Substation Designer
As a Substation Lead Designer, you will play a key role in the development and delivery of high‑ and medium‑voltage physical substation projects. This position is responsible for producing detailed, accurate, and constructible design packages that support new substation installations, major equipment replacements, and system upgrades. Our clients include electric utilities, municipalities, and cooperatives, and you will be expected to represent our team with professionalism and technical excellence.
In this role, you will collaborate closely with the Substation Manager, Project Engineers, and other designers to transform engineering concepts into complete design documents. You will take ownership of your work, ensuring that drawings, details, and technical information meet project requirements, industry standards, and client expectations. As a high‑level contributor, you will help maintain a strong quality culture while fostering positive working relationships with both internal team members and external stakeholders.
Typical Tasks
* Develop comprehensive substation site plans, including grading concepts, property boundaries, and infrastructure layouts
* Prepare detailed substation arrangement drawings and elevation views for high‑ and medium‑voltage equipment
* Produce conduit routing plans, underground raceway drawings, and conduit schedules
* Create bus cutting schedules, fabrication details, and associated steel or aluminum conductor specifications
* Develop grounding plans and detailed grounding designs that adhere to industry standards and safety practices
* Prepare foundation layouts, reinforcing details, and construction-ready documentation for substation structures
* Perform steel structure detailing related to equipment stands, dead-end structures, bus supports, and cable management systems
* Generate accurate bills of materials and material takeoffs for procurement and estimating
* Support engineers in translating engineering calculations and design criteria into clear, buildable drawing packages
* Participate in client meetings as needed, providing technical guidance, design clarifications, and document review support
* Coordinate with project managers, engineers, and field personnel to resolve design inconsistencies or site‑specific challenges
* Assist in maintaining drawing standards, templates, and best practices for the substation design group
Qualifications
* At least 5+ years of experience in substation physical design preferred
* Strong working knowledge of substation layout principles, equipment configuration, grounding practices, and construction sequencing
* Strong analytical, technical, and computer skills
* Clear and professional written and verbal communication abilities
* Proficiency in MS Office and AutoCAD (or equivalent drafting/design software)
* Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative design team
* Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, high‑quality work
* Must be authorized to work permanently in the United States
FAQs
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