HV Substation Physical Designer - Senior Lead (ESOP)

Nexus Engineering Group; Oak Brook (IL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP ownership

Substation design ownership

Senior technical leadership

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Nexus Engineering Group seeks a Senior Substation Physical Designer to lead the physical design of high-voltage substations from concept through startup. You will direct deliverables and mentor engineers across disciplines.

Responsibilities include grounding design, conduit routing, equipment placement, and coordinating with multiple teams to ensure constructible, compliant packages for diverse clients. You will operate in a collaborative, ESOP-owned environment that values ownership,

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent technical experience.
• 6+ years of experience in substation engineering, power delivery, or electrical design.
• Advanced knowledge of substation physical design—layouts, grounding, conduit and cable routing, equipment placement, constructible drawings.
• Strong knowledge of IEEE, ANSI, NEC, and NESC standards.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar design platforms.
• Experience leading engineering tasks or project scopes.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel between project sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead the physical design and execution of high-voltage substation projects—new stations, upgrades, expansions, and modernization efforts.
• Develop and oversee physical design deliverables: general arrangement drawings, elevations, section views, grounding layouts, below-grade design, conduit routing, and equipment placement.
• Direct grounding design, bus arrangements, conduit systems, and equipment layouts for assigned scopes.
• Apply engineering principles and standards to produce high-quality design packages.
• Coordinate with protection & controls, civil, structural engineers, designers, drafters, project managers, clients, and vendors for cohesive execution.
• Review and check deliverables for technical accuracy, constructability, and compliance with project requirements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and staff.
• Support project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and progress reporting; resolve technical challenges while maintaining quality and safety.
• Foster strong client relationships through responsive communication and sound engineering judgment.

Skills

Substation design

Project leadership

Client coordination

Education

Associate degree in technical discipline

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

SDS / Inventor

Job description

Nexus Engineering Group seeks a Senior Substation Physical Designer to lead the physical design of high-voltage substations from concept through startup. You will direct deliverables and mentor engineers across disciplines.

Responsibilities include grounding design, conduit routing, equipment placement, and coordinating with multiple teams to ensure constructible, compliant packages for diverse clients. You will operate in a collaborative, ESOP-owned environment that values ownership,