Staff Substation Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Staff Substation Engineer

Job Description

The Staff Substation Engineer works under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer to develop high-quality design deliverables for new and modified high-voltage (13kV to 765kV) electrical power substation projects. This role supports projects from conceptual design through construction completion, adapting engineering plans to meet budget constraints, technical requirements, and client needs. The engineer collaborates closely with multidisciplinary project teams, provides technical leadership on substation design packages, and helps ensure that projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to the highest quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Support high-voltage substation projects from the conceptual phase through construction completion.
• Prepare and develop complete substation design packages, including above- and below-grade physical arrangements, protective relaying and control schemes, and related electrical studies such as grounding, lightning analysis, lighting, and security.
• Develop detailed substation calculations, including insulation coordination, AC station service sizing, DC systems and battery sizing, voltage drop, cable sizing, and conduit fill.
• Prepare design sketches, cost estimates, equipment specifications, bills of materials, and other required engineering deliverables.
• Apply intermediate knowledge of IEEE, NESC, and other relevant industry and utility standards, guides, specifications, and procedures to substation designs.
• Support field inspections for substation facilities on public and private utility systems and incorporate findings into design and construction documentation.
• Research and compile project-related data as requested by project managers to support planning, design, and reporting.
• Support client presentations, technical reports, and visualizations that communicate engineering results, design decisions, and project status.
• Identify project issues early, communicate them clearly to stakeholders, and support the development and implementation of effective resolutions.
• Work closely with the project manager to support project scope, schedule, and budget, and to manage design changes and client requirements from an engineering perspective.
• Collaborate with civil/site, structural, transmission line, protection and controls/relay, SCADA/communications, and project management teams to coordinate cross-discipline deliverables.
• Ensure that all deliverables and services meet client expectations and comply with internal QA/QC guidelines and processes.
• Perform design quality reviews to verify accuracy, completeness, and compliance with standards and project requirements.
• Meet and correspond with clients and external stakeholders to build strong working relationships and understand technical and project needs.
• Support the preparation of technical content for proposals and participate in client presentations during the proposal process.
• Provide technical leadership for substation design packages, including drawings, calculations, equipment specifications, bills of materials, and construction support documentation.
• Mentor and support junior engineers, designers, or drafters as needed, sharing knowledge and best practices in substation engineering and design.
• Comply with all company policies, procedures, and engineering standards.
• Perform other engineering and project-related duties as assigned.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited program, ideally in Electrical, Civil, Mechanical, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• At least 3 years of substation engineering and design delivery experience on high-voltage utility projects.
• Hands-on experience with substation physical design and/or protection and control deliverables.
• Proven experience technically leading substation design packages, including drawings, calculations, equipment specifications, bills of materials, and construction support documentation.
• Experience serving as a lead engineer, project engineer, or technical lead responsible for driving engineering deliverables through completion.
• Experience coordinating cross-discipline deliverables with civil/site, structural, transmission line, protection and controls/relay, SCADA/communications, and project management teams.
• Ability to work closely with project managers on scope, schedule, budget, design changes, client requirements, and project deliverables from an engineering perspective.
• Working knowledge of substation engineering principles, including physical design, protection and control, and electrical studies such as grounding and lightning analysis.
• Intermediate knowledge and application of IEEE, NESC, and other relevant industry and utility standards and specifications.
• Proficiency with typical project coordination and documentation tools, including project scheduling or management software such as Microsoft Project.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to support technical documentation, client interaction, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to perform detailed calculations and engineering analysis with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification, or progress toward obtaining one.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers, designers, or drafters in substation engineering and design practices.
• Experience supporting client-facing technical meetings, design reviews, proposals, or project status updates.
• Experience delivering both substation physical design and protection and control packages.
• Background in capital upgrades, capital project management, and construction support for substation projects.
• Experience with substation construction, maintenance, and field coordination activities.
• Familiarity with scope development, bidding, and construction-phase engineering support.
• Comfort working in a consulting, professional engineering environment with multiple concurrent projects and stakeholders.
• Interest in long-term career growth, including opportunities to move into project management or other leadership roles with support from leadership.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a close-knit, culture-driven team environment with colleagues across multiple office locations.

Work Environment

This role is based in a consulting, professional engineering firm environment in a downtown Lexington office with approximately 30 team members. The team operates in a highly collaborative setting, working closely within the local office and with colleagues across the country on substation projects. The position follows a 9/80 work schedule, providing every other Friday off, and offers a flexible, hybrid work structure from the Lexington office. Overnight travel is typically required about once per quarter, and some after-hours meetings may be necessary to coordinate with clients and stakeholders across different time zones. The dress code is business casual. The environment emphasizes a close-knit, culture-driven team with strong leadership support, a robust local backlog, and repeat work from existing and new clients. The organization offers an employee stock ownership structure, a competitive bonus program, and potential per diem or relocation support. The role provides opportunities to shape a career path beyond one’s initial degree or current role, including the potential to grow into project management or other leadership positions while contributing to an industry-leading substation engineering practice.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Lexington, KY.

The pay range for this position is $48.08 - $67.31/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a hybrid position in Lexington,KY.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 2, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.