Substation Lead Engineer - Physical - Power Delivery

Westwood Professional Services, Inc.; San Antonio (TX); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Westwood Professional Services, Inc. is seeking a Substation Lead Engineer - Physical to join our electric substation design team in Texas. You will lead designs from 12kV to 500kV, apply NESC/NEC/IEEE/ASCE standards, and act as Engineer of Record with PE stamping on deliverables.

You will mentor engineers, coordinate with multiple disciplines, and drive design quality, constructability, and client satisfaction across projects of varying complexity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from ABET-accredited program.
• PE license required and actively licensed.
• 6+ years in substation physical design engineering.
• Lead teams and manage concurrent projects with strong communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead substation physical design across multiple projects with technical ownership.
• Serve as Engineer of Record (EOR) with PE stamping on deliverables.
• Guide engineers, designers, and drafters for consistent design quality.
• Develop equipment specifications and bills of material for major equipment.
• Coordinate across disciplines to ensure complete design integration.
• Lead client communications, reviews, and scope alignment.

Skills

Substation design

Team leadership

EOR/PE stamping

Grounding design

Codes & standards (NESC/NEC/IEEE/ASCE)

Interdisciplinary coordination

Engineering analysis methods

MS Office / AutoCAD / MicroStation

Education

ABET-accredited Electrical Engineering degree

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

Job description

Description

The Substation Lead Engineer - Physical will be part of an electric substation design team and will be responsible for the engineering and design of multiple projects ranging from small “quick turn-around” to large complex substations. This position provides the opportunity to directly apply your knowledge of engineering to design projects ranging from 12kV to 500kV.

As a Substation Engineer - Physical, you will apply NESC, NEC, ASCE and other applicable standards in engineering design and will independently perform engineering analyses, plans and specifications, as well as material procurement and construction documents.

Requirements

Job Duties:

• Lead and oversee execution of substation physical design across multiple concurrent projects, maintaining full technical ownership of scope, deliverables, and engineering quality.
• Serve as Engineer of Record (EOR), performing final technical reviews and providing approval and PE stamping of deliverables.
• Guide engineers, designers, and drafters across one or more projects, ensuring consistent application of standards, best practices, and design quality.
• Provide technical leadership for physical design deliverables, including general arrangements, plan and elevation views, equipment layouts, grounding systems, and cable routing/conduit design.
• Establish design approaches and make final technical decisions related to station configuration, equipment arrangement, and constructability.
• Lead and approve engineering studies, including grounding design, lightning protection, and illumination.
• Lead development and approval of equipment specifications and bills of material for major substation equipment.
• Coordinate across internal and external disciplines to ensure complete, accurate, and constructible design integration.
• Lead client communication and technical strategy, including design reviews, issue resolution, and alignment on scope and expectations.
• Interpret contracts and project scope requirements to ensure engineering deliverables align with contractual obligations.
• Identify scope gaps, inconsistencies, and potential scope creep; coordinate resolution across stakeholders and disciplines.
• Support and contribute to proposals, engineering estimates, and change order development.
• Monitor and influence project performance from a technical delivery perspective, including budget, schedule, quality, and client satisfaction.
• Lead project coordination meetings, including technical reviews, milestone alignment, and internal/external design reviews.
• Contribute to resource planning and staffing discussions by providing input on workload, technical needs, and execution strategy.
• Oversee quality control processes, ensuring adherence to company procedures, standards, and best practices across all deliverables.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to engineering staff, supporting development and performance growth across the team.
• Support procurement and construction activities, including submittal approvals, RFI responses, and resolution of complex field issues.
• Identify and drive improvements to engineering templates, tools, processes, and workflows to enhance efficiency and consistency.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited engineering program.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 6+ years of relevant experience in substation physical design engineering.
• Demonstrated expertise in substation physical design, including layouts, equipment arrangements, grounding systems, and constructability considerations.
• Proven ability to lead engineering teams and guide technical execution across multiple concurrent projects.
• Advanced knowledge of engineering analysis methods, including grounding design, station service calculations, and equipment/bus loading.
• Strong understanding and application of applicable codes and standards (e.g., NESC, NEC, IEEE, ASCE) and client-specific requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multidisciplinary engineering efforts and deliver fully integrated design packages.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with proven experience leading client interactions and technical discussions.
• Ability to identify risks, resolve complex technical issues, and make sound engineering decisions with minimal or no oversight.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and strong working knowledge of engineering design and drafting tools (e.g., AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar).

For Preferred Consideration (Not Required):

• Demonstrated experience serving as Engineer of Record for substation projects.
• Experience with grounding analysis tools (e.g., CDEGS, WinIGS) and advanced engineering software.
• Experience leading proposal efforts, including scope definition, budgeting, and resource planning.
• Experience managing or coordinating multi-discipline teams across large or programmatic work.
• Familiarity with utility-specific standards across multiple clients or regions.

About Westwood Professional Services, Inc. (Westwood)

At Westwood, our purpose is to create a better world for people through our work. We transform the energy grid, design resilient infrastructure, and develop communities that will flourish today and for future generations. With over 50 years of experience and a legacy of innovation, we stand at the forefront of our industry, dedicated to understanding the unique needs of the markets we serve.

Our approach revolves around people. We are committed to building a culture that attracts, retains, and develops high performers. Our team values relationships, innovation, dedication, initiative, and growth. We believe fostering a collaborative “One Team” mentality yields superior outcomes in everything we do.

We customize our technical capabilities and geographic reach to meet our clients where they are and help them realize their vision. We are partners in our clients’ success, driving to provide solutions that make a lasting difference. Safety, sustainability, and operational excellence are not just facets of our work; they are intrinsic to our identity, guiding every decision we make.We are deeply invested in the communities we serve. Through our projects and giving-back initiatives, we enrich the lives of those we serve, engage others within our industry, and create a lasting impact on communities around the world. To us, success transcends the completion of projects; it is reflected in the lives we have positively impacted by our work.

Join us in creating a better world.

In 2025, Westwood was recognized as #77 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms. Additionally, Westwood was ranked #5 for ENR's Top Design Firm for Solar, #6 for Battery Storage, and #3 for Wind (2025). The firm consistently ranks on the industry's top 25 lists and receives recognition for its involvement in award-winning projects nationwide.

Westwood provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diverse backgrounds strengthen our business. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.