Circuit Design Engineer

Role SummaryWe are looking for an experienced EAD Circuit Designer to support telecoms circuit delivery into electricity substation and utility environments.This is not a standard network design role. The person must have strong experience in BT/Openreach EAD / Ethernet access circuit delivery, with the ability to assess site feasibility, interpret survey outputs, understand access constraints, and produce practical design packs for implementation.The role is specifically focused on sites where telecoms delivery may be affected by electromagnetic interference, EMC requirements, Earth Potential Rise, fibre/copper suitability, cabinet specification, cable entry, ventilation, earthing, and substation access constraints.The designer will work with Vodafone engineering, SPEN stakeholders, BT/Openreach, field engineers, commissioning teams and cabinet suppliers to ensure each circuit design is technically feasible, safe, installable and supportable.Key ResponsibilitiesEAD circuit design Design Ethernet Access Direct / leased-line / carrier Ethernet access circuits for SPEN substation locations.Access feasibility Review whether proposed circuits are technically feasible based on site type, BT/Openreach survey outputs, routing, access node/cabinet location and local constraints.BT/Openreach coordination Interpret BT/Openreach survey notes, site classifications, delivery assumptions and circuit provisioning constraints.EMI/EMC assessment Identify design implications arising from electromagnetic interference and EMC requirements in substation environments.EPR risk awareness Consider Earth Potential Rise implications and ensure high-risk sites are appropriately flagged for specialist assessment or design treatment.Fibre/copper assessment Assess whether copper-based access is suitable or whether fibre-only/alternative access should be considered due to site conditions.Cabinet integration Review cabinet and rack requirements, including 45U EMC cabinets, ventilation, extractor fans, air filters, EMC inlet filters, gland plates, cable entry and site-specific colour/specification requirements.Design documentation Produce practical HLD/LLD/implementation design packs suitable for engineering, installation, commissioning and operational handover.PT task mapping Review SPEN PT task sheets and translate task-level requirements into circuit, cabinet, material and implementation design requirements.Supplier support Engage with cabinet suppliers and telecoms suppliers to confirm manufactured solutions meet SPEN/Vodafone technical requirements.Delivery risk management Identify design gaps, site-readiness issues, ordering risks and installation blockers early.AILS/handover readiness Ensure designs include as-built details, circuit references, inventory records and support notes needed for Acceptance Into Live Support.Stakeholder engagement Work closely with Vodafone design authority, delivery managers, SPEN stakeholders, field engineers, commissioning engineers and suppliers.Required Skills and ExperienceMandatory:Hands-on experience designing BT/Openreach EAD, Ethernet access, leased line or carrier Ethernet circuits.Strong understanding of the BT/Openreach delivery lifecycle, including survey, order validation, civils, provisioning, wayleaves and site readiness.Experience producing telecoms access design packs, HLDs, LLDs, implementation diagrams or as-built documentation.Ability to interpret site surveys, task sheets, supplier notes and technical constraints.Experience working with fibre access design and circuit routing.Experience coordinating with BT/Openreach, field engineers, commissioning teams and equipment suppliers.Strong documentation discipline and ability to produce clear, implementation-ready design outputs.Highly desirable (EMI/EMC and EPR awareness are near-mandatory for this role):Understanding of copper access limitations in electrically sensitive or high-voltage environments.Awareness of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and EMC requirements and their impact on telecoms design.Awareness of Earth Potential Rise (EPR) and why it affects telecoms delivery into substations.Experience supporting telecoms delivery into substations, utilities, rail, power, industrial or other controlled environments.Knowledge of telecoms cabinet/rack requirements, including EMC cabinets, gland plates, filters, ventilation and cable entry.Technical Knowledge RequiredEAD/Ethernet access Circuit topology, NTE, access handoff, demarcation, access routing and carrier Ethernet delivery.BT/Openreach process Survey outputs, order validation, route feasibility, access constraints, civils dependencies and delivery risk points.Substation environments Access restrictions, safety constraints, electrical interference, cabinet requirements and site-specific engineering controls.EMI/EMC How electromagnetic interference affects cable routing, copper usage, shielding, filtering and cabinet specification.EPR Why Earth Potential Rise creates risk and when specialist assessment or design escalation is required.Fibre vs copper Practical design implications of copper-based versus fibre-based delivery in high-voltage/EMI-sensitive locations.Cabinet design EMC rack/cabinet standards, 45U cabinet considerations, fan/extractor requirements, air filters, EMC inlet filters, gland plates and cable entry.Design documentation HLD, LLD, implementation pack, as-built pack, BoM, circuit inventory and AILS handover information.Deliverables ExpectedSite-level EAD circuit design Design for each assigned SPEN site or task.Circuit feasibility assessment Confirmation of whether the proposed access design is viable, with risks and assumptions clearly captured.HLD/LLD pack Practical design documentation for delivery and implementation teams.Cabinet/rack requirement validation Confirmation that cabinet design meets required EMC, ventilation, cable entry and site requirements.BoM/task mapping Mapping of SPEN PT task requirements to materials, circuit components and implementation activities.Risk and issue log Early identification of EMI, EPR, copper/fibre, survey, site-readiness, supplier or installation risks.As-built/handover inputs Circuit references, diagrams, inventory updates and support notes for AILS.Preferred BackgroundBT/Openreach EAD/Ethernet deliveryVodafone enterprise access deliveryUtility telecoms/power sector telecomsSubstation communications designRail telecoms/trackside telecomsIndustrial site telecomsFibre access planning/designCarrier Ethernet provisioningTelecoms field engineering/commissioningCertifications/Qualifications(Certifications are useful but should not replace hands-on access design experience.)CCNA/CCNP Enterprise useful, but not sufficient on its own.Fibre design/optical networking training valuable.BT/Openreach/carrier access delivery experience more important than generic certification.Electrical safety/substation awareness highly valuable.CDM/site safety awareness useful.NRSWA/civils awareness useful where routing or civils are involved.CAD/Visio/design tooling experience useful for producing design packs.TPBN1_UKTJ