Transmission, distribution, generation, smart metering and retail energy jobs, from cable jointers and linespeople to control and design engineers.
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Electricity gets from power stations and wind farms to homes and businesses through a chain of organisations, each with its own types of job. Generators produce the power. Transmission companies run the high voltage grid: National Grid in England and Wales, SP Energy Networks in central and southern Scotland, and SSEN Transmission in the north of Scotland. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) balances supply and demand in real time.
Distribution network operators (DNOs) carry power from the grid to homes and businesses, and energy suppliers sell it to customers. Independent connection providers and independent network operators also build and own parts of the local network, and employ their own designers, jointers and project managers. Gas follows a similar pattern, with National Gas running the high pressure transmission system and Cadent, SGN, Northern Gas Networks and Wales & West Utilities running regional distribution networks. Ofgem regulates the networks and suppliers in Great Britain.
Field roles exist wherever there are substations, cables and overhead lines, which means almost everywhere. Offices and control centres are more concentrated: Electricity North West is based in Warrington, ScottishPower is headquartered in Glasgow, and London has many suppliers, consultancies and trading teams.
The networks depend on overhead linespeople, cable jointers, substation fitters and field engineers who build, repair and maintain equipment, often on call and through storms. Gas networks employ emergency engineers, mains layers and network technicians. Smart meter engineers install and maintain metering for suppliers, and streetworks teams excavate and reinstate roads for new cables.
Design engineers plan new connections and reinforcement. Protection and control engineers set up and test the systems that isolate faults, and asset engineers decide when equipment needs replacing. Civil and structural engineers design substations and cable routes.
Control engineers in network control rooms switch circuits, manage outages and respond to faults around the clock. Outage planners, forecasters and data analysts support them, and NESO employs specialists in balancing, markets and long-term planning.
Connections managers, wayleave officers and land agents secure the rights and agreements needed for new infrastructure. Regulatory analysts, pricing analysts and energy traders work on the commercial side, while suppliers employ customer operations, billing and field service teams.
On electricity networks, your employer's safety rules decide what work you can do. You are authorised at levels that reflect your training and experience, from working under supervision up to senior authorised person roles that allow you to switch high voltage equipment and issue safety documents. Authorisation usually applies to one employer's system, so expect to be assessed again if you move.
Other things employers commonly ask for:
In England, apprenticeships for overhead linespeople, substation fitters and cable jointers have replaced the older power network craftsperson standard. DNOs and their contractors recruit apprentices each year, and some run schemes for adults who already have electrical experience, such as UK Power Networks' experienced apprentice programme.
Graduate programmes cover electrical and power systems engineering, data, commercial and regulatory roles. Service leavers with electrical, communications or vehicle maintenance trades often move into field roles. Career changers from electrical contracting, rail electrification and building services can move across, usually starting with network-specific training and authorisation.
Network investment is also creating demand in renewable generation projects that need grid connections, so experience here is widely valued.
Use our search to see open grid and utilities roles, and filter by location, salary and whether you want permanent, contract or temporary work. On-call and shift roles usually say so in the advert.
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Network operators, contractors and suppliers can advertise grid and utilities jobs; every advert is checked before publication.
A cable jointer connects, repairs and terminates underground power cables, from low voltage cables in streets to high voltage circuits feeding substations. The work involves precise hands-on skills, strict safety procedures and often on-call duties.
Yes, at apprentice level. DNOs and contractors recruit apprentices with suitable GCSEs or equivalent and train them from scratch. For experienced roles, a Level 3 electrical qualification or relevant trade background is usually expected.
Usually not directly. Authorisation is given under a specific employer's safety rules, so a new employer will assess you and authorise you on its own system. Your experience and training records make this much quicker.
Plenty. Design, planning, regulation, trading, data analysis, customer operations and project management roles are mostly office based, and many offer hybrid working. Control room roles are on-site and usually shift based.
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