Director, Engineering - Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island

Hawaiian Electric; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 159,000 - 211,000; Full time

Job summary

Hawaiian Electric seeks a Director of Engineering to lead engineering functions across Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island. The role focuses on strategic oversight of transmission, distribution, substations, and grid modernization, ensuring safe, reliable and compliant infrastructure.

The position requires extensive engineering leadership experience, a Hawaii PE license, and strong stakeholder collaboration across executive, regulatory and community partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from an accredited program.
• Advanced degree in engineering, business administration or related field desirable.
• State Hawaii Professional Electrical Engineer License required for leadership role.
• Extensive leadership and engineering experience in utility industry preferred.
• Experience overseeing major capital and O&M programs and regulatory matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for engineering functions across transmission, distribution, substations, grid modernization and customer engineering programs.
• Manage engineering resources and ensure safe, reliable and cost-effective design of utility infrastructure.
• Establish division strategy, policies, standards and performance objectives.
• Develop forecasts and staffing to meet present and forecasted needs; optimize internal/external resources.
• Represent the division in executive, regulatory, governmental, community and cross-functional matters.
• Participate in emergency response activities as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical skills

Public speaking

Decision making

Interpersonal skills

Team building

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Advanced degree desirable

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Director, Engineering - Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island

Date:Sep 10, 2026

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (HI), US, 96813

Company: hawaiianel

We recognize our competitive advantage -- our people. We believe in our people, who share our vision of meeting the needs of our employees, customers, and communities and who carry out the continued success of the company.

Our employees are committed to the company's foundational values: integrity, excellence, teamwork, environmental stewardship, and community commitment. In turn, we invest in our employees, providing opportunities for challenge and advancement and offering a competitive compensation package.

Applications will be screened based on the information provided; in order to assist us in determining qualifications, please upload a current resume and take some time to update your employment information, certifications, etc. The information will flow over to your profile.

Posting End Date: This position will remain open until filled. Early applications are highly encouraged.

BRIEF POSTING DESCRIPTION

The H BC ENGINEERING ADMIN Department of the H ENGINEERING Division at Hawaiian Electric Company has 1 Management vacancy available. This position may be filled on Oahu, Maui, or Hawaii Island. (Role: Director)

JOB FUNCTION

Provides strategic leadership and oversight for engineering functions supporting the Company’s transmission, distribution, substation, grid modernization and customer engineering programs. Manages engineering resources and ensures the safe, reliable, compliant, and cost-effective design of utility infrastructure in alignment with the Company’s goals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Establishes and executes Division’s engineering strategy, long-range plans, priorities, policies, technical standards, and performance objectives in alignment with the Company’s strategy. Establishes policies, standards, and procedures that ensure the financial and regulatory compliance requirements of the Company, government agencies and utility stakeholders.

• Develops operating forecasts and manages Division staffing to meet present and forecasted needs. Ensures efficient utilization of internal and external engineering resources in order to execute the Energy Delivery capital expenditure plans and deliver timely solutions for customer requests.

• Leads operational excellence, continuous improvement, innovation and organizational change across the Division. to achieve goals and maintain a high-performing workforce. Establish performance measures, evaluates organizational effectiveness and implements corrective strategies to improve engineering quality, productivity, accountability, and business results

• Builds leadership and organizational capability by establishing workforce, talent-development, succession, and performance-management strategies. Develops subordinate leaders and technical professionals and fosters a culture of safety, accountability, inclusion, recognition, collaboration, and high performance.

• Represents the Division in executive, regulatory, governmental, community, and cross-functional matters. Influences enterprise decisions, communicates engineering strategies and risks, and establishes partnerships necessary to advance Company objectives and coordinate complex utility initiatives.

• Participates in Company emergency response activities as assigned, including any activities required to prepare for such emergency response.

• BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  Knowledge Requirements

  Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited engineering program. Advanced degree in engineering, business administration or closely related field is desirable.

  Thorough knowledge of electric power engineering principles and utility practices applicable to transmission, distribution, substations, system protection, customer engineering, grid planning and the integration of generation and distributed engineering resources.

  Thorough knowledge of engineering design, construction, commissioning, operations support, technical standards, design assurance, quality management, and lifecycle management of electric utility assets.

