Lead Substation Engineer 1 - Grid

Sargent & Lundy; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 134,546 - 205,557; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive healthcare plans

Generous paid time off

401(k) plan

Tuition Assistance

Employee Referral Bonus

Job summary

Sargent & Lundy is seeking a Lead Substation Engineer in Chicago, Illinois. This position enables you to leverage your 12+ years of experience in designing substations, overseeing upgrades, and guiding engineering teams. You'll engage in mentorship while optimizing engineering design processes.

The role offers a hybrid work setup, combining office and remote work. Additionally, you'll enjoy comprehensive healthcare plans, 401(k) flexibility, and competitive compensation ranging from $134,546 to $205,557.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience designing substations at 138 kV and above.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience with design techniques, tools, and principles.

Responsibilities

• Work on substation modifications and upgrades.
• Guide junior engineers and designers.
• Perform analysis and design of relay diagrams.

Skills

Engineering design

Substation modifications

Client liaison experience

SCADA systems

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Tools

SKM

ETAP

MS Office applications

Job description

Overview

This position offers the opportunity to apply knowledge of protective relaying and controls systems for HV and EHV substations. As a Lead Substation Engineer, you will guide engineering efforts, work on substation modifications and upgrades, and support client reviews.

Responsibilities

• Work on a wide range of substation modifications and upgrades to support client requirements and reviews, including creating calculations, document designs, and specifications.
• Prepare relaying philosophies, including selecting relay, control, and communications equipment; develop SCADA and telecommunications concepts and configurations; oversee the preparation of I/O assignments and connection diagrams.
• Guide junior and senior engineers and designers in protection and controls engineering design efforts, including coordinating the detailed design phases for all aspects of the engineering work.
• Support challenging assignments that involve investigating, trouble-shooting, and solving a wide variety of engineering issues.
• Perform analysis and design of single line diagrams, substation relaying and metering diagrams (AC schematic diagrams), and DC schematic diagrams.
• Prepare engineering studies for client and peer review.
• Perform independent reviews of work performed by others, including calculations and drawing preparation.
• Coordinate and provide guidance to other engineers, project managers, client personnel, and suppliers to ensure a complete and timely design.
• Review existing facilities to propose upgrades and replacements, and present findings and recommendations to clients and peers.
• Develop your career via peer-learning through sharing knowledge with other experienced engineers through Sargent & Lundy’s systems of process and Communities of Practice.
• Provide guidance as a mentor in the development of less experienced engineers.
• Travel to client and vendor offices for design reviews and to plant site locations for construction coordination and field verification of designs as needed.

Work Arrangement and Location

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement, with the expectation of spending three days a week in the office and two days remote. Relocation may be available depending on location.

Qualifications

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Essential Skills And Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (required).
• 12+ years of experience designing substations at 138 kV and above.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience serving as a firm/client liaison in a support or lead engineering role.
• Experience in writing and providing support documentation for relay calculations.
• Experience with design techniques, tools, and principles for producing technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Proficiency with one or more of: SKM, ETAP, ASPEN, CDEGS, or vendor software.
• Familiarity with design codes and standards (NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE, ANSI).
• Experience with vendor protective relay equipment (e.g., SEL, ABB, GE, Areva, Basler).
• Proficiency with MS Office applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Valued But Not Required Skills And Experience

• BSEE degree is preferable.
• Experience with inline, bus and equipment protection; breaker, transformer and similar equipment control; RTU and data concentrator-based SCADA; telemetering and communications (fiber optics, microwave, power line carrier).
• AutoCAD or MicroStation experience.
• Construction and start-up experience.
• Testing or commissioning experience.

AI & Automation at Sargent & Lundy

In this role, we expect candidates to lead others who use modern tools. You may:

• Lead others in taking engineering problems from issue to solution by setting expectations for using data and modern tools such as automation and AI to improve workflows, reduce rework, and deliver cost-effective designs.
• Direct automation and process-improvement work, including how teams automate calculations, summarize technical documents, and generate design documentation while guiding when and how AI tools are used with results checked.
• Oversee engineers who program or script (e.g., Python, MATLAB, advanced Excel) to automate engineering tasks, with review of automated outputs.
• Value additional learning such as a minor, certificate, or other experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related fields to enable effective oversight of automation-enabled workflows.

Award-Winning Benefits

We care about employee health and well-being, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off. We provide competitive, award-winning benefits and have earned recognition for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Benefits

• Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Back-Up Daycare
• FSA & HSA
• 401(k)
• Pre-Tax Commuter Account
• Merit Scholarship Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Corporate Charitable Giving Program
• Tuition Assistance
• First Professional Licensure Bonus
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation

Compensation range: $134,546 - $205,557

Transparency and Equal Opportunity

Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges and provides a comprehensive benefits package. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.