Substation Civil / Structural Engineer

HDR; Vienna (VA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Short and long-term disability

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Paid time away and holidays

Retirement savings plan with employer

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Substation Civil-Structural Engineer to join our team in Virginia. You will lead design, analysis, and detailing for substation structures and foundations, coordinating with transmission engineers and CAD staff to deliver quality, code-compliant solutions.

You will mentor junior staff, manage multiple projects, and contribute to standards development while supporting HDR's employee-owned culture and commitment to quality and safety.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license recognized by the local licensing board.
• Previous structural engineer experience.
• Experience with architectural/engineering or engineering consulting firm.

Responsibilities

• Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute structural engineering tasks for substation structural members.
• Perform foundation design tasks for substation structures using industry standard software.
• Work with layouts, plans, elevations, and BOMs for substation projects.
• Prepare and review specifications for construction and materials.
• Collaborate with other engineers to develop and maintain design standards.
• Mentor and supervise EITs or CAD/Designers.
• Support multiple projects concurrently across locations.

Skills

Communication

Team collaboration

Documentation

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

RISA

STAAD

ETABS

RAM

SAFE

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story: https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

The successful candidate will be a part of a team that provides design support for large and small-scale substation engineering projects. This is an excellent growth opportunity for a self-directed individual who wants to learn and take on new challenges.

In the role of Substation Civil - Structural Engineer, we'll count on you to:

• Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute structural engineering tasks for a variety of substation structural members such as rolled steel shapes, lattice steel framing, and folded plate tubular steel shapes. Engineering duties include detailed design, calculations, and detailing for fabrication or development of loading and concept drawings for submittal to a steel fabricator to design and fabricate.
• Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute foundation design tasks for substation structures, including drilled piers, spread footings, driven piles, and potentially other types, using industry standard software.
• Work with physical substation layout designs, plans, elevations/sections, details, and associated bills of materials.
• Prepare and/or review specifications for construction & materials.
• Coordinates and/or performs quality checks and reviews for project deliverables per the HDR Quality Management Systems (QMS) requirements, processes, and procedures to deliver a world class quality product to the client. Performs quality checks and/or reviews of projects from other teams on an as needed basis.
• Collaborate with transmission line civil/structural engineers to cross-train and share resources
• Collaborate with other engineers to develop and maintain standards.
• Work independently and direct, mentor, train, and/or supervise one or more EIT's or CADD/Designers.
• Ability to support multiple projects concurrently, utilizing teams in different locations.
• May also assist with developing technical papers and/or presentations that showcase HDR's technical capabilities at industry conferences or other events.
• Participate in project reviews as needed.
• Some travel may be required.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4+ years of technical design experience with high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects of varying complexity, including foundation and steel structural design.
• Working knowledge of the latest AISC-360, ASCE-7, ACI-318, ASCE 113 and other industry standards.
• Experience using industry standard design software, including MFAD, L-pile, or equivalent.
• Track record of working cooperatively with diverse teams in multiple office locations.
• Self-starter with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong conceptual, organizational, problem solving, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Preference given to local candidates

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
• Previous structural engineer experience
• Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, RISA, Staad, SAP, Tedds, RAM, ETABS, SAFE or similar
• Previous experience with an architectural/engineering or engineering consulting firm
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement.

The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Roanoke, VA: $77,539-$116,600. Vienna, VA: $97,944-$139,920.

Primary Location:United States-Virginia-Glen Allen Other Locations:United States-Virginia-Roanoke, United States-Virginia-Vienna Industry:Power Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:Substation Engineering Job Posting:Dec 31, 2025

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an Affiliated Action and Equal Opportunity Employer (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.