Substation Senior Structural Engineer

HDR; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 132,107 - 204,500; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Substation Senior Structural Engineer to lead structural design for substation projects, including foundations and steel framing. You will mentor project staff, perform QA/QMS checks, and coordinate with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure fabrication-ready drawings and compliant designs.

Requirements include a Bachelor's in Civil/Structural Engineering, 10+ years of HV substation experience, PE/SE license or eligibility, and proficiency in STAAD, RISA, MFAD, and related tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or higher in Civil/Structural Engineering with at least 10 years in structural design.
• Professional engineer license or ability to obtain; SE license is a plus.
• Experience with high voltage substation design and foundations.
• Familiarity with AISC-360, ASCE-7, ACI-318 and related standards.
• Proficiency in industry software such as STAAD, RISA, MFAD, L-Pile, STAAD.

Responsibilities

• Lead and review structural tasks for substation members and foundations.
• Develop and review designs, calculations, and fabrication drawings.
• Coordinate with engineers for layouts, plans, sections, and BOMs.
• Assign tasks, mentor staff, and perform quality checks per HDR QMS.
• Collaborate with other engineers to maintain standards; travel may be required.

Skills

Structural design

HV substation

Project leadership

QA/QMS

Mentoring

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Civil/Structural Eng

Master's in Structural Eng

Tools

STAAD

RISA

MFAD

L-Pile

AutoCAD

RAM

ETABS

SAFE

Mathcad Prime

PLS‑Tower

Job description

Substation Senior Structural Engineer

HDR Engineering is looking for a Substation Senior Structural Engineer (Substation Sr. SE) to join our growing and nationally ranked team of Power Delivery professionals.

Specific Duties Include

• Lead, oversee, review, and/or 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. Engineering duties include detailed design, calculations, and detailing for fabrication or development of loading and concept drawings for submittal to a steel fabricator to design and fabricate.
• Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute foundation design tasks for substation structures, including drilled piers, spread footings, driven piles, and potentially other types, using industry standard software.
• Support physical substation layout designs, plans, elevations/sections, details, and associated bills of materials.
• Prepare and/or review specifications for construction & materials.
• Assign project tasks and provide technical guidance to project team members.
• Coordinate and/or perform quality checks and reviews for project deliverables per the HDR Quality Management Systems (QMS) 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 transmission line civil/structural engineers to cross‑train and share resources.
• Collaborate with other engineers to develop and maintain standards.
• Work independently and direct, mentor, train, and/or supervise one or more Project Engineers, EITs, or CADD/Designers.
• Ability to lead multiple projects concurrently, utilizing teams in different locations.
• Work with senior engineers and technical leaders 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.
• May also assist with developing technical papers and/or presentations that showcase HDR’s technical capabilities at industry conferences or other events.
• Participate in project reviews as needed.
• Some travel may be required.

Preferred / Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Structural Engineering.
• SE license or ability to obtain preferred. SE license in Hawaii and California is a plus.
• Technical design experience with physical/outdoor design of high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects of varying complexity up to 500kV.
• 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.
• Previous consulting firm experience.
• Minimum 10 years of technical design experience with high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects of varying complexity, 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.
• Track record of working cooperatively with diverse teams, regional, department, and technical managers and project staff.
• 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.
• A minimum of 10 years structural engineering experience as it relates to building design.
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
• Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, RAM, ETABS, SAFE or similar analytical software.
• Experience in design calculations and layouts.
• Ability to design and detail in steel, concrete, masonry and wood.
• Requires understanding of gravity analysis and lateral analysis.
• Previous experience with an architectural/engineering or engineering consulting firm.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. The targeted salary range for this position (based on experience and location) is $132,107 – $204,500. Primary Location: United States – North Carolina – Charlotte; Industry: Power; Schedule: Full‑time; Employee Status: Regular; Job Posting: Nov 24, 2025.

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