Job Overview
To act as an independent Authorising Engineer (AE) for HV/LV electrical systems within data centre and critical environment operations throughout the UK, providing recognised technical authority, governance, assurance and control of work activities. The AE shall operate independently of day-to-day operational delivery, with sufficient authority to challenge, stop, suspend or escalate unsafe or non-compliant activities, and shall report functionally to the Co-ordinating Authorising Engineer. The role supports statutory compliance, Mitie Safe Systems of Work (SSoW), client governance requirements, operational resilience expectations and recognised critical environment standards including both EOPs & SOPs
Main Duties
Technical Authority, Independence & Control of Work
Act as the independent technical authority for HV/LV electrical safety, switching, isolation, energisation and restoration activities in data centre and critical environment operations.
- Approve, maintain and assure the application of Mitie HV/LV safety rules, electrical safety procedures, switching schedules, permits, isolation standards and supporting Safe Systems of Work.
- Define system boundaries, assets, demarcation points, operational responsibilities and escalation routes for electrical systems and critical infrastructure interfaces.
- Exercise clear authority to challenge, delay, suspend or stop work where safety, compliance, competency or resilience requirements are not demonstrably met.
Authorisation & Competency
Assess, recommend, appoint, audit, suspend or remove Authorised Persons (APs), and other electrically competent persons in accordance with Mitie and client governance arrangements.
- Maintain competency frameworks, appointment records, audit evidence and ongoing assurance schedules for authorised electrical personnel.
- Provide technical coaching, challenge and assurance while remaining independent from operational delivery decisions.
Governance, Audit, Risk & Compliance
Lead independent audits, technical assurance reviews and compliance inspections of HV/LV systems, electrical safety management arrangements and critical environment controls.
- Identify systemic risks, non-conformances and control weaknesses, ensuring clear corrective and preventive action plans are agreed, tracked and closed.
- Ensure compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations, BS 7671, relevant HSE guidance, client standards, applicable industry good practice and Mitie HV/LV safety rules
- Provide concise governance reporting to the Co-ordinating Authorising Engineer and relevant senior stakeholders, highlighting risk, compliance status, assurance findings, resource levels and required decisions.
Incident, Change & Operational Resilience
Provide independent technical leadership for electrical incidents, near misses, significant switching events and resilience-related failures.
- Support root cause analysis, lessons learned, corrective and preventive actions, and governance improvements to prevent recurrence.
- Review and advise on electrical risk associated with planned works, maintenance strategy, change control, energisation activities, testing and business continuity exercises.
- Support operational resilience requirements, including business continuity planning, critical system recovery arrangements and evidence-based assurance of control effectiveness.
Standards & Framework Alignment
Ensure alignment with recognised critical environment standards and guidance, including Uptime Institute principles where applicable.
- Apply relevant EN 50600 principles for data centre availability, resilience, maintainability and operational risk control.
- Support ISO-aligned management systems, assurance frameworks and client operational resilience requirements, including FCA PS21/3 expectations where relevant.
What we are looking for
Qualifications
- HNC/HND/Degree in Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering or equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Extensive HV/LV operational experience within data centres, critical environments or high-availability infrastructure.
- Previous Authorising Engineer, Senior Authorised Person or equivalent electrical safety governance experience.
- Strong working knowledge of the Electricity at Work Regulations, BS 7671, HSE guidance, electrical safety rules, permit-to-work arrangements and critical environment controls.
- Chartered Engineer status, Incorporated Engineer status or active progression towards professional registration is desirable.
Experience & Governance
- Proven experience operating with independence, authority and professional judgement in technically complex, safety-critical environments.
- Demonstrable ability to control work activities through robust governance, assurance, audit, competency assessment and escalation.
- Experience managing electrical safety rules, authorisation processes, switching governance, isolation standards and permit-to-work arrangements.
- Experience of external audit, internal audit, risk management, incident investigation and corrective action closure.
- Ability to provide executive-ready reporting on compliance, risk, assurance findings, control effectiveness and required interventions.
Interacting & Communicating
- Able to establish credible relationships with operational teams, client representatives, senior stakeholders, contractors and specialist suppliers while retaining independence of judgement.
- Confident to challenge unsafe, non-compliant or poorly controlled activities and to escalate appropriately through the Co-ordinating Authorising Engineer and senior governance forums.
- Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate technical risk clearly to executive, client and operational audiences.
- Diplomatic but firm, with the resilience and authority to make evidence-based decisions and see them through.
Analysing & Reporting
- Able to produce clear, concise and structured reports, technical papers, audit findings and governance updates.
- Strong analytical capability, with the ability to assess complex electrical risk, identify root causes and recommend practical, proportionate controls.
- Competent in using digital systems, compliance platforms and reporting tools to manage evidence, actions, trends and assurance outputs.
Adapting & Performing
- Able to respond effectively to live incidents, high-risk works, critical change events and business continuity scenarios.
- Maintains professional composure and sound judgement under pressure, particularly where safety, service continuity or client impact is at stake.
- Flexible, adaptable and able to travel UK wide to support assurance, audits, incident response and governance activities across relevant sites.
- Committed to continuous improvement, learning from incidents and strengthening electrical safety governance across the contract.
Other
- Provides clear expectations, standards and guidance to authorised personnel and operational teams.
- Maintains independence, impartiality and professional integrity when making authorisation, assurance and escalation decisions.
- Promotes a culture of safety, compliance, operational resilience and continual improvement.
