects across the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Malaysia, Thailand or other Southeast Asian markets.

• Experience working with utility authorities, consultants, contractors, equipment manufacturers and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

• Previous involvement in large-scale electrical infrastructure projects from design development through construction, testing and commissioning.

Technical Knowledge & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of HV/MV substation engineering principles, electrical system configurations and equipment selection.

• Experience with AIS and GIS substation arrangements, transformer engineering, switchgear systems and associated protection equipment.

• Competence in electrical power system studies, including load flow, short-circuit analysis, protection coordination, arc-flash assessment, cable sizing, earthing and lightning protection.

• Familiarity with Neher-McGrath underground cable thermal calculations and relevant cable ampacity assessment methodologies.

• Understanding of electrical system reliability, redundancy, contingency analysis and concurrent maintainability.

• Knowledge of grid interconnection requirements, utility engineering standards and applicable regulatory frameworks.

• Familiarity with IEC 61850, substation automation, SCADA and associated communication interfaces.

• Understanding of Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS), Building Management Systems (BMS) and data centre electrical infrastructure integration.

• Experience preparing, reviewing and approving electrical engineering drawings, calculations, design reports, technical specifications and equipment documentation.

Engineering Software

Proficiency in relevant electrical engineering design and analysis tools, including:

• ETAP - Electrical power system modelling, load flow, fault analysis and protection coordination.

• SKM PowerTools - Electrical system studies and arc-flash analysis.

• CYME - Electrical network modelling and distribution system analysis.

• AutoCAD - Electrical engineering drawings, layouts and drafting.

Experience with additional power system analysis, engineering design or substation modelling tools will be advantageous.

Preferred Experience

• Previous engineering involvement in hyperscale data centres, semiconductor or microelectronics facilities, or other mission-critical infrastructure.

• Experience designing electrical infrastructure to support high-availability and concurrently maintainable operations.

• Familiarity with regional utility interconnection processes and grid codes in Malaysia and Thailand.

• Exposure to Battery Energy Storage Systems, renewable energy integration, microgrids, cogeneration or combined-cycle power generation.

• Experience reviewing EPC tender packages, major electrical equipment specifications and vendor technical submissions.

• Strong understanding of construction sequencing, testing and commissioning requirements for high-voltage substations.

Communication & Other Requirements

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Mandarin proficiency for coordination with relevant project stakeholders, where required.

• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to multidisciplinary engineering teams and non-technical stakeholders.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, technical review and engineering coordination skills.

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple engineering deliverables across different project phases.

• Willingness to travel regionally for technical meetings, utility coordination, construction inspections, testing and commissioning activities.

• Willingness to relocate based on project requirements.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an experienced high-voltage electrical engineering professional with a strong background in substation design consultancy, utility engineering or EPC project delivery.

The individual should have demonstrated technical expertise in HV/MV substation design, grid interconnection, electrical system studies, protection and control systems, and substation automation.

Candidates who have worked on major transmission and distribution infrastructure projects and are familiar with the electrical reliability requirements of hyperscale data centres or other mission-critical facilities will be particularly well suited to this position.

The successful candidate should be comfortable working across the full engineering project lifecycle, engaging with regional utility authorities, reviewing consultant and contractor deliverables, and providing technical oversight during construction, commissioning and energisation.