Substation Project Engineer (PE)

HDR; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee ownership culture

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Substation Project Engineer in Portland, OR to help shape how electricity is generated, transmitted and delivered. You will work with experienced engineers to support scopes, schedules and budgets and to coordinate design activities across Civil/Structural, Networks and Transmission teams.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Engineering, a PE license, and 3+ years of project execution experience in the Power Market Sector.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• 3+ years' experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector.
• Experience with an engineering consulting firm.
• Proficiency in Power Market Sector design software and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Support preparing scopes, schedules, and budgets.
• Understand substation design including yard layouts, grounding, and protection.
• Understand protection and control design, panel arrangements, and wiring.
• Prepare calculations for grounding, lighting protection, and load studies.
• Prepare equipment specifications for procurement and FAT/testing.
• Coordinate design activities with Civil/Structural, Networks, Transmission, etc.
• Communicate and coordinate project activities with manager, clients, and others.
• Work independently and may supervise less-experienced staff.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Master's degree in engineering

Tools

PLS CAD

AutoCAD

Plant 3D

AutoPipe

Revit

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 work to weave diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work and foster a sense of belonging throughout the 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.

In the role of Substation Project Engineer, we'll count on you to:

• Support preparing scopes, schedules, and budgets, and ensure that schedules and budgets are met.
• Understands physical substation design including yard layouts, plans, sections and details, grounding, lightning protection, control building arrangements, interior and exterior raceways, auxiliary AC/DC power systems, and associated bills of material.
• Understands protection and control design including panel arrangements, one lines/single lines, three lines, AC/DC schematics, equipment wiring and relay panel wiring.
• Prepare calculations for studies and reports (grounding, lighting protection, AC/DC load studies, etc.).
• Prepare equipment specifications for procurement and/or factory acceptance testing.
• Coordinate design activities with other departments (Civil/Structural, Networks, Transmission Line, etc.).
• Effectively communicate and coordinate project activities with manager, clients, and others as needed.
• Work independently and may direct, mentor, train, and/or supervise the efforts of less‑experienced EIT's and/or Designers.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in engineering.
• A minimum of 3 years' experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector.
• Previous experience with an engineering consulting firm.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) 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.

Primary Location: United States-Oregon-Portland
Industry: Power
Schedule: Full‑time
Employee Status: Regular
Business Class: Substation Engineering
Job Posting: Jul 10, 2026

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