Project Manager - Substations - Michels Power, Inc.

Michels Corp.; City of Syracuse (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Long-Term Disability Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Legal Plan

Identity Theft Protection and Monitori

Job summary

Michels Power, Inc. seeks an experienced Project Manager - Substations to lead complex substation construction projects across North America.

You will oversee planning, procurement, construction, energization, and closeout, working with customers, engineers, and field teams to deliver high‑quality projects. You will drive safety, schedule, cost control, and customer satisfaction while coordinating with multiple stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Project Management, Business, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of project management experience.
• Experience managing utility substation construction, power delivery, renewable energy, or EPC projects.
• Strong understanding of substation construction, power systems, electrical infrastructure, and utility projects.
• Experience with transformers, breakers, protection and controls, relay systems, switchgear, bus work, electrical equipment installations, or commissioning activities.
• Experience managing project budgets, schedules, forecasts, procurement activities, subcontractors, and customer relationships.
• Ability to travel approximately 50% and support projects across North America.

Responsibilities

• Lead substation construction projects from contract award through final closeout.
• Manage budgets, schedules, forecasts, procurement, contract requirements, and financial performance.
• Maintain strong customer relationships and act as primary contact during execution.
• Develop and manage execution plans, staffing, procurement, and resource needs.
• Coordinate with engineering, field teams, subcontractors, suppliers, and customers.
• Identify risks, schedule impacts, and mitigation strategies while maintaining safety.

Skills

Project leadership

Commercial awareness

Customer relationship management

Safety culture

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Project Management, Business, or related discipline

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

Procore

Autodesk Construction Cloud

MS Office

Job description

Project Manager - Substations

Substation Construction | Power Delivery | EPC | Utility Infrastructure

Location: Nationwide - Project-Based
Employment Type: Full-Time
Travel: Approximately 50% Travel Required

Deliver the Infrastructure That Powers Communities

Substations are the backbone of the electrical grid, connecting generation, transmission, and distribution systems that keep homes, businesses, and industries energized. As utilities modernize infrastructure, integrate renewable energy, and improve grid reliability, experienced project leaders are critical to the successful delivery of substation construction projects.

As a Project Manager - Substations with Michels Power, you will lead complex substation projects from planning and procurement through construction, energization, and project closeout. You'll work alongside customers, engineers, construction leaders, suppliers, and project teams to safely deliver high-quality projects that support North America's growing power needs.

About Michels Power, Inc.

Michels Power, Inc. supports America's electrical and communication backbone by delivering comprehensive overhead and underground construction services for 69 kV to 765 kV electric utility systems and fiber networks. As one of the largest private power utility electrical contractors in the United States, Michels Power combines experienced project leadership, highly skilled field resources, and one of the industry's premier equipment fleets to successfully execute complex power delivery projects across North America.

Our teams design, build, and maintain critical infrastructure including transmission lines, distribution systems, electrical substations, renewable energy facilities, battery energy storage systems (BESS), communication systems, structure foundations, heavy civil infrastructure, and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) projects. We provide comprehensive project oversight from planning and scheduling through procurement, construction, quality assurance, commissioning, and project closeout.

Leveraging engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) delivery capabilities, Michels Power partners with utilities, developers, cooperatives, municipalities, and industrial customers to safely execute some of the most complex power infrastructure projects in the industry. Michels Power is proud to be a member of the Michels Family of Companies, one of North America's largest and most diversified energy and infrastructure contractors.

Position Overview

As a Project Manager - Substations, you will be responsible for the planning, coordination, execution, and successful delivery of substation construction projects throughout North America. This role will oversee project performance from contract award through commissioning and closeout, while maintaining a strong focus on safety, customer service, quality, schedule, and profitability.

You will serve as a key liaison between customers, engineering teams, field operations, subcontractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders while driving project execution and supporting operational excellence.

