Substation EPC Engineering Lead

HDR ICA ENGINEERING; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR, Inc. seeks a Substation EPC Engineering Lead to spearhead HV/EHV substation design within multi-disciplinary programs.

You will own technical execution, set design criteria, and ensure alignment with IEEE/NESC/NEC standards while collaborating with EPC contractors and HDR teams. Ideal candidates have a PE license, 10+ years in power substations, and a track record leading engineering on complex projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in power substation engineering or related field.
• Experience as lead or engineering manager on HV/EHV substations.
• US citizenship due to government contract requirements.
• Strong knowledge of IEEE, NESC, NEC, and ANSI standards.
• Experience with EPC, design-build, or progressive design-build with construction partners.
• Experience with equipment specifications, FAT, testing, and commissioning.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD, MicroStation, and related design tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead substation engineering across disciplines to deliver HV/EHV projects.
• Own technical execution, design basis through issued-for-construction and energization.
• Manage engineering scope, design schedule, budget, and deliverables.
• Establish and maintain design criteria, technical standards, and execution plans.
• Coordinate with EPC contractor and HDR design teams to ensure integration.
• Lead design reviews, QA/QC, and ensure constructibility and compliance.
• Support procurement with technical bid evaluations, submittal reviews, and FAT.
• Provide engineering support during construction, commissioning, and energization.
• Mentor and develop substation engineers and designers.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Substation design

Engineering leadership

Project management

IEEE/NESC/NEC knowledge

Travel willing

Vendor coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

CDEGS

ETAP

SKM

Aspen OneLiner

Bluebeam

Revit

Plant 3D

Job description

Substation EPC Engineering Lead - ( 197757 )

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.

In the role of Substation EPC Engineering Lead, we'll count on you to:

• Serve as the technical lead for the substation scope within large, multidisciplinary EPC infrastructure programs, partnering with the Substation EPC Program Lead to deliver a portfolio of high-voltage (HV) and extra-high-voltage (EHV) substation projects.
• Own technical execution, engineering quality, and design integration across the substation program, from conceptual design and design basis through issued-for-construction (IFC) design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, and energization.
• Serve as Engineering Manager on assigned projects within the program, with responsibility for engineering scope, design schedule, engineering budget, and deliverable quality.
• Establish and maintain program-wide design criteria, technical standards, and engineering execution plans aligned with client standards and applicable codes (IEEE, NESC, NEC, ANSI).
• Lead and coordinate substation engineering across disciplines, working in partnership with the EPC contractor responsible for construction. Responsibilities include technical leadership of:
  • Substation physical design (general arrangements, bus configurations, equipment layouts, grounding, lightning shielding, raceway, and control enclosure layouts)
  • Protection and control (one-line and three-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, relay settings, and metering)
  • SCADA, communications, and station automation
  • Civil, structural, and foundation design, coordinated with geotechnical and site/civil leads
  • Engineering studies and calculations (ground grid, bus and conductor sizing, shielding, AC/DC station service, and insulation coordination)
  • Equipment and material specifications for long-lead equipment (e.g., power transformers, circuit breakers, switchgear, relay panels)
  • Serve as the primary technical interface between the owner, HDR design teams, subconsultants, equipment suppliers, and the EPC contractor on design intent, technical decisions, constructability, and system integration.
  • Lead design reviews, constructability reviews, and QA/QC of engineering deliverables across the program, including work performed by others. Ensure designs are integrated, constructible, and compliant with client requirements and the program quality management plan.

Support procurement with technical bid evaluations, vendor drawing and submittal review, and factory acceptance testing (FAT).

Provide engineering support during construction, including RFI responses, field change review, as-built documentation, and support for outage planning, testing, commissioning, and energization.

Identify and resolve technical risks and cross-discipline design conflicts. Provide technical input to the Program Lead on scope changes, schedule impacts, and risk mitigation.

Coordinate technical interfaces with transmission line, system planning, telecommunications, environmental, and site/civil leads across the broader program.

Plan engineering resources with HDR discipline leads and subconsultants to meet program deliverable schedules.

Drive standardization across repeat projects, including standard designs, details, and templates, and capture lessons learned to improve quality and efficiency.

Serve as Engineer of Record (EOR) on assigned projects where required.

Mentor and develop substation engineers and designers, and grow future technical leads.

Perform other duties as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering
• Significant experience in substation physical and/or protection and control design, including roles as technical lead, lead substation engineer, or engineering manager
• Experience leading the design of high-voltage substation projects (e.g., 69kV–500kV+), including greenfield and brownfield (in-service) substations
• Due to applicable government contract requirements, this position requires U.S. citizenship.
• Strong working knowledge of IEEE and NESC standards, utility design standards, and NERC reliability requirements as they apply to substation design
• Experience delivering substation projects under EPC, design-build, or progressive design-build with construction partners
• Experience with equipment specifications, vendor data review, FAT, and testing and commissioning
• Familiarity with substation design and analysis tools (e.g., AutoCAD, MicroStation, CDEGS, ETAP or SKM, ASPEN OneLiner, Bluebeam)
• Familiarity with alternative delivery models (EPC, P3, DBFOM)
• Experience working within a Program Management Office (PMO) environment across multiple concurrent projects
• Willingness to travel and support project and field coordination activities

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering
• A minimum of 10 years of experience

Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.

• Extensive experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector
• Proficient computer skills in Microsoft Office as well as standard Power Market Sector design software (examples include PLS CAD, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, AutoPipe, and Revit)
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture

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 one 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.

Other Locations

United States-Montana-Billings, United States-Washington-Spokane, United States-Idaho-Boise, United States-Montana-Bozeman, United States-Washington-Seattle, United States-Montana-Missoula

Industry

Power

Schedule

Full-time

Employee Status

Regular

BusinessClass : Substation Engineering

Job Posting

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity.

We are an Affiant and Equal Opportunity Employe r.

We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.