Senior Substation Physical Design Engineer

Olsson Associates; Fayetteville (AR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 177,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive 401(k) match

Tailored development paths

Flexible work arrangements

Wellness program

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Olsson Associates is searching for a Senior Substation Physical Design Engineer in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In this role, you will lead the physical design of high-voltage substations for data centers. Responsibilities include design from concept through construction and collaboration with clients and utilities. You should have a Bachelor's in Engineering, PE licensure, and 8+ years in physical substation design. Competitive salary range is $120,000 — $177,000 USD with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in electrical engineering focusing on physical substation design.
• Experience with large-load or mission-critical facilities.
• Ability to mentor engineers and contribute to design standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the physical design of high-voltage substations.
• Guide projects from concept through construction.
• Collaborate with clients and utilities to determine requirements.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams for integrated designs.
• Mentor engineers and promote best practices.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Interpersonal and problem-solving skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) licensure

Job description

Job Description

As a Senior Substation Physical Design Engineer at Olsson, you’ll lead the physical design of high‑voltage substations supporting data centers and mission‑critical facilities. This role focuses on substation layouts, equipment arrangement, and constructability—delivering scalable, reliable power solutions.

You’ll lead designs from concept through construction, partnering with clients, utilities, and multidisciplinary teams to deliver well‑coordinated, buildable infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Physical Substation Design: Develop physical designs for high‑voltage substations and switching stations, including layouts, equipment arrangement, bus configurations, grounding, and site coordination—applying utility standards and industry codes to ensure safe, reliable, and constructible solutions.
• Project Leadership from Concept to Construction: Lead projects through planning, detailed design, and construction support, ensuring constructability, coordination, and schedule alignment through installation and commissioning.
• Client & Utility Collaboration: Partner with data center owners, developers, and utilities to define requirements and deliver power solutions that meet uptime, capacity, and future growth needs.
• Multidisciplinary Coordination: Work closely with protection & controls, transmission, distribution, civil, and structural teams to deliver fully integrated designs and provide technical leadership within project teams.
• Mentorship & Best Practices: Mentor engineers and designers while contributing to design standards, process improvements, and the continued growth of Olsson’s power delivery and data center portfolio.

Qualifications

You are passionate about:

• Working collaboratively with others.
• Having ownership in the work you do.
• Using your talents to positively affect communities.

You bring to the team:

• Strong communication skills.
• Ability to contribute and work well with a team.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• A bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) licensure.
• Eight or more years of progressive electrical engineering experience, with a strong focus on physical substation design and power delivery infrastructure.
• Experience supporting large‑load or mission‑critical facilities (such as data centers, industrial campuses, or generation facilities), including coordination with utilities, clients, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Actual compensation will vary based on factors such as experience, qualifications, geographic location, skills, education, and internal equity.

Colorado Pay Range

$120,000 — $177,000 USD

Benefits

• Competitive 401(k) match.
• Tailored development paths.
• Flexible work arrangements.
• Work with positive community impact.
• Wellness program promoting balanced lifestyles.
• Full‑time employees receive a comprehensive benefits package (health care, vision, dental, paid time off, etc.) and the opportunity to participate in a bonus system that rewards performance.

Olsson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage qualified minority, female, veteran, and disabled candidates to apply and be considered for open positions. We do not discriminate against any applicant for employment or any employee because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, disability, age, military status, or other protected status.