Substation Engineer (Physical Focus, Mid or Sr. Level)

Substation Engineer – Physical Design (Remote)

Location: Remote (U.S.)
Level: Mid-Level to Senior (open range, leadership potential a priority — see below)
Reports To: Engineering Leadership / CEO

About the Opportunity

Our client is a fast-growing professional services firm providing engineering, project management, and consulting solutions to utility, corporate, industrial, commercial, and municipal clients nationwide. Founded in 2022, distribution work is currently the firm's largest profit center, but the CEO has been intentionally building out a core substation engineering group he wants to grow the business with. The team is lean — currently just two engineers on the physical design side — but sits on a robust, well-secured backlog of work with major utility and engineering clients including Oncor, Burns & McDonnell, CenterPoint, FirstEnergy, Georgia Power, and others.

The Opportunity

This is a chance to join a small, high-trust substation team early and have real influence over its direction. The CEO is looking for a strong Physical Design engineer who can do more than execute — someone who can help shape how the team works, mentor as it grows, and become a long-term core piece of the substation practice as it scales alongside the firm's distribution business. The role is open on level (mid to senior), but leadership potential and the ability to grow into a more central role over time matter more than hitting an exact years-of-experience number.

What You'll Do

• Perform physical design for substation projects: site layout, equipment arrangement, grounding, structural steel, foundations, conduit/cable routing, and related civil/structural scope
• Develop and review substation general arrangement (GA) drawings, plan/elevation views, and construction packages
• Coordinate with electrical, protection & controls, and civil/structural disciplines to ensure integrated, constructible designs
• Support material takeoffs, equipment specifications, and design calculations
• Apply relevant codes and standards (NESC, IEEE, utility-specific design guides) throughout design work
• Work closely with the CEO and existing team to help define processes and standards as the group grows
• Take on mentorship and technical leadership as capacity allows — with real opportunity to grow into a lead role over time
• Interface directly with major utility and engineering clients to support project delivery and schedules

What We're Looking For

Core requirements:

• Degree in Electrical, Civil, or Structural Engineering (or related field)
• Solid experience with substation physical design — GA drawings, structural layout, grounding, or related scope
• Familiarity with AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar design software
• Strong communication skills and comfort working in a small, remote/distributed team
• A self-starter mentality — this is a build-with-us role, not a plug-and-play seat

On the more junior end (~4-5 years):

• EIT certification, working toward PE licensure
• Strong foundational design skills with clear trajectory toward more ownership

On the more senior end (10+ years):

• PE license strongly preferred
• Track record leading design work independently and mentoring others
• Comfortable being a go-to technical resource on a small team with high visibility

Why This Role

• Direct access to and investment from the CEO — this isn't a role buried in a large org chart
• Small team, big backlog — job security without bureaucracy
• Real opportunity to shape the team's direction and grow into a more senior/leadership position as the group scales
• Work with recognizable, high-quality clients (Oncor, Burns & McDonnell, CenterPoint, FirstEnergy, Georgia Power)
• Remote flexibility