Program & Team Leader – Power Systems (HV/MV) Utility Engineering (with Renewable integration)

Colm Engineering Ltd; Vaughan; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Colm Engineering Ltd is seeking an experienced MV/HV & Substation Engineering Program & Team Leader to drive a portfolio of MV/HV, substation, protection & control, and grid-interconnection projects across Canada and the U.S. Energy Storage (BESS) and renewable integration are central to this role.

You will oversee end-to-end engineering, develop program strategy, manage the P&L, and mentor a growing team of engineers and designers while engaging with utilities, EPCs, and owner’s engineers to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering required.
• P.Eng (Canada) and/or U.S. Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• 7+ years in MV/HV, substation, protection & control, or grid-interconnection engineering.
• Experience producing and owning full engineering design packages (concept → IFC) for EPCs, utilities, and Owner’s Engineers.
• Canadian and U.S. standards knowledge (OESC, CEC, NEC, IEEE, UL, NFPA, NESC).
• Experience integrating DER/BESS into MV/HV systems is an asset.
• Strong communication, leadership, and client-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight and full design package ownership from concept to IFC.
• Lead MV/HV and substation projects including grid interconnections and DER/BESS integration.
• Develop and deliver complete design packages (one-line, wiring diagrams, protection schemes, SCADA interfaces).
• Oversee QA/QC, design reviews, and sign-offs for engineering outputs.
• Lead program strategy, P&L ownership, budgeting, and client development.

Skills

MV/HV power systems

Substation engineering

Grid interconnection

Protection & control

DER/BESS integration

Leadership / team mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

P.Eng (Canada) or PE license preferred

Tools

AutoCAD

ETAP

SCADA/RTU integration

Job description

About The Role Colm Engineering is seeking an experienced MV/HV & Substation Engineering Program & Team Leader to lead and scale our portfolio of medium-voltage (MV), high-voltage (HV), substation, protection & control, and grid-interconnection projects across commercial, industrial (C&I), and utility-scale markets. Energy Storage (BESS) and renewable integration projects form an important subset of this work, and the successful candidate will be able to perform and oversee end-to-end engineering for substations, MV/HV infrastructure, grid connections, and DER integration. This senior role oversees the full lifecycle of engineering delivery, program strategy, financial performance, team leadership, client development, and technical governance for MV/HV & substation systems—with BESS included as an extension of these core competencies.

Requirements

• Key Responsibilities
• Technical Oversight, Engineering Delivery & Full Design Package Ownership (70%)
• Perform and lead all engineering work required for MV/HV and substation projects, grid interconnections, protection & control systems, utility infrastructure, and DER/BESS integration.
• Produce and own complete engineering design packages from conceptual through IFC on behalf of EPCs, Owner’s Engineers, utilities, and end clients.
• Develop and deliver comprehensive design packages, including:
• Substation one-line, three-line, and wiring diagrams (MV/HV)
• Protection and control schemes, relay settings, logic diagrams, interlocking, and coordination studies
• MV/HV equipment specifications, grounding systems, bus layouts, cable routing, and conduit design
• SCADA/RTU integration, telecom/communications (IEC-61850, Modbus, DNP3), and sequence-of-operations
• DER/BESS integration, PCS/EMS/BMS interfaces, generation tie-ins, and interconnection compliance
• Perform and/or validate all technical studies including:
• Load flow, short-circuit, motor starting, fault-level, arc-flash, and transient stability
• Protection coordination across MV/HV networks
• BESS capacity modeling (as required), degradation/cycling studies, and DER optimization
• Ensure compliance with Canadian and/or U.S. engineering standards, including: OESC, CEC, NEC, IEEE, UL, NFPA, NESC, and utility-specific requirements.
• Provide engineering authority over all MV/HV, substation, protection, and DER/BESS deliverables.
• Support commissioning planning, energization, field troubleshooting, protection cutovers, and system validation.
• Oversee quality assurance, design reviews, and technical sign-off for all engineering outputs.
• Program Leadership, Strategy, P&L Ownership & Financial Management (20%)
• Develop and execute the strategic roadmap for Colm’s MV/HV, substation, and grid-integration program, with BESS as a supporting vertical.
• Own the program P&L, including forecasting, revenue planning, backlog management, profitability, and margin optimization.
• Lead bid/no-bid decisions, pricing strategies, and project pursuit evaluations based on ROI and technical risk.
• Establish standardized engineering processes, templates, QA/QC frameworks, and delivery workflows to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Provide technical leadership in proposals, client presentations, scopes of work, and RFP responses.
• Collaborate with executive leadership (Finance, Operations, Partnerships) to ensure financial and operational performance aligns with corporate growth objectives.
• Identify strategic vendor and OEM partnerships for substation equipment, protection hardware, and DER/BESS systems across Canada and the U.S.
• Team Leadership, Operations & Stakeholder Management (10%)
• Lead and mentor engineering staff, designers, technologists, and commissioning personnel.
• Oversee workload planning, resourcing, performance management, and professional development.
• Serve as the lead technical representative with EPCs, Owner’s Engineers, utilities, regulators, and major clients.
• Build professional relationships to support repeat business and program expansion across North American markets.

Qualifications

• Education & Licensure
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering required.
• P.Eng (Canada) and/or U.S. Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• Advanced training in power systems, power systems, protection & control, HV/MV design, DER, or renewable energy is an asset.
• Experience
• 7+ years in MV/HV, substation, protection & control, or grid-interconnection engineering.
• Strong experience producing and owning full engineering design packages (concept → IFC) for EPCs, utilities, and Owner’s Engineers.
• U.S. project experience (NESC, NEC, utility interconnection, IEEE) preferred.
• Experience integrating DER/BESS into MV/HV systems is an asset.
• Demonstrated financial awareness, including budgeting, cost tracking, or program-level P&L involvement.
• Experience working with utilities, EPC firms, IPPs, ISOs/RTOs, or consulting engineering organizations.
• Technical Skills
• Deep proficiency in MV/HV power systems, substation engineering, protection & control, SCADA/communications (IEC-61850, Modbus, DNP3), and grid interconnection.
• Strong capabilities in engineering tools such as AutoCAD, ETAP (or equivalent), and standard office software.
• Thorough knowledge of Canadian and U.S. standards: OESC, CEC, NEC, IEEE, UL, NFPA, and utility interconnection requirements.
• Leadership & Soft Skills
• Ability to lead engineering execution while balancing scope, schedule, and cost.
• Strong communication and client-facing skills with the ability to represent technical decisions clearly.
• Proven ability to mentor staff, collaborate across teams, and support business development.

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