About this Design Engineer role at AVK

AVK · Lenham, England, United Kingdom

As a Design Engineer you will take total responsibility for the implementation of a Successful Project to ensure it is delivered on time, within budget and meets the customer specifications and expectations.

The Design Engineer will need to be customer focused, self-motivated, comfortable in liaising with customers, suppliers and sub-contractors and used to working within tight deadlines, managing numerous projects running concurrently varying in value.

We are seeking a skilled and experienced PLC Controls Engineer to join our engineering team. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in electrical engineering with a strong focus on PLC programming and control systems integration. A good working knowledge of low-voltage (LV) and high-voltage (HV) electrical schematics, generator control systems, and circuit breaker switching logic is essential. Familiarity with ComAp generator controllers is also desired.

Key Responsibilities:

Development and creation of project specific engineering documentation.
Delivery of projects that are on time, within budget, and in accordance with the technical requirements of the contract.
Be aware of contractual requirements of all Projects, payment milestones and associated requirements, key dates, technical and H&S requirements.
Commissioning of control systems, performance testing and carry out factory and site acceptance tests on projects when required.
Design, develop, and implement PLC control systems for generator and power distribution applications.
Read and interpret LV and HV electrical schematics for system integration and fault diagnostics.
Program and configure PLCs (Allen-Bradley, or Schneider) for power generation and distribution systems.
Develop and modify HMI/SCADA interfaces for system monitoring and operator control.
Configure and troubleshoot ComAp generator controllers, including synchronization, load sharing, and remote monitoring features.
Implement and test circuit breaker switching logic, interlocks, and protection schemes.
Collaborate with electrical design engineers, site engineers, and commissioning teams to deliver fully integrated control solutions.
Support site commissioning and FAT/SAT testing of control panels and generator systems.
Prepare detailed technical documentation, including I/O lists, control philosophies, and test protocols.

Requirements

Degree or HND in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems, or a related discipline.
Proven experience as a PLC Controls Engineer in power generation, industrial automation, or energy sectors.
Strong understanding of LV and HV schematics, switchgear control, and protection systems.
Hands-on experience with ComAp generator controllers (InteliGen, InteliSys, etc.).
Knowledge of G99 / G59 grid protection and interface requirements.
Familiarity with generator paralleling, islanded and grid-connected operation.
Working knowledge of electrical safety standards, including BS 7671 and IEC standards.
Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Willingness to travel to customer sites for commissioning and support activities.

Benefits

Private Health Insurance
Performance Bonus
25 days annual leave + bank hols
Birthday Off
Pension Plan
Hybrid working / Flexible working

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About AVK

For over 30 years AVK have been providing Generator & UPS solutions for mission critical services and systems.

No matter the scale or how challenging. We can design any system containing UPS systems, standby generators, switch gear & control systems around your requirements, in the present and for the future.

We have offices and service hubs across the UK and Europe with a unique ability to design, manufacture, install and service standby power systems. AVK-SEG was founded in 1989 and were initially the UK specialists for both the AVK and SEG product ranges including protection relays for grid applications. We quickly established a reputation as experts in Diesel Rotary UPS systems (DRUPS), which became our core business for a number of years. We recognised early the shift in the marketplace towards Static power protection systems, and set up an exclusive partnership agreement with one of Europe’s largest manufacturers to supply and maintain large numbers of their equipment in the UK, which enabled us to build on our reputation but also increase our brand recognition.

More and more of the large-scale projects we were involved in required Diesel Generator sets in addition to the UPS we offered, and as the trust in our team and experience continued to grow, we were approached by a number of clients to take on further responsibilities for their critical power systems. To meet these demands for a ‘one stop shop’ we expanded our offering to include other products that complete a power protection package – Generators, UPS, Switchgear, Relays and Controls. A number of global manufacturers were keen to work with us, and with their support, we were able to diversify our offering and open up a range of business opportunities. Initial success delivering LV projects for Telecoms quickly grew into massive successes delivering large scale HV multi-module projects for Data Centres and various campus sites, enabling us to become the UK’s leader in critical power solutions.

Our clients rely on us to deliver best-in-class solutions to complex power challenges – driving us to constantly grow and develop both our product and service offerings to meet their needs. To that end, with an increasing drive towards sustainability, recent years have seen us partner with other industry leaders to grow our expertise in sustainable power solutions such as gas generators and battery storage systems – both of which help our clients to not only save money but increase their revenue streams.

Over thirty years down the line, AVK are one of the most trusted power solutions providers across the UK and Europe, but we haven’t lost track of our beginnings. Our unique ability to design, manufacture, install and service standby power systems across a number of sectors sees us at the forefront of the industry – a position we strive to maintain – with the same determination to deliver for our clients and the same drive to succeed.

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