Supporting the establishment of a UK headquarters, major project teams and EPC capability following significant project awards.
Key Stats
- 9 permanent appointments since November 2025
- 90% of assigned roles successfully filled
- Shortlists typically delivered within 2 weeks
- 4–6 weeks from search launch to accepted offer
- 100% of successful candidates with direct cable-sector experience
- 100% retention to date
Introduction
Following major UK project awards, a leading Japanese EHV cable manufacturer needed to rapidly expand its local presence and build the leadership and delivery capability required to support its growing project portfolio.
Since November 2025, Turner Lovell has worked in partnership with the client’s UK business, supporting recruitment across its European headquarters, major project organisations and wider EPC operation.
Background & Objectives
The client’s investment in the UK created an immediate requirement for experienced people who could help establish the organisation while delivering major infrastructure projects.
This included building leadership for the Sea Link and Shetland 2 project teams, strengthening the Glasgow-based EPC business and establishing central capability across project controls, planning, HSSEQ, commercial and tendering.
The objective was to create a credible UK organisation with the specialist sector knowledge and local project experience needed to deliver current projects and support future growth.
The Challenges
The available talent pool was highly constrained. Successful candidates needed direct EHV cable-sector experience, often gained through cable manufacturers or developers delivering comparable projects. Generic infrastructure experience alone was not sufficient.
At the same time, the client was establishing its UK organisation from the ground up. Alongside identifying talent, Turner Lovell helped define requirements, refine job specifications and shape the recruitment process as new functions were created.
Strategy & Execution
Turner Lovell worked closely with the client’s Business Development Director, EPC Director and UK HR leadership to shape the recruitment process from the outset.
Salary benchmarking, employer branding, candidate feedback and wider market intelligence were incorporated throughout the process. Turner Lovell also developed a weighted interview scoring framework with the client, produced structured interview summaries and delivered evidence-based shortlists to support consistent hiring decisions.
Appointments ranged from Lead Planner to Project Director level and included Project Directors for Sea Link and Shetland 2, a Project Controls Director, Head of HSSEQ, Head of Tendering and senior planning and tendering professionals.
Results
Nine permanent appointments have been completed since November 2025, representing 90% of assigned roles.
Shortlists have typically been delivered within two weeks, with searches progressing from launch to accepted offer within four to six weeks. Every successful candidate has brought direct cable-sector experience and all accepted offers have remained within the agreed budget.
The appointments have helped establish the client’s initial European headquarters capability, mobilise leadership for Sea Link and Shetland 2, and build central project controls, planning and tendering functions.
Beyond the appointments themselves, Turner Lovell became an extension of the client’s hiring team, supporting everything from role definition and interview design through to candidate assessment and market intelligence. This reduced the burden on hiring managers while helping establish a scalable recruitment process to support the client’s continued UK growth.