Principal Substation Physical Engineer

b19 Consulting; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

b19 Consulting, partnering with a reputable power company, seeks a Principal Substation Physical Engineer to lead design and delivery of high-voltage substations across the United States.

The role offers technical ownership, leadership of engineering teams, and collaboration with investor-owned utilities on greenfield, brownfield, solar, BESS interconnection, and data center projects. Hybrid schedule in Denver preferred; remote options may be possible for exceptional candidates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited university.
• 12+ years of experience in substation physical design and engineering.
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Strong knowledge of IEEE, ANSI, NEC, NESC, and utility standards.
• Experience reviewing engineering drawings, calculations, and deliverables.
• Proficient with AutoCAD, CDEGS, WinIGS.

Responsibilities

• Lead the physical design and engineering of high-voltage substations, including new installations, expansions, and upgrades.
• Develop and review substation general arrangements, single-line diagrams, equipment layouts, elevations, and section drawings.
• Prepare detailed assembly drawings, installation details, bills of materials, material counts, and bid units.
• Perform and review engineering calculations, including equipment sizing, grounding, and lightning protection.
• Prepare technical specifications for electrical equipment, materials procurement, and construction activities.
• Review equipment vendor drawings, technical submittals, and contractor bids.
• Lead multidisciplinary design coordination with protection & control, civil, structural, and other teams.
• Manage technical deliverables, engineering budgets, project schedules, and resource requirements across projects.
• Work with clients to establish project requirements and design criteria, resolving technical challenges.
• Prepare engineering fee estimates, proposals, and project documentation.
• Conduct site visits to gather data and support design.
• Provide construction support, RFIs, and field issue resolution.
• Ensure deliverables meet codes, standards, and project specs.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead design reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Mentoring

Budgeting

Education

ABET-accredited Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

CDEGS

WinIGS

Job description

b19 Consulting is partnering with a reputable power company seeking an experienced Principal Substation Physical Engineer to lead the design and delivery of high-voltage substation projects across the United States.

This position offers the opportunity to take technical ownership of complex substation engineering projects, provide leadership to engineering and design teams, and work directly with numerous investor-owned utility clients. Projects will cover both greenfield & brownfield utility designs, utility-scale solar and BESS interconnection projects, and data center work.

The successful candidate will bring extensive experience in substation physical design, strong technical leadership capabilities, and the ability to independently manage engineering deliverables, project budgets, and schedules.

Preference is for applicants to work a hybrid schedule in Denver, but remote work may be possible for exceptional candidates.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the physical design and engineering of high-voltage substations, including new installations, expansions, and upgrades.
• Develop and review substation general arrangements, single-line diagrams, equipment layouts, elevations, and section drawings.
• Prepare detailed assembly drawings, installation details, bills of materials, material counts, and bid units.
• Perform and review engineering calculations, including equipment and conductor sizing, grounding systems, and lightning protection.
• Prepare technical specifications for electrical equipment, material procurement, and construction activities.
• Review equipment vendor drawings, technical submittals, and contractor bids.
• Lead multidisciplinary design coordination with protection & control, civil, structural, and other engineering teams.
• Manage technical deliverables, engineering budgets, project schedules, and resource requirements across multiple projects.
• Work directly with clients to establish project requirements, develop design criteria, and resolve technical challenges.
• Prepare engineering fee estimates, technical proposals, and project documentation.
• Conduct site visits to gather project information, assess existing infrastructure, and support engineering design.
• Provide technical assistance during construction, including responding to RFIs and resolving field-related engineering issues.
• Ensure engineering deliverables comply with applicable industry codes, utility standards, and project specifications.
• Mentor junior engineers and designers, providing technical guidance, design reviews, and professional development support.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited university.
• 12+ years of experience in substation physical design and engineering.
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Extensive knowledge of high-voltage substation equipment, layouts, grounding, conductor sizing, and physical design principles.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex substation engineering projects.
• Strong understanding of applicable IEEE, ANSI, NEC, NESC, and utility engineering standards.
• Experience reviewing and approving engineering drawings, technical calculations, and design deliverables.
• Software proficiency with substation design software such as AutoCAD, CDEGS, WinIGS
• Willingness to undertake occasional overnight travel for client meetings and project site visits.
• Demonstrated ability to manage engineering budgets, schedules, and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Experience preparing technical proposals, project scopes, and engineering cost estimates.
• Proven experience mentoring engineers and leading technical design reviews.