The Manager, Principal Engineer - Substations

Job Description

Manager, Principal Engineer – Substations

Location: Chicago, IL or San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Take ownership of major high-voltage substation projects—from early concepts and competitive proposals through construction and energization.

Our client is a Blackstone-backed transmission developer founded by energy industry veterans. The company combines substantial financial resources with an entrepreneurial team focused on developing, owning, and operating transmission infrastructure across North America.

Working alongside experienced utility and transmission leaders, you will help shape technical solutions, direct engineering consultants, and deliver projects that strengthen grid reliability and support growing electricity demand.

The Role

The Manager, Principal Engineer – Substations will serve as a technical leader and owner’s engineer within the Engineering & Construction team. This position requires strong physical substation design expertise above 230 kV , combined with the project management skills to guide multidisciplinary teams and meet technical, commercial, budget, and schedule objectives.

The role reports to a Managing Director of Engineering & Construction. Relocation assistance is available for the Chicago location.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead substation engineering from conceptual design and proposal development through detailed design, construction support, and energization.
• Develop design criteria, technical scopes, RFPs, equipment specifications, and engineering requirements.
• Select and manage engineering consultants and third-party resources, maintaining accountability for quality, budget, and schedule.
• Support FERC Order 1000 competitive transmission proposals with conceptual designs, technical evaluations, and estimating inputs.
• Coordinate with equipment manufacturers on transformers, circuit breakers, series compensation, HVDC systems, and other major equipment.
• Evaluate supplier proposals for technical and commercial alignment and provide technical input on construction bids.
• Review and approve drawings, specifications, bills of materials, electrical studies, and design reports.
• Identify technical risks, resolve design challenges, and improve designs for safety, reliability, cost, and constructability.
• Coordinate physical design with protection and control, civil, structural, transmission, and other engineering disciplines.
• Support site selection, permitting, utility interconnections, and compliance with applicable IEEE, NESC, ASCE, and NERC requirements.
• Serve as the primary engineering contact for assigned projects, communicating progress, procurement needs, construction planning, and risk mitigation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology; Electrical Engineering preferred.
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• At least seven years of direct experience in the development, design, engineering, and construction of substations above 230 kV.
• Strong physical and electrical substation design capabilities, with a record of leading high-voltage projects.
• Working knowledge of protection and control, civil, and structural engineering.
• Experience with high-voltage equipment procurement and construction planning.
• Proficiency with relevant substation design software and project management tools such as Microsoft Project or Primavera.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage changing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Ability to travel approximately 10–20% and a valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience on 345 kV and/or 500 kV substation projects.
• Two or more years supporting FERC Order 1000 competitive transmission proposals.
• Experience with critical path scheduling and substation cost estimating.
• PMP certification, Six Sigma certification, or a master’s degree.

Why Consider This Role?

• Project ownership: Influence engineering decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
• Experienced leadership: Collaborate with utility and transmission professionals in a growing organization.
• Financial backing: Help deliver major infrastructure with the resources of a Blackstone portfolio company.
• Equity participation: Participate in the company’s growth alongside base compensation and an annual bonus opportunity.