Substation Project Manager

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Job Description:

CDM Smith (Industrial Division) is seeking to fill an exciting Substation Project Manager (Substation PM) position in our established and growing business supporting electric utility and substation clients across the United States. The Substation PM will lead multi-discipline engineering teams delivering critical substation programs and projects across the utility and mission-critical markets, including consulting, engineering, design-build, and EPC (engineer, procure, construct) delivery. Experience should include physical substation design and protection and control for brownfield and greenfield substations up to 345 kV, as well as the ability to execute safely, compliantly, and with a strong focus on constructability and operational readiness.

CDM Smith’s Industrial Division serves Utility, Data Center, Power, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Food & Beverage, Metals & Mining, Manufacturing, and other industrial clients. In this role, the Substation PM will support portfolio-style substation capital programs for investor-owned utilities (IOUs) as well as fast-paced, schedule-driven substation and interconnection projects for data center clients—often with accelerated timelines, parallel workstreams, and highly coordinated stakeholder expectations.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience managing consulting, engineering, design-build, and/or EPC (engineer, procure, construct) substation projects and programs for investor-owned utilities and mission-critical clients. Experience should span all project phases, from site feasibility and front-end planning through detailed design, procurement, engineering services during construction, commissioning, and closeout. This individual will help clients plan and deliver multi-project portfolios and rapid-turn projects by managing scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risk; aligning deliverables to client standards and operating requirements; and coordinating internal and external stakeholders to achieve safe, high-quality outcomes.

As an integral member of our dynamic Industrial Team, the Substation Project Manager (Substation PM) will contribute by:
• Managing small to large complex substation engineering projects from early concept development through detailed design and construction support, including breaker and transformer replacements, new bay additions, and protection relay upgrades.
• Leading proposal development by defining scope, schedule, staffing, and cost, partnering with the Sales Leader and marketing team to produce compliant, competitive submissions.
• Directing multi-discipline substation engineering teams (e.g., physical, P&C, civil/structural) and coordinating compliance deliverables to meet quality, schedule, and budget objectives.
• Managing quality, risk, schedule, and change management.
• Serving as a mentor and leader of multi-discipline project teams.
• Performing guidance and review at the project level while assuring discipline and quality standards are adhered to.
• Serving as the main client contact and liaison during project execution to deliver a legendary client experience to grow the account.
• Applying experience and innovation to solve problems of high complexity in area of expertise with support from the engineering team.

For more information about our Project Management roles, tools and culture, please visit this website . Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree.

• 10 years of related experience.

• PMP (PMI), CCM or DBIA certification is required (within 12 months of hire or promotion onto the Approved Project Manager list).

• Domestic and/or international travel may be required. The frequency of travel is contingent on specific duties, responsibilities, and the essential functions of the position, which may vary depending on workload and project demands. • Equivalent additional directly related experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field.

• Design-build and/or EPC project delivery experience, including procurement coordination, construction oversight, and commissioning/turnover support.

• Experience with portfolio-level substation program planning and execution (e.g., multi-site capital programs), including managing and coordinating substation engineering teams (physical, P&C, civil/structural) to deliver consistent, on-time design packages.

• Data center / mission-critical substation experience delivering under accelerated schedules (fast-track design cycles, parallel engineering/procurement, multi-vendor coordination) with a focus on energization readiness, turnover, and schedule certainty.

• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) preferred (discipline aligned to project needs, e.g., electrical or mechanical).

• Additional relevant credentials (e.g., CCM, DBIA) and/or mission-critical commissioning training/certifications are a plus.

Amount of Travel Required: 10% or less EEO Statement: We attract the best people in the industry, supporting their efforts to learn and grow. We strive to create a challenging and progressive work environment. We provide career opportunities that span a variety of disciplines and geographic locations, with projects that our employees plan, design, build and operate as diverse as the needs of our clients. CDM Smith Inc. and its divisions and subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, pregnancy related conditions, childbirth and related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression), national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Background Check and Drug Testing Information: CDM Smith Inc. and its divisions and subsidiaries (hereafter collectively referred to as “CDM Smith”) reserves the right to require background checks including criminal, employment, education, licensure, etc. as well as credit and motor vehicle when applicable for certain positions. In addition, CDM Smith may conduct drug testing for designated positions. Background checks are conducted after an offer of employment has been made in the United States. The timing of when background checks will be conducted on candidates for positions outside the United States will vary based on country statutory law but in no case, will the background check precede an interview. CDM Smith will conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check, and no job application submitted prior to such interview shall inquire into an applicant's criminal history. If this position is subject to a background check for any convictions related to its responsibilities and requirements, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. Criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate. In addition, during employment individuals may be required by CDM Smith or a CDM Smith client to successfully complete additional background checks, including motor vehicle record as well as drug testing. Additional Compensation : All bonuses at CDM Smith are discretionary and may or may not apply to this position. Pay Range Min: USD $115,211.00 Pay Range Max: USD $201,635.00 Visa Sponsorship Available : No-We will not support sponsorship in the United States, i.e. H-1B or TN Visas for this position