Success requires strong project leadership, commercial awareness, customer relationship management, and an understanding of utility substation construction and power delivery infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead substation construction projects from contract award through final project closeout.
• Manage project budgets, schedules, forecasts, procurement activities, contract requirements, and overall financial performance.
• Maintain strong customer relationships and serve as a primary point of contact throughout project execution.
• Develop and manage project execution plans, staffing strategies, procurement plans, and resource requirements.
• Coordinate with engineering teams, Construction Managers, Superintendents, field personnel, subcontractors, suppliers, and customers.
• Identify project risks, schedule impacts, commercial exposures, and operational challenges while implementing mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with safety requirements, project specifications, customer expectations, and contract obligations.
• Support a culture of safety, accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.

What You'll Do

• Manage utility substation construction projects ranging from greenfield installations to brownfield expansions and upgrades.
• Support projects involving:
  • Transmission substations
  • Distribution substations
  • Collector substations
  • Renewable energy substations
  • BESS substations
  • Switchyards
  • Transformer installations
  • Breaker installations
  • Protection and control systems
  • Relay upgrades
  • Bus work installations
  • Electrical equipment replacement programs
  • Testing and commissioning activities
• Develop and maintain project schedules, budgets, forecasts, procurement plans, and staffing plans.
• Review contracts, drawings, specifications, and engineering documentation.
• Manage subcontractors and suppliers to ensure safety, quality, contract compliance, and schedule performance.
• Lead customer meetings, progress reviews, forecasting discussions, operational planning meetings, and project updates.
• Support project procurement, material management, equipment deliveries, and resource planning activities.
• Monitor labor productivity, project costs, revenue forecasts, schedule performance, and overall project health.
• Coordinate project commissioning, energization, turnover, and closeout activities.
• Prepare and communicate project performance updates to customers and company leadership.
• We help build, strengthen, and modernize the infrastructure that powers communities and industries across North America.
• We execute challenging projects involving substations, transmission, distribution, renewable energy, and power delivery infrastructure.
• We are family owned and operated.
• We invest an average of $5,000 per employee per year in training and career development.
• We perform meaningful work that supports the future of energy infrastructure.
• We believe everyone is responsible for promoting safety, regardless of job title.
• We are part of the Michels Family of Companies, one of North America's largest and most diversified energy and infrastructure contractors.
• We provide opportunities to advance into Senior Project Management, Regional Operations, and Executive Leadership roles.
• Health Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Legal Plan
• Identity Theft Protection and Monitoring Plan

Benefits may vary based on position and location.

Why You?

• You like to surround yourself with dedicated, value-driven people.
• You relish new challenges and evolving technology.
• You cringe when you hear: “Because that's the way we've always done it.”
• You like to know your efforts are noticed and appreciated.
• You want to make your own decisions, but know support is always available.
• You enjoy solving technical, operational, and commercial challenges.
• You enjoy building strong customer relationships and leading successful teams.
• You want to work to make a difference.

What It Takes

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Project Management, Business, or a related discipline and 5+ years of project management experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience managing utility substation construction, power delivery, renewable energy, industrial electrical, or EPC projects.
• Strong understanding of substation construction, power systems, electrical infrastructure, and utility projects.
• Experience supporting projects involving transformers, breakers, protection and controls, relay systems, switchgear, bus work, electrical equipment installations, or commissioning activities.
• Experience managing project budgets, schedules, forecasts, procurement activities, subcontractors, and customer relationships.
• Demonstrated success balancing safety, quality, schedule, and financial objectives.
• Experience reviewing and interpreting contracts, specifications, drawings, and project documentation.
• Strong leadership, communication, financial, organizational, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, or similar project management platforms is preferred.
• Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.
• Ability to travel approximately 50% and support project assignments throughout North America as required.

Join a company that powers progress. Be a part of Michels Power, Inc.—where you don't just build projects, you build a career.

This information reflects the anticipated base salary for this position based on current market data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Actual pay will be adjusted based on individual’s skills, experiences, education, and other job‑related factors permitted by law.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Michels Corporation’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.