Substation Section Manager

HDR, Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 136,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement plan with employer match

Paid time off

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Employee referral bonus

Job summary

HDR, Inc. is seeking a senior Substation Project Lead in California to oversee large-scale power delivery projects, supervise a substation team, and drive successful execution while maintaining HDR’s quality standards.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, licensure or PMP preferred, and 10+ years of experience with substation design and project management, including client development in California. Some travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in electrical engineering.
• Professional registration/licensure may be required depending on role.
• Strong communication, leadership and multi‑tasking abilities.

Responsibilities

• Establish local Power Delivery relationships and oversee project execution.
• Manage substation projects, including scope, schedule, budget, and quality.
• Lead substation team and mentor junior staff.
• Coordinate with marketing and leadership for business development.
• Ensure HDR Quality Management System compliance.

Skills

Substation design

Project management

Leadership

Client relationship management

Quality control

Budget management

Risk assessment

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

FE/PE license or PMP

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Responsibilities

• Establish the primary local Power Delivery relationship with a strategic client, including oversight of project execution, quality, delivery, technical leadership, and business development.
• Manage and oversee substation projects of all sizes and complexity, including scope and proposal development, team assignment, execution, closeout, quality control, schedule and budget management.
• Apply basic project management tools and techniques such as client goals, contract types, risk assessment, work breakdown structures, scope, schedule, budget, financial controls, and earned‑value analysis.
• Supervise a small substation team, monitor workload, quality, utilization, morale, and provide training and performance reviews.
• Collaborate with recruiting staff and leadership to develop hiring plans and grow the team based on client and work‑sharing needs.
• Build relationships with technical peers in other offices to leverage resources for work‑sharing opportunities.
• Coordinate with marketing and technical leadership for business development.
• Understand and implement HDR Quality Management System requirements, processes, and procedures.
• Lead and mentor substation APMs, Project Engineers, and junior design staff as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• FE, PE license or PMP in lieu of PE preferred.
• 5+ years of substation design experience.
• 2+ years of project management experience.
• Experience and client relationships in California preferred.
• Strong client and project management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Some travel may be required.
• Preference for candidates local to Southern California.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• A minimum of 10 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.
• Commitment to an employee‑owned culture is required.

Benefits

We provide a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, short and long‑term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time off, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus, and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position is $136,000 – $195,000, depending on skills, experience, education and location.

Job Location

United States – California – Irvine