Substation Designer III/Senior

Michael Page; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Travel to project sites nationwide (ep

Travel expenses covered

Overtime paid at 1.5x

Contract-to-hire after 6-12 months

Work on high-impact energy projects

Job summary

Michael Page is seeking a Substation Physical Designer to support the design and development of high‑voltage and extra‑high‑voltage substations. You will produce detailed physical design packages, coordinate with engineers and project teams, and ensure compliance with standards.

The role requires 6+ years of design experience, proficiency in AutoCAD/MicroStation, and willingness to travel for field assessments and site visits across projects nationwide.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of substation physical design experience.
• Associate's degree in Drafting, CAD, or related discipline, or equivalent drafting/design experience.
• Strong proficiency with AutoCAD and/or MicroStation.
• Demonstrated understanding of substation equipment arrangements, grounding, conduit/raceway systems, clearances, and physical layout principles.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, vendor documentation, specifications, and technical requirements.
• Strong 3D visualization and spatial coordination skills.
• Working knowledge of technical drawing standards, design practices, and construction documentation.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary engineering and design teams.
• Ability to perform occasional site visits and field walkdowns.

Responsibilities

• Develop substation physical design drawings, including general arrangements, equipment plans, elevations/sections, and detailed layouts.
• Prepare grounding, lightning protection, conduit/raceway, electrical connection, and below-grade design plans.
• Develop control building layouts, including equipment arrangements, cable tray, lighting, grounding, and associated sections/details.
• Produce bills of material and detailed construction drawings.
• Incorporate vendor drawings, equipment information, and engineering requirements into design deliverables.
• Apply client, utility, and project-specific drafting and design standards.
• Coordinate physical layouts with engineering disciplines to identify and resolve design conflicts.
• Perform field walkdowns and gather existing-condition information to support retrofit and upgrade projects.
• Review drawings for accuracy, constructability, consistency, and adherence to project requirements.
• Support and provide technical guidance to less-experienced designers as needed.

Skills

Substation design

AutoCAD

MicroStation

3D visualization

Field walkdowns

Team collaboration

Drawing standards

Education

Associate degree in CAD

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

Job description

Substation Physical Designer

The client is a leading energy provider supporting critical power infrastructure projects across high‑and extra‑high‑voltage systems. They prioritize safety, quality, and compliance while investing in long‑term system reliability, modernization, and collaborative partnerships to deliver complex substation solutions.

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Substation Physical Designer to support the design and development of high-voltage and extra-high-voltage substation projects. This individual will work closely with engineers, designers, and project teams to produce detailed physical design packages for new substations, expansions, and upgrades.

• Develop substation physical design drawings, including general arrangements, equipment plans, elevations/sections, and detailed layouts.
• Prepare grounding, lightning protection, conduit/raceway, electrical connection, and below-grade design plans.
• Develop control building layouts, including equipment arrangements, cable tray, lighting, grounding, and associated sections/details.
• Produce bills of material and detailed construction drawings.
• Incorporate vendor drawings, equipment information, and engineering requirements into design deliverables.
• Apply client, utility, and project-specific drafting and design standards.
• Coordinate physical layouts with engineering disciplines to identify and resolve design conflicts.
• Perform field walkdowns and gather existing-condition information to support retrofit and upgrade projects.
• Review drawings for accuracy, constructability, consistency, and adherence to project requirements.
• Support and provide technical guidance to less-experienced designers as needed.

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.

The Successful Applicant

• 6+ years of substation physical design experience, preferably supporting high-voltage or extra-high-voltage facilities.
• Associate's degree in Drafting, CAD, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent drafting/design experience.
• Strong proficiency with AutoCAD and/or MicroStation.
• Demonstrated understanding of substation equipment arrangements, grounding, conduit/raceway systems, clearances, and physical layout principles.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, vendor documentation, specifications, and technical requirements.
• Strong 3D visualization and spatial coordination skills.
• Working knowledge of technical drawing standards, design practices, and construction documentation.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary engineering and design teams.
• Ability to perform occasional site visits and field walkdowns.

What's on Offer

• Hourly pay between $40 and $65+, depending on experience.
• Access to medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Opportunity to work in a key role within the energy and natural resources sector.
• Long-term contract opportunity with contract-to-hire intent after 6-12 months; based on performance and project needs.
• Overtime paid at 1.5x, with strong potential for additional hours during peak project phases.
• Opportunity to travel to project sites nationwide supporting major power delivery projects, with all travel expenses covered.
• Work on high-impact transmission and substation infrastructure projects supporting grid modernization and reliability initiatives across the U.S.
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits available.
• Join a firm consistently recognized as \"Top Place to Work\" for five consecutive years, known for its collaborative engineering culture and commitment to employee development.
• Opportunity to work alongside highly experienced engineers and project teams on some of the industry's most complex and large-scale energy projects.