Substation Physical Engineering Team Leader

HDR; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Substation Physical Engineering Team Leader to lead HDR’s national Power Delivery team in North Carolina, based in Charlotte or Asheville. The role focuses on technical leadership, team management, and project oversight within the substation engineering practice.

The successful candidate will guide staff, manage projects, and develop proposals while collaborating with clients and HDR leadership to deliver world-class substation solutions across the Carolinas.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and/or equivalent experience.
• Strong communication and listening skills.
• Experience managing staff, contracts and hiring for an engineering firm.

Responsibilities

• Team Management & Development: manage a high-performing substation physical engineering team, mentor staff, and foster technical excellence.
• Project Oversight: oversee technical execution, ensure quality, timelines and budget compliance, allocate resources.
• Proposal Development: assist with technical writing and project estimating.
• Strategic Growth & Business Planning: support growth strategies by identifying technical expertise.
• Technical Leadership & Innovation: attend trainings to advance understanding of complex concepts in the discipline.
• Collaboration & Integration: work with Client Managers, Operational Managers, and Technical Leaders to ensure seamless delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Team development

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

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.

We believe electricity powers modern life. As part of our Power sector, you’ll help shape how electricity is generated, transmitted and delivered as global energy demands grow. From massive data centers to modernizing transmission systems, our industry-recognized engineers and scientists have been at the forefront of grid transformation for more than a century. You’ll work side-by-side with these experts and contribute to reliable, resilient and sustainable power systems, helping communities thrive and industries expand. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to drive infrastructure forward, power innovation and leave your mark on our energy future.

HDR is seeking a dynamic and experienced Substation Physical Engineering Team Leader to lead and grow our nationally ranked Power Delivery team in North Carolina, to be based in either our Charlotte or Asheville office. This technical leadership role is responsible for knowledge and execution of the technical aspects and deliverables of projects assigned to them. This role requires a self-motivated, strategic thinker with strong leadership skills, a deep understanding of substation physical engineering, and the ability to manage teams and projects. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of HDR’s substation practice in the North Carolina area and beyond. As a key member of our NC Power Delivery management team, the Substation Physical Engineering Team Lead will be responsible for:

• Team Management & Development: Managing a high-performing substation physical engineering team. This includes assigning responsibilities, mentoring junior staff, and fostering a collaborative culture focused on technical excellence, innovation, and accountability.
• Project Oversight: The Team Lead will oversee the technical execution of substation projects, ensuring quality, timeliness, and budget compliance. They will plan and allocate resources for junior staff, ensuring alignment with HDR’s project execution processes.
• Proposal Development: Assist with developing proposals to include technical writing and project estimating within the area of technical expertise.
• Strategic Growth & Business Planning: Supporting the Substation Business Class Manager’s growth strategies by identifying and developing specific technical expertise.
• Technical Leadership & Innovation: Attend trainings to further develop understanding of complex concepts related to their discipline.
• Collaboration & Integration: Work with Client Managers, Operational Managers, and Technical Leaders to ensure seamless integration of services and consistent delivery of world-class solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10 years of Substation design experience
• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
• Extensive experience in project execution within the Power industry
• Self-starter with strong written and verbal communication skills
• Previous experience with an engineering consulting firm
• Previous experience managing commercial aspects of small to medium sized projects
• Experience and client relationships in the Carolinas, local candidates are preferred
• Previous experience managing staff, clients, contracts and hiring staff for an engineering consulting firm

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• A minimum of 7 years experience
• Professional registration, license or certification may be required based on role
• Strong communication and listening skills
• Ability to handle multiple assignments
• Good leadership and organizational skills
• 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.

Primary Location:United States-North Carolina-Charlotte Other Locations:United States-North Carolina-Asheville Industry:Power Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:Substation Engineering Job Posting:Jul 27, 2026

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