Senior Electrical Substation Project Engineer

Switchgear Magazine; Pleasant Hill (CA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

An electrical engineering firm in California is seeking a Senior Electrical Substation Project Engineer. This role will focus on leading all technical aspects of HV/EHV substation projects, ensuring compliance and quality. Candidates should have a Bachelor's Engineering degree and significant experience in substation design. The position requires strong troubleshooting skills and proficiency in AutoCAD. A hybrid work arrangement is available from Pleasant Hill, CA, and travel may be necessary occasionally.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in industrial or utility HV/EHV substation design.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20%, including internationally.
• Licensed Professional Engineer in good standing preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all AC power substation projects.
• Act as the primary technical lead for scheduling and compliance.
• Develop and oversee key design deliverables.

Skills

HV/EHV substation design

Electrical protection

Troubleshooting skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

Job description

Senior Electrical Substation Project Engineer

Overview

Senior Electrical Substation Project Engineer is responsible for the full scope of HV/EHV substation design, serving as a technical leader across engineering projects.

Job Description Summary

You will own project engineering activities, ensuring consistent functional specifications and standardized processes across all project implementations.

You will focus on understanding and meeting customer expectations through effective planning and flawless execution.

It impacts departmental operations and involves executing within established functional practices and procedures. While the role requires more autonomy and decision-making to guide the team and focus on disciplined execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all technical aspects of AC power substation projects. Also able to self-perform the design.
• Serve as the primary technical lead, responsible for scheduling, compliance to standards and specifications, value engineering, design review planning, and ensuring quality assurance and control.
• Develop and oversee key design deliverables, including:
  • Power single-line diagrams
  • General substation arrangement drawings (plan & substation layout, elevation, grounding, conduit/trench, cable routing, detail drawings and control buildings layouts)
  • High-voltage bus, structures, equipment, and wiring arrangements
• Act as the single point of contact for all technical matters between customers, vendors, project managers, and engineering teams.
• Accountable for directing and supporting engineers and designers to meet technical specifications, budget constraints, and project timelines.
• Drive cross-discipline coordination to deliver fully integrated substation solutions.
• Review and contribute to ITO (Inquiry-to-Order) process deliverables, including:
  • Conceptual engineering
  • Proposal documentation (e.g., BOMs, technical specifications)
  • Sourcing support, vendor quotation evaluation, and technical clarifications & assumptions
• Lead preparation of high-voltage equipment specifications and contractor work scopes; support vendor engagement and equipment selection. May need to lead a sub-contracted design work scope.
• Assist the manager in ensuring team productivity and billable utilization.
• Ensure all engineering outputs meet customer CTQs (Critical to Quality), and are delivered on time and within budget.
• Support commissioning and interface efforts between customers and project stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from an accredited university
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in industrial or utility HV/EHV substation design, or a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with +7 years of relevant experience
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% (including international), in compliance with company travel and tax policies

Desired Characteristics

• Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the U.S. in good standing with ability to get licensure in other states.
• Experience with PG&E substation design standards
• Transmission & Distribution substation engineering (utility and renewable energy)
• Primary (outdoor) substation design, calculations, and electrical protection
• Industrial power system design (12.5 kV and above)
• Proficient in key design calculations including:
  • Battery sizing, DC system design and AC auxiliary power
  • Power transformer and circuit breaker selection
  • Conductor sizing and application
  • Grounding, lightning protection, and insulation coordination
• Knowledge of IEEE, ANSI, NEC, and NESC standards; able to develop complete engineering packages in the absence of detailed customer specifications
• Field-testing and commissioning experience, with strong emphasis on safety
• Strong troubleshooting skills—both electrical and mechanical
• Excellent customer-facing communication and commercial awareness (e.g., change orders, project delivery)
• Proficiency in AutoCAD/MicroStation and design automation tools

Work Arrangement

• Must work Hybrid out of Pleasant Hill, CA