Project Engineering Manager – Substation

Antal International Network; Saudi Arabia; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering firm is seeking an experienced Project Engineering Manager specialized in substation projects up to 765kV. This role involves leading a team, managing engineering activities, and ensuring project quality and timelines. Ideal candidates should have over 12 years of experience and a solid understanding of substation design, managing interdisciplinary teams effectively. This position is based in Saudi Arabia and offers a challenging environment in overseeing major projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of experience in substation construction.
• Comprehensive knowledge of primary and secondary engineering.
• Ability to lead engineering teams across multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Manage engineering activities for substation projects up to 765kV.
• Coordinate with various departments to ensure project quality.
• Lead a team of design engineers and draughtspersons.

Skills

Design aspects of Substation Construction

Interdisciplinary coordination

Project execution leadership

Expertise in GIS/AIS systems

Vendor engineering management

Education

B.E. / B.Tech. in Electrical / Electrical & Electronics Engineering

Tools

ETAP

PSCAD

CYMGRD

Job description

Project Engineering Manager – Substation

We are hiring a skilled Project Engineering Manager – Substation on behalf of our Client, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), delivering world-class infrastructure and industrial projects.

The role is located in Saudi Arabia, involves managing and executing primary and secondary engineering activities for GIS (Gas Insulated Substation) / AIS (Air Insulated Substation) projects up to 765kV. The PEM (Project Engineering Manager) will lead a team of Design Leads, Design Engineers, and Draughts persons, coordinating with interdisciplinary teams including Civil, Structural, Electrical, MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing), and Instrumentation departments to ensure high-quality engineering outputs delivered on schedule and within budget. The role spans the full project lifecycle from pre-bid engineering, design review, vendor coordination, to commissioning support while providing technical leadership and facilitating vendor engineering processes.

Objective

The ideal candidate will:

• Ensure that engineering activities are executed within stipulated timelines, with adherence to quality and cost requirements.
• Monitor L2 (Level 2) schedule during project execution and optimize designs, propose alternate solutions, and deliver projects with positive margins.
• Perform inter-disciplinary coordination among Civil, Structural, MEP, and Instrumentation teams.
• Allocate work and manage man-hours across different project roles.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the Project Planning Manager to align deliverables with the Project Schedule.
• Conduct regular project review meetings to ensure adherence to timelines.
• Conduct internal meetings for resource optimization, allocation, and productivity enhancement.
• Review designs, calculations, and drawings; ensure timely submissions with client approvals.
• Clarify vendor-related issues and ensure timely delivery of materials to the project site.
• Multitask efficiently and deliver multiple outputs on time.
• Provide clarifications to inter-discipline managers regarding design aspects of equipment.
• Enable and review accurate estimation for Bill of Materials (BOM) submission.
• Review critical issues and procedural delays in design; support Site Execution Teams.
• Resolve procurement issues and support Supply Chain Management (SCM) for vendor engineering order finalization.
• Support BOQ (Bill of Quantities) review, pre-bid offers, technical submissions, and post-tender clarifications to the Contracts Team.
• Lead and manage the team of Design Leads, Design Engineers, and Draughtspersons.
• Conduct vendor evaluation against technical specifications required by the client.
• Provide support to Site Execution Teams for commercial issues and processing of bills.
• Ensure issuance of Manufacturing Clearance through communication with suppliers.
• Communicate deliverable lists from clients and obtain resource requirements for projects.

Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum Qualification: B.E. / B.Tech. in Electrical / Electrical & Electronics Engineering
• Experience: 12+ years (Must have experience predominantly in design aspects of Substation Construction and leading engineers in execution of multiple projects)
• Comprehensive knowledge of Primary Engineering and Secondary Engineering for substation projects.
• Proficient in design aspects of GIS (Gas Insulated Substation) / AIS (Air Insulated Substation) up to 765kV.
• Expertise in selection and design of equipment including Power Transformers, Reactors, Circuit Breakers, Disconnectors, and Instrument Transformers.
• Skilled in Substation Primary and Secondary Design: Earthing, Lighting, Lightning Protection, Cabling.
• Understanding of interdisciplinary interfaces between Civil, MEP, Instrumentation, and Secondary Engineering (Schemes, Wiring Diagrams, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) & Control Systems).
• Experience leading and executing projects across multiple geographies, clients, and utilities.
• Detailed knowledge of substation equipment, vendor engineering, and market conditions.
• Ability to interpret contractual technical requirements and facilitate project teams effectively.
• Strong interviewing skills for recruitment and team development.
• Desirable awareness of ETAP (Electrical Transient Analyzer Program), PSCAD (Power Systems Computer-Aided Design), CYMGRD (Grounding and Earthing Analysis Software), and Project Planning Tools

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