Manager - Substation and Protection Engineering

Grand River Dam Authority; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Grand River Dam Authority in Oklahoma is seeking a Manager, Substation and Protection & Control Engineering to lead the Substation and Protection & Control Engineering functions, guide project execution from planning through construction, and ensure high-quality designs across transmission, generation, and substation assets.

This exempt, supervisory role requires strong leadership, strategic resource allocation, and a focus on safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited B.S. in Engineering is required.
• Eight+ years of progressively responsible engineering experience in electric utility settings.
• Three+ years of supervisory, project management, or engineering leadership experience.
• Valid Oklahoma driver's license; PE licensure is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for Substation and Protection & Control Engineering staff.
• Direct the execution of substation and protection engineering for capital projects, maintenance, and system improvements from planning through construction.
• Monitor project schedules, budgets, milestones, and deliverables to ensure successful completion and alignment with GRDA standards.
• Coordinate engineering activities with internal and external stakeholders and oversee consultants/contractors to ensure compliance with project requirements.
• Ensure compliance with NERC Reliability Standards, GRDA engineering standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Project mgmt

Stakeholder mgmt

Communication

Risk mgmt

Education

ABET-accredited B.S. Engineering

PE license Oklahoma preferred

Oklahoma driver's license

Job description

This job posting will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on the date listed below. October 08, 2026 We deliver affordable, reliable ELECTRICITY, with a focus on EFFICIENCY and a commitment to ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. We are dedicated to ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, providing resources and supporting economic growth. Our EMPLOYEES are our greatest asset in meeting our mission to be an Oklahoma Agency of Excellence.

The Manager, Substation and Protection & Control Engineering provides leadership, direction, and management for GRDA's Substation and Protection & Control Engineering functions. The position is responsible for developing personnel, managing engineering resources, overseeing project execution, and ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality engineering designs supporting the Authority's transmission, generation, and substation assets. The Manager establishes priorities, allocates engineering resources, coordinates multidisciplinary projects, and fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence. While maintaining sufficient technical knowledge to provide engineering oversight, the position relies upon subject matter experts within the department to provide discipline-specific technical leadership. This is an unclassified, exempt position.

Essential job functions include, but are not limited to:

Leadership

• Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for Substation and Protection & Control Engineering staff.
• Establish departmental priorities, assign work, balance workloads, and ensure engineering resources are effectively utilized.
• Promote employee development through mentoring, training, succession planning, and performance feedback.
• Build a culture emphasizing safety, accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance evaluations, establish employee goals, and provide regular feedback regarding individual and team performance.

Project Delivery

• Direct the execution of substation and protection engineering activities supporting capital projects, maintenance initiatives, and system improvements from planning through construction support.
• Monitor project schedules, budgets, milestones, and engineering deliverables to ensure successful project completion.
• Coordinate engineering activities with internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify project risks, resource conflicts, and schedule impacts and develop mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate and oversee engineering services performed by consultants, contractors, and external engineering firms to ensure compliance with project requirements and GRDA engineering standards.
• Maintain accountability for the quality, timeliness, and completeness of engineering deliverables produced by the Substation and Protection & Control Engineering teams.

Technical Oversight

• Provide technical leadership and engineering oversight of substation and Protection & Control designs, ensuring compliance with applicable engineering standards, utility practices, regulatory requirements, and GRDA design standards.
• Oversee assigned engineering compliance activities, ensuring appropriate technical personnel fulfill responsibilities associated with NERC Reliability Standards, GRDA engineering standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Represent GRDA, as appropriate, in regional organizations concerning substations, Protection & Control, and related topics.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge, Qualities

• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to prioritize multiple concurrent projects and allocate engineering resources effectively.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to build collaborative working relationships across departments.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and develop engineering professionals.
• Ability to evaluate technical recommendations and apply sound engineering judgment in decision-making.
• Knowledge of electric utility project development and engineering workflows.
• Knowledge of substation and Protection & Control engineering principles, practices, standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Education, Training, Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited institution is required.
• Minimum eight years of progressively responsible engineering experience, preferably in electric utility transmission, substation, or Protection & Control engineering.
• Minimum three years of supervisory, project management, or engineering leadership experience.

Certificates, Registrations, Licenses

• Valid Oklahoma driver's license.
• Professional Engineer (PE) registration in Oklahoma is preferred.

Physical/Mental Requirements & Working Conditions

• Ability to walk, climb stairs, crawl, work from ladders and elevated platforms.
• Must not have a fear of heights, confined spaces, or working around high-voltage equipment.
• Ability to lift, move, and carry weights of up to 30 pounds on an irregular basis.
• Must possess the mental, visual, and auditory acuity necessary to maintain attention to visual and auditory detail.
• Manual dexterity is required for operation of test equipment and small tools and for the installation, adjustment, and repair of control devices.
• Work is primarily performed in an office environment, with outdoor excursions for design, testing, and troubleshooting of equipment as necessary.
• Repair work may be performed outdoors and/or indoors in high-noise and high-temperature environments, including possible work in confined spaces.
• Emergency repair work may be required during inclement weather and at any time of year.

Other information

• This is an exempt position.
• The position reports to the Director, Power Systems Engineering.
• The position supervises Substation Engineering and Protection & Control Engineering personnel.
• This position will primarily be located at the Engineering & Technology Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Travel may be required to specific work sites and substation locations throughout the northeastern quarter of Oklahoma.
• Compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Highly competitive benefits package.

If you're passionate about growth, teamwork, and making an impact, you'll love building your career with us.

The Grand River Dam Authority is Oklahoma's largest public power electric utility, fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. GRDA is also a steward of the waters of the Grand and Illinois Rivers in Oklahoma and manages over 70,000 surface acres of premier Oklahoma lake waters, as well as miles and miles of the Scenic Illinois River.