Substation Physical Engineer II — Design, Grounding & Projects

Mesa Associates, Inc; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Mesa Associates, Inc. seeks a mid-level Substation Physical Engineer to support the Power Delivery Substation group, primarily across the United States. The role emphasizes design, grounding, and protection coordination with CAD tools and strong communication skills.

You will work with a team of engineers and drafters to develop equipment, grounding, and cable routing plans, review studies, and ensure compliance with codes and client requirements. Opportunities to mentor teammates are available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering (ABET Accredited).
• 3+ years of transmission substation physical design experience in the electric utility industry for 12kV–230kV.
• Located within commuting distance of Pensacola, FL due to team requirements.
• FE Certification preferred - Desire to pursue Professional Engineering licensure.
• Fast learner – able to pick up new concepts, standards, and software quickly.
• Understanding of substation physical fundamentals – foundations, grounding, cable routing, equipment power ratings, clearances, and conductor sizing.
• Design software proficiency – AutoCAD and Bentley MicroStation; can provide design markups using Bluebeam Revu.
• Grounding study experience preferred – familiarity with WinIGS, CDEGS, or ETAP.

Responsibilities

• Work on a team of drafters, designers, and engineers.
• Create and review equipment, structural, foundation, grounding, and cable routing plans and details for medium- to large-scale projects.
• Perform and review lightning and grounding studies, and develop BOMs and conductor sizing calculations.
• Coordinate with Protection & Controls, Civil, Studies, and other disciplines to keep designs aligned.
• Examine drawings, specifications, and calculations to locate inconsistencies and propose corrective actions with documentation.
• Identify bottlenecks and contribute to Mesa’s internal knowledge base.
• Ensure all deliverables meet code, client requirements, and Mesa’s QA procedures.

Skills

Substation design

Electrical engineering

Communication

Problem-solving

Travel readiness

Education

ABET-accredited degree in electrical/ mechanical/ civil engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Bentley MicroStation

Bluebeam Revu

WinIGS

CDEGS

ETAP

Job description

Mesa Associates, Inc. seeks a mid-level Substation Physical Engineer to support the Power Delivery Substation group, primarily across the United States. The role emphasizes design, grounding, and protection coordination with CAD tools and strong communication skills.

You will work with a team of engineers and drafters to develop equipment, grounding, and cable routing plans, review studies, and ensure compliance with codes and client requirements. Opportunities to mentor teammates are available.