Principal Electrical Engineer Power Systems

Root Edge; United States; Hybrid; USD 155,000 - 192,000; Full time

Job summary

Root Edge is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to oversee projects in power systems across the full lifecycle. You'll lead designs for sub-transmission systems and substations while mentoring junior engineers. With over 12 years of experience in the electric utility sector and expertise in ETAP, you'll manage key accounts while contributing to an employee-first culture. The role offers a hybrid work schedule, ensuring a strong work-life balance and opportunities to make impactful contributions in the field.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of electric utility experience, including 5+ years in lead, supervisory, or PM capacity.
• Subject matter expertise in power system analysis and distribution system modeling.
• High proficiency in ETAP, SKM, or EasyPower.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering on sub‑transmission, substation, and commercial/industrial power distribution projects.
• Prepare and approve design packages, cost estimates, and engineering reports.
• Mentor and develop junior engineers.

Skills

Power system analysis

Distribution system modeling

Protective device coordination

Leadership

Customer relationship management

ETAP

Project management

Education

BSEE (power systems emphasis)

PE License

Tools

ETAP

SKM

EasyPower

Job description

Principal Electrical Engineer — Power Systems

Remote (Denver, CO preferred) | $155,000–$192,000 + Short-Term Incentive | Full-Time

Most utility engineers spend their careers on one side of the wall — either designing systems or running them. This role sits on both sides at once.

Our client is a fast‑growing electric utility solutions firm that holds something rare in this industry: long‑term utility privatization contracts, putting their engineers in direct operational control of 50+ substations and extensive microgrid networks across the country. The result is an engineering environment where you design a system, commission it, and then operate it — and where the feedback loop between your decisions and their real‑world consequences is measured in weeks, not years.

The Role

As Principal Electrical Engineer – Power Systems, you'll serve as the senior technical authority on a team working across the full project lifecycle. You'll lead design of sub‑transmission systems, substations, and switching stations; develop microgrid packages from concept through commissioning (500 kW to 10 MW scale); run complex power system studies in ETAP or equivalent; and mentor the next generation of engineers on your team.

This is not a narrow specialist role. Expect to rotate between conceptual design, field walk‑downs, fault analysis, and protective relaying — sometimes in the same week.

What You'll Own

• Lead engineering on sub‑transmission, substation, and commercial/industrial power distribution projects
• Develop and review ETAP models; validate system study findings and recommendations
• Prepare and approve design packages, cost estimates, and engineering reports
• Manage customer relationships and serve as the technical point of contact on key accounts
• Mentor and develop junior engineers

What We're Looking For

• BSEE (power systems emphasis) + PE License required
• 12+ years of electric utility experience, including 5+ years in a lead, supervisory, or PM capacity
• Subject matter expertise in power system analysis, distribution system modeling, and protective device coordination
• High proficiency in ETAP, SKM, or EasyPower
• US citizenship required (federal contractor; military base access clearance required)
• Ability to travel ~25% to project sites

Why This Role

The company has been recognized as a top workplace. The culture is intentionally built — hybrid or remote schedule, strong work‑life balance, collaborative engineering team, and a genuine “employee first” mentality that shows up in day‑to‑day operations, not just in the recruiting pitch.

More than that: if you want to work across the full technical stack of grid infrastructure — from relay coordination to microgrid commissioning — and you want your fingerprints on systems that run for decades, this is the kind of role that builds a body of work.