Senior BESS Integration & Plant Control Engineer

Senior BESS Integration & Plant Control Engineer
 

• Duration: 07/Apr/2026 – 31/May/2027
• Project: BESS
• Location: Primarily remote (UK-based) with travel to Norwich and London

Role Overview
We are seeking a specialist engineer to support the BESS Technical Lead with the integration of a large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with a major offshore wind farm connected via HVDC. This is a technically challenging and high-profile role focused on ensuring robust integration between the BESS, HVDC system, offshore wind plant, control systems, trading and optimisation platforms, and operational stakeholders.
The role has a particular emphasis on the BESS interfaces and requires an engineer who can provide input into the development of the operating philosophy, control philosophy, and interface design across multiple systems and parties.
This individual will play a key role in ensuring the integrated system is operable, reliable, commercially optimised, and validated through practical testing that the BESS is grid code compliant.

Key Responsibilities

1. BESS–HVDC–Offshore Wind Integration

• • Support the design and coordination of the control interfaces between the BESS and HVDC system across a range of operating scenarios.
  • Define and manage key integration interfaces between the BESS, offshore wind farm, HVDC controls, plant controllers, and other relevant OEM systems.
  • Support the BESS Technical Lead to provide input into the development of the overall integrated operating and control philosophy for the BESS, HVDC system, and offshore wind plant.
  • Support the BESS Technical Lead working closely with OEMs and project stakeholders to ensure the integrated solution is correctly designed, built, tested, and commissioned.

2. Trading, Revenue & Operational Interfaces

• • Lead the definition of BESS interfaces related to trading, dispatch, and revenue optimisation, including interfaces with the optimiser platform.
  • Ensure control logic and system design appropriately reflect network constraints, including restrictions arising from shared grid connection arrangements, offshore wind generation conditions, HVDC operating constraints, and wider transmission system limitations.
  • Develop the functional approach to automatically limit or adjust traded power when plant or grid constraints apply.
  • Coordinate interfaces between the BESS and the trading optimiser, the BESS OEM for warranty, maintenance, and condition monitoring signals, and the 24/7 control centre supporting NESO and the BESS owner/operator.

3. Technical Leadership & Interface Management

• • Provide technical leadership across complex multidisciplinary interfaces involving controls, SCADA, commercial/trading systems, OEM platforms, and grid compliance functions.
  • Act as the glue across multiple technical and commercial workstreams to ensure a coherent and reliable end-to-end solution.
  • Manage model and interface coordination between different OEMs, particularly where control interactions between the BESS and HVDC are critical.
  • Work closely with the Plant Control Engineer for the HVDC and offshore wind plant to ensure aligned design and testing.
  • Work closely with the Lead BESS HV Engineer to ensure aligned design and testing.

4. Grid Code Compliance & Testing

• • Lead the BESS aspects of UK grid code compliance planning and testing by working closely with the Plant Control Engineer for the HVDC and Offshore Windfarm as well as the overall commissioning team.
  • Support and coordinate compliance activities with NESO, including a practical understanding of E-ON, I-ON A, I-ON B, and FON working closely with the Design & Compliance Manager as well as the Grid Connection Manager.
  • Good understanding of operational tripping schemes and the compliance testing associated with this.
  • Ensure that control design, plant operation, and interface behaviour support successful compliance demonstration.
  • Coordinate with specialists responsible for compliance studies, testing, and technical evidence packages.
  • Develop Grid Code Compliance test procedures using client templates and formatting that are familiar to NESO.
  • Prepare Grid Code Compliance test results and reports using client templates and formatting that are familiar to NESO.

 5. Integrated Control Design Documentation

• • Produce and maintain the integrated documentation required to pull together inputs from different packages, contractors, and OEMs for the BESS control design implementation.
  • Develop clear, structured documentation covering operational modes, operational tripping philosophy, control schemes, and key interface definitions.
  • Ensure documentation clearly defines interfaces with neighbouring systems, including the HVDC system, offshore wind plant, plant control systems, control room, trading and revenue, Optimiser, the Transmission System Operator (TSO).
  • Coordinate across packages and stakeholders to ensure documentation is aligned, complete, traceable, and suitable to support design, implementation, testing, commissioning, and operations. 

