Substation Senior Structural Engineer

HDR; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 132,107 - 204,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement savings plan with employer match

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

A leading engineering firm is seeking a Substation Senior Structural Engineer to join their Power Delivery team in San Jose. This role involves structural design for high voltage electrical projects up to 500kV, with responsibilities including leading engineering tasks, performing foundation design, and collaborating with diverse teams. Required qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering and at least 10 years of relevant experience. Competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in structural engineering.
• Experience using Microsoft Office and analytical software.

Responsibilities

• Lead structural engineering tasks for high voltage electrical projects.
• Perform foundation design tasks using industry-standard software.
• Prepare and review specifications for construction and materials.

Skills

Structural design experience

Strong communication skills

Problem solving

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering

Master’s degree in Structural Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

STAAD

Mathcad Prime

Job description

Substation Senior Structural Engineer

Join to apply for the Substation Senior Structural Engineer role at HDR

HDR is looking for a Substation Senior Structural Engineer to join our Power Delivery team. This role focuses on the structural design components of high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects up to 500kV, including steel structure and foundation analysis & design.

Responsibilities

• 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, EIT’s, 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 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.

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 help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute.

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. The targeted salary range for this position is $132,107 - $204,500.

Location

Primary Location: United States-North Carolina-Charlotte

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 (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.