Constructability Lead Senior - Principal

American Electric Power; New Albany (OH); On-site; USD 99,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

American Electric Power is seeking a Construction Lead at multiple grade levels to provide field leadership across transmission lines, substations, distribution, and related disciplines. The role emphasizes safety, constructability, and coordination with project planning teams to ensure timely execution.

Senior/Principal roles require strong engineering or technical backgrounds, plus experience overseeing large-scale electric utility construction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Safety or related field and six (6) years of experience overseeing transmission and distribution construction.
• ABET-accredited Associate degree with eight (8) years of experience in overseeing transmission and distribution construction.
• High school diploma with ten (10) years of direct experience as AEP/contractor line or station field employee or Construction Rep.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and field oversight to ensure safe, efficient construction across multiple disciplines (Constructability, Transmission Lines, Substations, Distribution, etc.).
• Act as subject matter expert and liaison between Construction Management and cross-functional partners to align schedules and field activities.
• Read and interpret one-line station diagrams and transmission line switching diagrams to anticipate clearances and protection zones.
• Coordinate with teams for outage sequencing, safety, and execution readiness.

Skills

Leadership

Safety awareness

Analytical skills

Communication

Reading diagrams

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Construction Management/Safety

ABET-accredited Associate degree in electrical/construction management/safety

High school diploma with 10 years field experience

Tools

GIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

**Job Summary**The role of a Construction Lead within one or more primary disciplines including Constructability, Construction Planning, Transmission Lines, Substations, Distribution, Fiber Communications, or Tower Communications is to provide leadership and field oversight to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality construction execution, with a strong emphasis on identifying and addressing safety risks. This position serves as the subject matter expert and primary liaison between Construction Management and cross-functional partners, supporting project planning, coordination, and execution while ensuring alignment across stakeholders, schedules, and field activities.**Job Description***Note: This position is posted at multiple grade levels and offers a range of opportunities for advancement. The minimum qualifications outlined below apply to the Construction Lead Senior level, with increased educational, skill, experience and certification requirements for higher level Construction Lead Principal.* **What You’ll Do:****Essential Job Functions & Tasks** **Constructability*** Focuses on integrating construction methodology into early project development through the creation and standardization of Constructability Scoping Reports.* Requires the ability to evaluate projects at a conceptual level and define optimal construction approaches prior to detailed design.* Involves leading cross-functional scoping efforts to align construction sequencing, access, and execution strategy early in the project lifecycle.* Includes use of GIS, drawings, and other tools to help provide a construction sequence, identify access constraints, and evaluate outage coordination, material flow, and logistical risks.* Emphasizes incorporation of site conditions, constructability challenges, and execution constraints into standardized scoping deliverables.* Requires experience supporting continuous improvement efforts, including lessons learned integration, contractor feedback incorporation, and refinement of constructability practices to improve planning consistency, efficiency, and execution readiness. **Transmission Lines, Substations, and Distribution*** Requires expertise in high-voltage and medium-voltage electrical infrastructure construction, including transmission line systems, distribution networks, and substation equipment such as transformers, breakers, and bus systems.* Includes interpretation of discipline-specific technical documentation such as transmission plan and profile drawings, structure loading trees, sag and tension charts, substation one-line diagrams, protection and control schematics, and distribution staking sheets and feeder layouts.* Involves construction methods unique to these systems, including conductor stringing, sagging and tension operations, structure erection, substation equipment installation, and distribution activities such as pole setting, framing, and overhead and underground conductor installation.* Requires coordination of work in energized or near-energized environments with consideration for construction, outage sequencing, planning, switching requirements, and system reliability impacts. **What You Will Need:** ***Construction Lead Senior*** * Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Safety or related field and six (6) years’ experience of overseeing/directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction work.**OR*** ABET accredited Associate degree in electrical, construction management, safety, civil engineering technology or related field of study and eight (8) years’ experience in overseeing/directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction work**OR*** High school diploma or GED with a minimum of ten (10) years of direct experience as an AEP/contractor line or station field employee or Construction Rep. **Work Experience*** Related experience is defined as involvement with transmission overseeing/directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction work. A thorough knowledge of the transmission system, from a design and operation perspective. AND experience within transmission engineering, and/or construction management is desired to fulfill responsibilities of this job. **Other Requirements*** Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, mentor, and train junior personnel.* Must be a team player, inquisitive, analytical, and be able to interact with and maintain working relationships with diverse teams.* Ability to read and interpret one-line station diagrams and transmission line switching diagrams and anticipate proper clearance points and zones of protection.* Aptitude to understand and interpret conceptual scopes of work and visualize the safest and most effective method of construction and identify potential risks and hazards to be removed.* Capacity to lead in understanding, developing, and clearly presenting complicated construction sequencing to the project team.* Must have strong computer skills and be able to grasp and use new technologies as they become available.* Strong analytical skills are needed to visualize a conceptual project and how it will be built, able to visualize and plan for potential risks associated with the construction or proposed facilities.* Being able to conduct substation and transmission line site visits. Driving a vehicle long distance to conduct site visits.* Avid concentration levels. Decision making and collaborative skills in stressful situations.***Construction Lead Principal*** * Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Construction Management, or related field and eight (8) years’ experience of overseeing/directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction work.**OR*** Bachelor’s degree in Construction Technology or ABET-accredited Engineering Technology with ten (10) years of relevant experience.**OR*** Associate degree in Construction Management Technology or ABET-accredited Electrical or Civil Engineering Technology with twelve (12) years of relevant experience.**OR*** High school diploma or GED with fourteen (14) experience in construction, project execution, or field operations within electric utility or infrastructure environments. **Work Experience*** Related experience is defined as involvement with transmission overseeing/directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction work. A thorough knowledge of the transmission system, from a design and operation perspective. AND experience within transmission engineering, and/or construction management is desired to fulfill responsibilities of this job. **Other Preferred Requirements*** Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook, for data analysis, reporting, and communications.* Experience using Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive for collaboration, document management, and team coordination.* Familiarity with Power BI for data visualization and reporting, and Power Automate for workflow optimization is a plus.* Strong ability to develop professional presentations, dashboards, and reports to communicate project status, risks, and performance metrics.* Experience working in a digital, collaboration-driven environment with structured file management and version control practices.* Ability to quickly learn and apply enterprise systems such as project scheduling tools, work management systems, and GIS platforms.* Strong organizational and documentation skills to support standardized processes, reporting, and knowledge sharing across teams.* An understanding of Bulk Electric System operations, construction management practices, or engineering disciplines supporting transmission, distribution, or communication infrastructure is required.* Candidates must demonstrate strong analytical and technical capabilities, including the ability to interpret project documentation, plans, and schedules. **What You’ll Get:** In addition to competitive compensation, AEP offers a unique comprehensive benefits package that aims to support and enhance the overall well-being of our employees. **Where Putting the Customer First Powers Everything We Do**At AEP, we’re more than just an energy company — we’re a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you! **Compensation Data****Compensation Grade:**SP20-008**Compensation Range:**$98,993.00 - $151,132.50The Physical Demand Level for this job is: S – Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently. (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.