Why This Role?

• This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role on a first-of-a-kind, large-scale integrated energy project, combining a 300MW BESS with a 2.6GW offshore wind farm via HVDC.
• The role offers the chance to work across a wide range of technical and operational disciplines, including power system integration, plant and control systems, SCADA, trading and revenue optimisation, operational/control room interfaces, grid code compliance, and technical coordination across multiple specialist functions.
• The successful candidate will be supported by experienced teams across HV, protection, SCADA, metering, commercial, trading, and revenue, as well as receiving training and support from the optimiser provider. This role offers genuine scope for growth, learning, and technical leadership.
• If solving complex engineering challenges across BESS, HVDC, and offshore wind integration motivates you, this is an exceptional opportunity.
• The Consultant must bring his/her own PC and/or Iphone. 

Requirements:
Essential

• • Strong experience in the integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into complex power projects.
  • Demonstrable experience with control interfaces between the BESS and other plant systems, ideally including HVDC, renewable generation, or grid-connected infrastructure.
  • A basic understanding of communication network infrastructure and cyber security.
  • Good understanding of BESS trading, dispatch, and revenue optimisation interfaces in the UK market.
  • Experience defining or managing interfaces with optimisers/trading platforms, OEM control systems, SCADA and plant control systems, and remote operational/control centers.
  • Strong understanding of how shared grid connection constraints impact BESS operation and traded power availability.
  • Experience with co-located BESS projects sharing a grid connection with other generation assets, such as offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, or other generation plant.
  • Ability to develop and manage an integrated operating and control philosophy across multiple systems and stakeholders.
  • Good working knowledge of UK grid code compliance processes for large grid-connected plant, including practical awareness of testing and energisation stages.
  • Understanding of REMIT considerations regarding trading and implication of where data/signals are sent.
  • Experience producing integrated technical documentation that consolidates control design inputs, operating philosophies, trip logic, and interface requirements across multiple OEMs and packages.

Desirable

• • Experience working on projects involving HVDC-connected offshore wind.
  • Broader understanding of power systems and control interactions, sufficient to manage technical interfaces and challenge OEMs effectively.
  • Familiarity with grid code compliance studies, even if not personally conducting PSCAD or PowerFactory simulations.
  • Awareness of related areas such as SCADA integration, metering interfaces, protection interactions and control room operations.
  • Prior experience coordinating across multiple OEMs and contractors in a complex delivery environment.

Technical Capability Profile

The successful candidate will not be expected to personally carry out PSCAD or PowerFactory studies, but should have sufficient knowledge of power system behaviour, control interactions, and dynamic plant integration to:
 

• • understand the implications of study outputs;
  • manage technical discussions with OEMs and consultants;
  • review interface assumptions;
  • ensure appropriate integration between BESS and HVDC control systems;
  • support the delivery of a technically robust and compliant solution.

Qualifications

• • Degree in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or similar relevant discipline.
  • Master’s degree preferred.
  • A solid background in control theory, and practical site experience especially grid code compliance testing.

Location & Travel

• • UK-based candidates are strongly preferred.
  • The role is primarily remote, but regular travel will be required.
  • The project site is in Norwich, and the optimiser provider / employer offices are in London.
  • Candidates should expect travel of approximately 1–2 days per week, depending on project phase.
  • During key periods—particularly grid code compliance testing, initial energisation, and early operational phases—a greater site presence in Norwich will be required to support issue resolution and successful delivery.
  • For site visits, the consultant must bring their own work clothes and basic PPE.

We offer a flexible and professional working environment. What matters most is delivery: when face-to-face collaboration or on-site support is needed, the successful candidate must be willing to travel accordingly.

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.