Senior Electrical Engineer

The Planet Group; Duluth (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Planet Group is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to oversee electrical design for facilities expansion and maintenance capital projects. You will coordinate with internal teams and third-party engineers to ensure designs align with company standards, applicable codes, budgets, and schedules.

You will mentor junior engineers, review deliverables, and support construction activities, while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance across projects. Some field travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum seven years of progressive experience in electrical engineering design and commissioning.
• Strong technical background in 480V electrical systems and motor controls.
• Experience with VFDs, medium-voltage switchgear, and power distribution systems.
• Professional Engineer (PE) designation.

Responsibilities

• Develop electrical project scopes, schedules, cost estimates, execution plans, and risk assessments.
• Ensure electrical facilities comply with regulations, industry codes, and corporate standards.
• Oversee third-party engineering firms and manage budgets and schedules.
• Review electrical deliverables, drawings, reports, and BOMs.
• Review vendor quotations and bid evaluations for technical merit and delivery timelines.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to procure materials through internal systems.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to junior engineers.
• Support construction teams during project execution.
• Align project work with regulatory, environmental, health, and safety requirements.

Skills

Electrical design

Power distribution

VFDs & motor controls

Regulatory standards knowledge

Team mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

PE designation

Tools

480V systems experience

Medium-voltage switchgear

Power distribution planning

Job description

The Senior Electrical Engineer oversees electrical design for facilities associated with expansion and maintenance capital projects executed by third-party engineering firms. This role ensures designs comply with company standards and specifications, applicable industry standards, project budgets, and schedules.

The Senior Electrical Engineer collaborates with internal functional groups, including Project Execution, Operations, and Shared Services, to ensure project objectives and company requirements are incorporated into design deliverables.

Specific Accountabilities

• Support the development of electrical project scopes, schedules, capital cost estimates, execution plans, risk assessments, and supporting documentation during the project development phase.
• Ensure electrical facilities are designed in compliance with applicable regulations, industry codes, and corporate standards.
• Oversee third-party engineering firms responsible for electrical design deliverables, ensuring work meets established budgets and schedules.
• Review and approve electrical design deliverables, including drawings, technical reports, and material listing sheets.
• Review vendor material quotations and technical bid evaluations, recommending selections based on technical merit, pricing, and delivery timelines.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to procure materials through internal systems and processes.
• Review lessons learned from previous projects and incorporate recommendations into future designs.
• Provide technical support to construction teams throughout project execution.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and other team members based on technical expertise.
• Support and lead departmental initiatives as required.
• Ensure project scope definitions comply with regulatory, environmental, health, and safety requirements through effective coordination with internal functional groups.
• Provide support and assistance to peers and senior staff to advance business initiatives and maintain legal and regulatory compliance.

Scope and Responsibilities

• Maintain responsibility for the successful execution of assigned projects, which may have a significant impact on the company's financial performance.
• Oversee the development and implementation of technical solutions while ensuring efficient coordination of technical resources and internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide informal technical leadership and guidance to peers.

Working Relationships

• Project Manager: Interact weekly to provide updates on project progress, costs, schedules, and risks.
• Supervisor, Facilities Project Engineering: Communicate daily to weekly regarding project status, progress, and key issues.
• Third-Party Engineering Firms: Interact daily to oversee electrical design activities and ensure deliverables meet project requirements.
• Operations: Communicate weekly to provide project updates and obtain input regarding operational requirements and design features.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or an equivalent degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of seven years of progressive experience in electrical engineering system design and commissioning.
• Strong technical background in 480V electrical systems and motor controls.
• Strong experience with variable frequency drives (VFDs), medium-voltage switchgear, and power distribution systems.
• Strong knowledge of power industry standards and practices.
• Professional Engineer (PE) designation.

Preferred Qualifications and Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to innovate, initiate change, and manage change effectively.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and prioritize competing tasks.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to resolve complex technical issues using broad technical and business knowledge.
• Understanding of the relationships and dependencies among internal and external project stakeholders.
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues and project impacts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based work environment.
• Project deadlines, high visibility, and multiple concurrent activities may result in above-average stress levels.
• Overnight travel to field locations may be required.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required during field visits.