Senior Substation Physical Design Engineer

Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce; Joplin (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 177,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Tailored development paths

Flexible work arrangements

Positive impact on communities

Wellness program

Job summary

Olsson seeks a Senior Substation Physical Design Engineer to lead high‑voltage substation layouts and equipment arrangements for data centers and critical facilities. You will drive design from concept through construction, coordinating with utilities and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, constructible solutions.

Ideal candidates bring 8+ years of electrical substation experience, PE licensure, and strong collaboration skills to mentor others and advance Olsson’s power delivery and data

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) licensure required.
• Eight+ years of progressive electrical engineering experience.
• Strong focus on physical substation design.
• Experience with data centers or mission-critical facilities.
• Ability to coordinate with utilities and multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead physical substation design including layouts, equipment arrangement, bus configurations, grounding, and site coordination.
• Lead projects through planning, detailed design, and construction support, ensuring constructability, coordination, and schedule alignment.
• Partner with data center owners, developers, and utilities to define requirements and deliver power solutions.
• Work with protection & controls, transmission, distribution, civil, and structural teams to deliver integrated designs.
• Mentor engineers and designers while contributing to design standards and process improvements.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Team collaboration

Problem-solving skills

Project leadership

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) licensure

Job description

Company Description

We are Olsson. We engineer and design solutions that improve the world around us. As a company, we promise to always be responsive, transparent, and focused on results – for our people, our clients, and our company.

We’re a people-centric firm, so it’s no surprise our greatest asset is our people. The impact this creates is an environment that encourages our people to grow and be creative with their talents. This approach builds a culture that is uniquely Olsson. It allows us to grow our people as we grow our business. This, in turn, creates a lasting impact on the world around us.

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.

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Compensation

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

Additional Information

Olsson specializes in engineering and design, client advisory services, planning, field services, and environmental. Improving the world has been our mindset from the very beginning, back when Olsson first opened for business in 1956. And it will be our mindset for years to come.

As an Olsson employee, you will:

• Receive a competitive 401(k) match
• Be empowered to build your career with tailored development paths
• Have the possibility for flexible work arrangements
• Engage in work that has a positive impact on communities
• Participate in a wellness program promoting balanced lifestyles

In addition, full‑time employees will receive our traditional 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.

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For more information about the types of information we collect and how we use it in connection with your general access and use of our website, please review our general California Privacy Notice here.