Substation Project Structural Engineer

HDR; Lexington (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,682 - 145,990; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Paid time off

Retirement savings plan with employer match

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

A leading infrastructure design firm is seeking a Substation Project Structural Engineer to design structural components for high-voltage substations. The role requires technical design experience in electrical switchyards, and the ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering and strong collaboration skills. This full-time position offers competitive compensation and benefits including health and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of technical design experience with high-voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects.
• Professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position.
• Previous structural engineering experience required.

Responsibilities

• Execute structural engineering tasks for high-voltage substations.
• Prepare and review specifications for construction and materials.
• Assign project tasks and provide technical guidance to EITs.

Skills

Technical design experience

Written and verbal communication skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving skills

Collaboration skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

RISA

STAAD

Microsoft Office

Job description

Substation Project Structural Engineer – HDR

We are looking for a Substation Project Structural Engineer to join our growing Power Delivery team at HDR. The engineer will design structural components for high‑voltage electrical switchyards and substations up to 500 kV, working closely with project managers and multi‑site teams.

Responsibilities

• Execute structural engineering tasks for a variety of substation structural members such as rolled steel shapes, lattice steel framing, and folded plate tubular steel shapes. Design includes detailed calculations and fabrication detailing, as well as the development of loading and concept drawings for submittal to steel fabricators.
• Execute foundation design tasks for substation structures, including drilled piers, spread footings, driven piles, and potentially other types, using industry standard software.
• Prepare and/or review specifications for construction & materials.
• Assign project tasks to EITs and provide technical guidance to non‑structural project team members.
• Coordinate and/or perform quality checks and reviews for project deliverables per the HDR Quality Management System requirements, processes, and procedures to deliver a world‑class quality product to the client. Perform quality checks and/or reviews of projects from other teams on an as‑needed basis.
• Collaborate with other engineers to develop and maintain standards.
• Work independently and mentor and train one or more EITs and designers.
• Execute multiple projects concurrently, collaborating with teams in different locations.
• Participate in project reviews as needed.
• Some travel may be required.

Desired Qualifications

• Technical design experience with physical/outdoor design of high‑voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects of varying complexity.
• Familiarity with the latest NESC, NEC, IEEE, ANSI, ASCE‑113 and other industry standards.
• Experience using industry standard design software, including PLS‑Tower and Mathcad Prime, AutoCAD or MicroStation.
• Minimum 5 years of technical design experience with high‑voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects, including foundation and steel structural design.
• Working knowledge of the latest AISC‑360, ASCE‑7, ACI‑318, and other industry standards.
• Experience using industry standard design software, including STAAD, RISA, MFAD, L‑Pile, or equivalent.
• Self‑starter with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong conceptual, organizational, problem‑solving, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
• Professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position, e.g., Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng).
• Previous structural engineer experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, RISA, STAAD, SAP, Tedds, RAM, ETABS, SAFE, or similar.
• Previous experience with an architectural/engineering or consulting firm.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture.

Benefits

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, health, performance, and success, including medical, dental, vision, short‑ and long‑term disability, life insurance, employee assistance, 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 on skills, experience, education, and geographical location. The targeted salary range is $90,682 – $145,990.

Job Details

• Primary Location: United States – North Carolina – Charlotte
• Other Locations: United States – Texas – Round Rock, United States – Pennsylvania – Bethlehem, United States – Oregon – Salem, United States – Maryland – Baltimore, United States – Montana – Missoula, United States – Texas – Houston, United States – California – Irvine, United States – Wisconsin – Madison, United States – New York – Buffalo, United States – Washington – Tacoma, United States – Nevada – Reno, United States – Colorado – Fort Collins, United States – California – Folsom, United States – Oregon – Portland, United States – Montana – Bozeman, United States – Colorado – Durango, United States – Washington – Seattle, United States – Nevada – Las Vegas, United States – Montana – Billings, United States – Texas – Dallas, United States – Montana – Helena, United States – Washington – Spokane, United States – Virginia – Arlington, United States – Washington – Pasco, United States – Texas – Austin, United States – California – Claremont, United States – Massachusetts – Boston, United States – Colorado – Denver, United States – Oregon – Bend, United States – Missouri – St. Louis, United States – Arizona – Tucson, United States – Arkansas – Little Rock, United States – Pennsylvania – Mechanicsburg, United States – Washington – Olympia, United States – Washington – Vancouver, United States – Colorado – Colorado Springs, United States – Wisconsin – Milwaukee, United States – Hawaii – Honolulu, United States – Maryland – Fulton, United States – Arizona – Phoenix, United States – Kentucky – Louisville, United States – Georgia – Atlanta, United States – South Carolina – Greenville, United States – Illinois – Rosemont, United States – California – Walnut Creek, United States – Tennessee – Memphis, United States – Montana – Kalispell, United States – Virginia – Richmond, United States – Washington – Gig Harbor, United States – Rhode Island – Providence, United States – Ohio – Cleveland, United States – Florida – Tampa, United States – Florida – West Palm Beach, United States – Ohio – Columbus, United States – Tennessee – Chattanooga, United States – Kentucky – Lexington, United States – Kansas – Olathe, United States – Georgia – Pooler, United States – Washington – Bellevue, United States – Missouri – Kansas City, United States – North Carolina – Wilmington, United States – Tennessee – Nashville, United States – California – San Jose, United States – New Jersey – Newark, United States – Florida – Pensacola, United States – New Mexico – Albuquerque, United States – New York – White Plains, United States – Minnesota – St. Paul, United States – California – San Francisco, United States – South Carolina – Charleston, United States – Virginia – Roanoke, United States – South Carolina – Columbia, United States – Virginia – Vienna, United States – Florida – Orlando, United States – Alaska – Anchorage, United States – Minnesota – Minneapolis, United States – Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh, United States – New York – Syracuse, United States – California – San Diego, United States – Virginia – Norfolk, United States – Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, United States – Virginia – Glen Allen, United States – California – Riverside, United States – Nebraska – Lincoln, United States – Montana – Butte, United States – Florida – Miami, United States – Nebraska – Omaha, United States – New Jersey – Pennington, United States – California – Sacramento, United States – Connecticut – Rocky Hill, United States – New York – New York, United States – Michigan – Ann Arbor, United States – Utah – Salt Lake City, United States – North Carolina – Winston‑Salem, United States – Virginia – Alexandria, United States – Michigan – Detroit, United States – North Dakota – Bismarck, United States – Maine – Portland, United States – California – Oakland, United States – North Dakota – Fargo, United States – New Hampshire – Manchester, United States – New Jersey – Woodcliff Lake, United States – Florida – Jacksonville, United States – Illinois – Chicago, United States – California – Los Angeles, United States – Idaho – Boise, United States – North Carolina – Raleigh, United States – Texas – San Antonio, United States – West Virginia – Charleston, United States – Connecticut – Hartford
• Industry: Power
• Schedule: Full‑time
• Employee Status: Regular
• Business Class: Substation Engineering
• Job Posting Date: Nov 24, 2025

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an Affir­mative 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.