Substation Structural Engineer

HDR, Inc.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR Engineering is seeking a Substation Structural Engineer to join our power delivery team. The role focuses on structural design for high voltage substations up to 500 kV, including steel structures and foundations, with coordination across PMs and multiple offices.

The engineer may mentor junior staff, develop standard practices, and travel to project sites as required. Strong knowledge of AISC-360, ASCE-7, NEC, and related standards is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering is required.
• Professional engineering license (PE/P.Eng) is required.
• Minimum 3 years of technical design experience on HV switchyard/substation projects.

Responsibilities

• Review/execute structural design tasks for substation members (steel shapes, lattice framing, folded plate).
• Perform foundation design tasks (piers, footings, piles) using industry software.
• Support layout designs, plans, elevations, and BOMs for substations.
• Prepare/review construction specifications; ensure quality per HDR QMS.
• Collaborate with transmission line civil/structural engineers and other teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and coordinate across multiple offices.
• Travel as needed to support projects.

Skills

Structural design

High voltage awareness

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

STAAD

RISA

MFAD

L-Pile

PLS CAD

AutoCAD

Revit

Mathcad Prime

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.

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

The Substation Structural Engineer has broad technical knowledge and experience with structural design components of high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects up to 500kV, including steel structure and foundation analysis & design. Leveraging that knowledge and experience, they work in close coordination with Project Managers (PM) and project teams in multiple office locations to lead, oversee, review, and/or execute the structural engineering and design components of substation projects. This person may also train, mentor, and guide junior engineers across the practice and help develop and implement best practices to advance our capabilities across this discipline.

Primary Responsibilities include:

• 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
• 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
  Coordinates 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. Performs 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 EIT's or CADD/Designers
• Ability to support multiple projects concurrently, utilizing teams in different locations
• 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 Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 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 in multiple office locations
• 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
  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 software and Mathcad Prime
• Previous consulting firm experience

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) 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-Texas-Houston

Industry: Power

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

BusinessClass: Substation Engineering

Job Posting: Aug 25, 2026