  Thorough knowledge of the regulated electric utility business including federal, state, and local laws, regulatory proceedings, reliability and safety environmental and permitting considerations; and financial and internal-control requirements.

  Thorough knowledge of capital and O&M planning, portfolio prioritization, budgeting, forecasting, cost control, contracting, procurement, resource planning, and governance of complex engineering programs.

  Thorough knowledge of grid modernization, resilience, reliability, emergency preparedness, advanced grid technologies, and the operational implications of cyber and physical security requirements.

  Thorough knowledge of project and program management standards and methodologies for leading complex capital, operational, and strategic initiatives, including project lifecycle management, scope and risk management, work planning, resource coordination, and performance monitoring, typically acquired through formal training and extensive professional experience.

  Knowledge of general procurement policies, processes, responsibilities.

  Working knowledge of land rights, easements, permits, site acquisition, labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, and contractor management as applicable to utility engineering activities.

  Broad management and leadership knowledge to lead teams across different disciplines.

  Thorough knowledge of leadership and change management methodologies and practices typically acquired through formal training (i.e. leadership training, Lean Leadership, ADKAR Change Management, etc.) and experience.

  Working knowledge of SafeStart principles and best practices to achieve a safe workplace environment.

  Working knowledge of the union contract and managing union employees.

  Working knowledge of business process improvement and reengineering systems.

  Working knowledge of financial controls and regulatory requirements (i.e. SOX, PUC, etc.).

  Working knowledge of personal computers and related software applications (i.e., spreadsheets, word processing, databasemanagement, etc.).

  Skills Requirements

  Demonstrated effective written, verbal and listening communication skills through all levels of the Company including strong presentation skills and ability to participate in public speaking functions.

  Strong analytical, organizational, and conceptual skills to recommend appropriate actions and manage simultaneously a variety of projects, programs, and assignments.

  Ability to remain flexible in a demanding work environment and to adapt to rapidly changing priorities.

  Ability to make good decisions quickly and with limited information, to monitor results, and to refine or revise decisions based on observed outcomes.

  Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships with business leaders, customers, and stakeholders at all levels.

  Demonstrated ability to lead a team of professionals through challenging times to successful outcomes.

  Demonstrated interpersonal skills to handle confrontational, difficult and/or sensitive issues.

  Ability to handle such issues with professionalism while using tact, courtesy, and discretion.

  Must have or be able to qualify for a current State of Hawaii driver’s license to conduct on-site surveys/inspections of projects. Must meet the requirements for required driving positions as stated in the Hiring Standards for Required Company Drivers policy.

  Must be able to fly between islands on a regular basis.

  Experience Requirements

  Extensive (10+) years of progressively responsible engineering experience, including substantial experience in a regulated electric utility or comparable power-sector environment.

  Extensive (7+) years of progressively responsible leadership experience directing engineering professionals and technical leaders.

  Demonstrated experience overseeing major capital and O&M programs, engineering standards, resource planning, budgeting, regulatory or stakeholder matters, and delivery of complex utility infrastructure.

  State of Hawaii Professional Electrical Engineer License.

  Experience leading engineering functions across multiple locations or operating companies and supporting emergency response is highly desirable.

  Role: Director

  Number of Vacancies: 1

  Location: This position may be filled on Oahu, Maui, or Hawaii Island.

  Hiring Range: The hiring range for the Dir, Engineering [Req ID 10650] position is $159,400.00 to $211,400.00. The person selected will be placed according to his/her skills and qualifications.

  About Hawaiian Electric Companies

  Hawaiian Electric Companies provide electricity and services to 95 percent of the state's 1.4 million residents. The company is also one of the state's leading employers and a major contributor and supporter of community and educational programs.

  The demand for power that has fueled the growth of the Hawaiian Islands has been met by Hawaiian Electric Companies for well over a century. And as the next millennium unfolds, the company is committed to providing quality service and seeking clean local energy sources to power generations of Hawaii families and businesses to come. Visit us athttp://hawaiianelectric.com.

EEO Statement

Hawaiian Electric Companies is an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

Hawaiian Electric Companies complies with all applicable laws, including Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Any request for reasonable accommodation needed during the application process should be communicated by the candidate to the HR Service Center at [phone].