Power Project Engineer (Substation Design)

HDR, Inc.; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 93,000 - 133,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR, Inc. is seeking a Power Project Engineer (Substation Design) in Sacramento, CA. You will advance physical substation design, grounding, protection and control elements, and coordinate with a multi-disciplinary team to meet project goals.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Engineering, a PE license, and experience in power market sector projects. Strong communication and independent work skills are essential; exposure to mentoring junior engineers is a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering is required.

Responsibilities

• Understand physical substation design including yard layouts, plans, sections and details, grounding, lightning protection, control building arrangements, interior and exterior raceways, auxiliary AC/DC power systems, and associated bills of material.
• Prepare calculations for studies and reports (grounding, lighting protection, AC/DC load studies, etc.).
• Coordinate workload to complete the deliverable on schedule.
• Review project documents for areas of conflict with other disciplines.
• Provide construction contract administration as needed.

Skills

Substation design

Power systems

Project coordination

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

California PE license eligible within 12 months

Tools

PLS CAD

AutoCAD

Plant 3D

AutoPipe

Revit

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we work to weave diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work and foster a sense of belonging throughout the company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story: https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We believe electricity powers modern life. As part of our Power sector, you'll help shape how electricity is generated, transmitted and delivered as global energy demands grow. From massive data centers to modernizing transmission systems, our industry-recognized engineers and scientists have been at the forefront of grid transformation for more than a century. You'll work side-by-side with these experts and contribute to reliable, resilient and sustainable power systems, helping communities thrive and industries expand. This isn't just a job, it's a chance to drive infrastructure forward, power innovation and leave your mark on our energy future.

You will be part of a growing team wanting to take your career to the next level. Having developed foundational expertise in high voltage substation design, including physical and protection & controls design for 12 kV through 500kV projects, you will be ready to undertake a more complex and responsible role requiring you to work independently while at times, directing, mentoring, training, and/or supervising less-experienced EITs and/or Designers.

Power Project Engineer (Substation Design)

• Understanding physical substation design including yard layouts, plans, sections and details, grounding, lightning protection, control building arrangements, interior and exterior raceways, auxiliary AC/DC power systems, and associated bills of material
• Support preparing scopes, schedules, and budgets, and ensure that schedules and budgets are met
• Understands protection and control design including panel arrangements, one lines/single lines, three lines, AC/DC schematics, equipment wiring and relay panel wiring
• Prepare calculations for studies and reports (grounding, lighting protection, AC/DC load studies, etc.)
• Review project documents for areas of conflict with other disciplines
• Write and edit project specifications
• Prepare equipment specifications for procurement and/or factory acceptance testing
• Coordinate the work of the power design team through the schematic design development and contract document phase of a project
• Establish meetings and participate in reviews with various governing agencies for code compliance
• Coordinate workload to complete the deliverable on schedule
• Conduct work sessions at the project site in conjunction with the Project Manager and other disciplines
• Coordinate with and assist affected disciplines with addenda, requests for information (RFIs), change orders (COs), and take responsibility to incorporate agreed-upon changes into the project documents
• Provide construction contract administration as needed
• Works independently and may direct, mentor, train, quality check, and/or supervise efforts of other Engineers, Project Coordinators or Designers, or BIM Technicians as needed
• Perform other duties as needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in Engineering
• California Professional Engineer license or ability to obtain within 12 months
• A minimum of 3 years experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector (Utilities, Substation, Transmission, Renewables, etc.)
• Specific experience performing aspects associated with substation design including One Lie Diagrams, General Arrangements, Grounding & Conduit Plans, Foundation Plans, Material Lists, Relay and Control Systems, Control Schematics and Wiring Diagrams is required
• Previous experience with an engineering consulting firm

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering
• Professional Engineer (PE) license
• Previous experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector.
• Computer skills in Microsoft Office as well as standard Power Market Sector design software. (examples include PLS CAD, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, AutoPipe, and Revit)
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position is $93,380.00 to $133,400.00 annually and depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location.

*LI-MO1

Primary Location: United States-California-Sacramento

Industry: Power

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

BusinessClass: Substation Engineering

Job Posting: Aug 25, 2026