Lead Project Engineer

The Role: 

This position has been created to strengthen leadership within Elgin’s growing Project Engineering function. The successful candidate will take on a dual role: leading and managing a team of approximately five Project Engineers while continuing to act as the lead project engineer on a portfolio of utility-scale solar PV and BESS projects.

Approximately 50% of the role will involve direct people management, team coordination, and process improvement. The remaining 50% will be hands-on project engineering work across the full project lifecycle — from early-stage development through to construction and energisation.

The role requires an experienced engineer who can set technical standards, mentor and develop junior engineers, and act as the day-to-day interface between the Project Engineering team and the Head of Engineering. A strong commercial awareness is essential — the successful candidate must understand how engineering decisions impact project value, cost assumptions, and programme, and be able to prioritise work that supports project commercialisation and investment readiness. The role also requires someone who works effectively across functional boundaries, collaborating closely with development, commercial, PMO, grid, legal, M&A, construction and operations teams to ensure engineering is fully integrated into project delivery and decision-making.

What you will do:  

Team Leadership & Management (50%)

• Line manage approximately five Project Engineers, including objective setting, performance reviews, and professional development planning.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, provide coaching and mentoring, and support team members’ technical growth and career progression within Elgin.
• Manage workload allocation and resource planning across the PE team, ensuring projects are appropriately staffed and priorities are balanced.
• Act as the first point of escalation for technical queries and project issues raised by the PE team, resolving where possible and escalating to the Head of Engineering or specialist engineers as needed.
• Drive consistency and quality of engineering outputs across the team by establishing and maintaining standard templates, checklists, review processes, and ways of working.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of new Project Engineers as the team grows.
• Provide regular reporting to the Head of Engineering on team capacity, project status, risks, and engineering quality metrics.
• Identify training needs and coordinate technical development activities for the team, including knowledge-sharing sessions and lessons-learned reviews
• Champion a culture of technical rigour, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the Project Engineering function fostering strong working relationships across development, commercial, grid, construction, and other internal teams to ensure engineering is aligned with wider project and business objectives.

Project Engineering (50%)

• Engage with project development teams at an early stage to provide engineering input into feasibility assessments, site selection, and project structuring.
• Conduct constructability reviews of proposed project designs, identifying buildability issues, construction risks, and value engineering opportunities at the development stage. Directing to specialist engineers for input as required.
• Provide technical review and commentary on planning application documents, including layout drawings, technical reports, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), and technical appendices, to ensure engineering accuracy and compliance.
• Support the preparation and technical review of grid connection applications and associated engineering documentation during the development phase.
• Coordinate and maintain concept design drawings and constraint maps for each site throughout the development phases.
• Ensure that the project technical solution fulfils EPC and EBOP/ICP contract requirements, and that technical sign-off of project changes is managed in a controlled and timely manner.
• Facilitate input of specialist PV, civil, electrical/grid, and other technical consultants and advisors, including determination of scopes of work and interpretation of advice received.
• Assist in the preparation of tender documentation for front-end engineering (e.g. geotechnical investigations, structural studies, electrical, energy yield assessments, preliminary layout), ensuring outputs are delivered on time and to the highest standard.
• Assist in contractual negotiations with EPCs regarding technical areas such as engineering specifications, equipment requirements, and performance and testing schedules.
• Technical engagement with external consultants, contractors, independent engineers, lenders’ engineers, government agencies, utility and grid companies as required.
• Provide input into technical elements of Employer’s Requirements for EPC and Consultant contracts, ensuring alignment with project-specific technical and commercial objectives.
• Keep all engineering project information and tasks up to date in Elgin’s internal reporting systems and project trackers.
• Produce technical reports and briefings for project management and senior leadership as required.
• Inspect project sites, attend design meetings, and represent Elgin’s engineering interests in external forums and stakeholder meetings as required.

• A minimum bachelor’s degree qualification in electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering.
• At least 5 years’ experience in utility-scale solar PV and/or BESS projects, with demonstrable experience across development, design, and construction phases.
• Prior experience managing or leading a team of engineers, including performance management, coaching, and workload coordination.
• Strong knowledge of PV technology, grid connections, energy yield assessments, shading analysis, ground conditions interpretation, MV/HV grid connection procedures, and PV plant installation procedures.
• Experience of solar project procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Experience and knowledge of relevant Irish & UK design codes, regulations, and policy.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety legislation in Ireland and the UK.
• Proficiency in translating engineering issues into CAPEX and OPEX assumptions.
• High analytical skills with attention to detail and ability to make decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills — able to convey complex technical issues clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Team-oriented with a positive attitude, determination, and flexibility, able to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.