Project Quality Manager - Power

Laing O'Rourke group; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A major engineering and construction firm in Birmingham is seeking a Project Quality Manager to lead quality assurance for the Great Grid Upgrade, a multi-billion-pound energy infrastructure program. This role involves implementing quality management strategies across high-voltage projects and ensuring compliance with ISO standards. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in managing quality for complex infrastructure solutions and a strong collaborative leadership style. Join us in shaping the UK's future in clean energy!

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing quality on high-voltage substations, transmission networks, or major power infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of ISO-aligned quality systems, technical standards, and utilities sector requirements.
• A collaborative, influential leadership style capable of guiding diverse engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Set and implement project-wide Quality Management Strategy.
• Lead quality assurance frameworks and manage NCR processes.
• Work closely with National Grid and other stakeholders for consistent quality.
• Champion best practices in modern power infrastructure.

Skills

Quality management

Leadership

ISO quality systems

Collaboration

Job description

HelpLead the Great Grid Upgrade with Laing O\'Rourke

Join Laing O\'Rourke at the forefront of one of the most ambitious energy infrastructure programmes in the UK. As a Project Quality Manager, you\'ll play a central leadership role in delivering the Great Grid Upgrade - a £9bn National Grid initiative modernising and expanding the electricity transmission network to support up to 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.

Laing O\'Rourke is a key construction partner appointed to deliver major elements of this national programme, including new substations, upgrades to existing sites, new overhead lines and underground cable works across multiple strategic regions.

Why This Role Matters:

This is your opportunity to influence quality excellence on infrastructure of national strategic importance. The Great Grid Upgrade is not only the biggest overhaul of the grid in decades but a cornerstone in the UK\'s transition to low‑carbon, secure energy infrastructure.

You\'ll be working within the innovative Great Grid Partnership, a collaborative enterprise model that brings together supply chain partners, engineers, and delivery teams to accelerate project execution through shared expertise, pooled resources, and modern engineering methods.

The Role: Project Quality Manager

As a Project Quality Manager, you will be the technical authority for quality across major high‑voltage transmission and substation schemes. Your responsibilities will include:

Quality Leadership & Strategy

• Setting and implementing the project‑wide Quality Management Strategy across substation builds, overhead line routes, GIS installations and associated civil, electrical and mechanical packages.
• Ensuring alignment with Laing O\'Rourke\'s industry‑leading digital engineering and modern construction methodologies used on these mega‑infrastructure projects.

Project Assurance

• Leading quality assurance frameworks, managing NCR processes, root‑cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Reviewing and approving project Inspection & Test Plans, technical documentation, commissioning evidence, and quality records.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Working closely with National Grid, design partners, and construction teams within the Great Grid Partnership to ensure consistent quality across multi‑site portfolios.
• Supporting early design engagement and risk mitigation strategies, mirroring the collaborative, early‑planning model successfully used on projects such as the Margam Connection Project.

Innovation & Future‑Focused Delivery

• Championing best practices in modern power infrastructure, including adoption of SF₆‑free switchgear technology on new GIS substations—an innovation already being utilised on projects such as Margam, helping reduce environmental impact while enhancing resilience.

Who We\'re Looking For:

To excel, you will bring:

• Proven experience managing quality on high‑voltage substations, transmission networks, or major power infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of ISO‑aligned quality systems, technical standards, and utilities sector requirements.
• A collaborative, influential leadership style capable of guiding diverse engineering teams.
• A passion for delivering projects that strengthen the energy future of the UK.

Your Impact:

In this role, you will directly help:

• Expand the UK\'s electricity transmission capacity to support renewable energy growth.
• Reduce reliance on fossil fuels while enabling national decarbonisation goals.
• Deliver safe, resilient, future‑ready substations and transmission assets that support local economies and industrial transformation—including green steel production, as seen in the Margam Connection Project.

Ready to lead quality on a once‑in‑a‑generation infrastructure programme?

Step into a role where your expertise shapes the backbone of the UK\'s clean energy transition.

Apply now and join Laing O\'Rourke in delivering the Great Grid Upgrade.

About Us Laing O\'Rourke are an international engineering and construction company delivering state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.

Certainty, reliability, quality – this is what our clients want. And at Laing O\'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O\'Rourke\'s story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.

We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you need the application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please email [e-mail]

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