Substation Physical Designer I

Substation Physical Designer I

Location: Birmingham, AL Contract- 3 Years

Client- Southern Company Services.

Position Overview

The Substation Physical Designer I is responsible for creating 2D and 3D design drawings for Southern Company's Transmission and Distribution electrical substations. This role supports substation design standardization efforts and produces detailed engineering drawing packages with a strong focus on safety, quality, schedule, and cost control.

The Designer will work closely with engineers, construction teams, vendors, and project stakeholders to deliver high-quality substation physical design packages.

Key Responsibilities

Design & Drafting

• Create and modify scaled 2D drawings and 3D models for electrical substations
• Develop layouts including foundation layouts, grounding layouts, conduit layouts, switchgear assembly layouts, substation yard layouts, switch house layouts, and electrical bus design
• Develop material specifications and substation design packages

Software & Tools

• Produce engineering drawings using AutoCAD, Autodesk 3D Inventor, Autodesk Map 3D (P4A)
• Utilize document management and estimating systems
• Support job transmittals using Transmission Engineering programs

Material & Equipment Coordination

• Specify and order stock, non-stock, and shop-fabricated materials
• Coordinate with manufacturers and vendors to resolve equipment and material issues
• Support standardization and committee efforts

Project Support & Field Coordination

• Coordinate with engineers and cross-functional departments
• Support Substation Construction, Field Services, Project Management, and Maintenance teams
• Participate in pre-construction meetings, construction site visits, and post-construction reviews
• Provide field support during installation and commissioning

Education & Experience Requirements

Education (One of the Following):

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology
• Associate Degree with 5+ years of related industry experience
• High School Diploma with 8+ years of significant related industry experience

Experience & Technical Knowledge

• Strong understanding of electrical substation equipment preferred
• Experience in Transmission and/or Distribution Substation Operations preferred
• Understanding of electric utility grid operations preferred
• Knowledge of basic power system theory
• Familiarity with National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), National Electrical Code (NEC), OSHA safety practices
• Ability to develop substation physical drawings from single-line or three-line diagrams
• Experience with 3D modeling software (SDS Inventor, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk 3D P4A)
• AutoCAD proficiency required
• Experience with Primavera (P6) and progress reporting tools preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to explain technical issues clearly
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines
• Customer-focused mindset
• Ability to mentor and support junior team members
• Strong spatial visualization skills for 3D equipment/material coordination
• Ability to accurately manage timekeeping and business expense reporting
• Ability to work independently in a remote/virtual environment

Travel Requirements

• Approximately 25% travel
• Some overnight travel required
• Site visits for construction coordination and project support