Substation Project Engineer

HDR; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 93,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Substation Project Engineer to lead design deliverables for electrical substations at our Irvine, CA office. You will develop layouts, grounding, and wiring diagrams while coordinating with civil and structural teams and mentoring junior staff.

Ideal candidates hold a PE license, a bachelor’s degree in engineering, and have 5+ years in substation design with proficiency in AutoCAD, MicroStation, and CDEGS. Travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Architectural Engineering with an Electrical emphasis.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 5+ years of experience in substation design and related areas.
• Experience with substation layouts, grounding, plans, sections and details, and associated bills of material.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Microstation, and electrical design software (e.g., CDEGS).
• Some travel may be required and local Irvine candidates favored.

Responsibilities

• Develop design deliverables for substations including layouts, material lists, grounding, and wiring diagrams.
• Prepare engineering drawings, calculations, analyses, and reports for electrical substations (Low to High Voltage).
• Prepare equipment specifications for procurement and testing.
• Coordinate design activities with Civil, Structural, and Transmission teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and coordinate QC reviews.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Team collaboration

Project coordination

Education

PE license

Electrical Engineering degree

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

Revit

PLS CAD

Plant 3D

AutoPipe

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.

The primary duties of the Substation Project Engineer include responsibility for knowledge and execution of the technical aspects and deliverables of projects assigned and is an experienced, competent engineer who generally understands and can complete all technical requirements of projects of basic to moderate complexity.

Job duties include:

• Developing design deliverables including substation physical layouts, material lists, conduit and cable sizing/routing, substation grounding, and major equipment wiring diagrams
• Preparation of engineering drawings, calculations, analyses, reports, and designs for electrical substations (Low, Medium and High Voltage).
• Prepare equipment specifications for procurement and/or factory acceptance testing.
• Coordinating design activities with other departments (Civil, Structural, Transmission Line, etc.).
• Assigns tasks and provides guidance to junior team members, and coordinates QC reviews for work performed by junior level engineers and/or designers.
• Work with Senior Engineers and the Business Class Leader to identify and develop specific technical expertise and will attend training and seminars focused on further development and understanding of complex concepts related to their discipline.
• Responsible for quality control reviews of projects from other teams on an as needed basis.
• Works independently and may direct, mentor, train, and/or supervise efforts of less-experienced EIT's and/or Designers.
• Performing site visits during the design, construction, and as-built phases of projects.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Keywords: Substation Project Engineer, electrical engineer, electrical engineering, substation physical layouts, substation layouts

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Architectural Engineering with an Electrical emphasis
• California P.E. License
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in substation design
• Specific experience performing aspects associated with substation design including substation layouts, plans, sections and details, grounding, lightning protection, control building arrangements, conduit plans and details, auxiliary AC/DC power systems, and associated bills of material.
• Strong computer skills, AutoCAD, Microstation, Microsoft Office and electrical design software (e.g., CDEGS).
• Previous experience with an architectural/ engineering or engineering consulting firm desired.
• Some travel may be required.
• Preference will be given candidates local to the Irvine, CA area.
• Prior experience consulting or working for an electric utility considered a plus.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering
• Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license
• Previous experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector.
• 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 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.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Irvine: $93,000 - $133,000

Primary Location:United States-California-Irvine Industry:Power Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:Substation Engineering Job Posting:Jul 23, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.