Job Title: Senior Electrical Engineer - Substation Location: Akron, OH / Columbus, OH Duration: Direct Hire (Fulltime) Travel: 25% Work Model: Fully Onsite
Project Overview:
The manager is looking for candidates with actual substation design experience in the utility / T&D space.
Strong target backgrounds:
Substation design.
Utility / T&D consulting.
Physical substation design.
Protection & Controls / P&C.
High-voltage substation projects.
Engineering consulting experience preferred.
Functional Area 1: Physical Substation Design
This is the physical layout / outside design side of the substation.
Candidates in this lane may come from a physical engineer, substation designer, or electrical/mechanical engineering background if they have been doing physical substation design.
Relevant experience includes:
Physical arrangement of substations.
Above grade and below grade substation design packages.
Outside layout of substations.
Connecting major substation equipment together.
Substation plan/layout work.
Grounding and lightning analysis/design.
Lighting and security design.
Design sketches.
Equipment specifications.
Bill of materials.
Field inspections for substation facilities.
Design quality reviews.
Use of design software.
Helpful tools/skills:
AutoCAD.
Vendor drawing / vendor print experience.
MicroStation 3D experience is helpful due to client usage.
Knowledge of IEEE, NESC, and utility standards.
Relevant JD Responsibilities:
Lead preparation and development of substation design packages, including physical arrangement above and below grade.
Lead electrical studies such as grounding and lightning analysis.
Lead lighting and security design.
Lead substation calculations, including insulation, AC station service, DC systems and battery sizing, voltage drop, cable sizing, and conduit fill.
Lead preparation of design sketches, equipment specifications, bill of materials, and other required deliverables.
Lead field inspections for substation facilities on public and private utility systems.
Apply IEEE, NESC, and other industry/utility standards, guides, specifications, and procedures.
Lead complex assignments requiring advanced tools and techniques.
Perform design quality reviews.
Functional Area 2: Protection & Controls / P&C
This is the relay/control side of the substation.
Candidates in this lane are typically more traditional electrical engineers with substation P&C experience.
Relevant experience includes:
Protection & Controls engineering.
Protective relaying and control.
Schematics.
Wiring diagrams.
Relay/control design.
Traditional P&C work within the substation / T&D space.
Electrical design deliverables tied to substation controls.
Relevant JD Responsibilities:
Lead preparation and development of substation design packages, including protective relaying and control.
Lead preparation of schematics and wiring-related design deliverables.
Lead electrical calculations tied to substation systems, including DC systems and battery sizing, voltage drop, cable sizing, and AC station service.
Apply IEEE, NESC, and other industry/utility standards, guides, specifications, and procedures.
Lead complex assignments requiring advanced tools and techniques.
Identify, communicate, and lead resolution of project issues.
These responsibilities apply across both Physical Design and P&C candidates:
Lead substation projects from conceptual phase through completion.
Work with the project team through the design and construction process.
Adapt engineering plans according to budget constraints, design factors, or client needs.
Lead preparation of cost estimates and other required deliverables.
Manage project schedule and meet deliverable deadlines under supervision.
Manage project budget for assigned deliverables under supervision.
Work closely with the project team to ensure deliverables and services meet client expectations.
Ensure projects follow internal QA/QC guidelines.
Meet and correspond with clients or outside personnel to build relationships with key client contacts.
Lead preparation of proposals, including schedule and budget estimates.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Comply with all company policies and standards.
Education & Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related degree from an ABET-accredited program and 7 years of substation project or related experience. OR
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or related degree from an ABET-accredited program, successful completion of the FE exam, and 7 years of substation project or related experience.
Preferred:
Consulting experience.
Professional Engineer / PE license.
General Qualifications.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite.
Strong attention to detail.
Strong organizational skills.
Demonstrated critical thinking skills.
Ability to work in a collaborative team environment.
Demonstrated leadership skills.
Ability to apply diversified engineering knowledge across broad assignments.
Ability to devise new approaches to problems encountered.
Interview Process:
Initial 30-minute Teams screen / meet-and-greet.
Formal interview after that (Formal interview is usually in person if the candidate is local, but exceptions can be made for non-local candidates.).
Insights for Recruiter:
Client is hiring for a Senior Electrical Engineer – Substation role supporting high-voltage substation projects from 13kV to 765kV.
This req is posted for both Akron and Columbus, but it is the same role/posting with two location options.
The manager is open to candidates for either Akron or Columbus and is also open to relocation discussions.
The job description is written as a full “do-it-all” senior substation engineering role. However, based on the manager discussion, the role can realistically be filled through one of two functional backgrounds:
Physical Substation Design.
Protection & Controls / P&C.
A candidate who can do both would be ideal, but most candidates will usually specialize in one area.
Please focus on candidates with true substation design experience.
Generic electrical engineering or adjacent industry experience is not enough unless the candidate has hands-on substation design exposure.
Avoid over-prioritizing candidates who only have adjacent industry experience unless they have direct substation design experience. The manager specifically mentioned that adjacent industry transfers have not always worked well.
Manager estimated around $130K base for a first-time senior-level candidate. Benefits, bonus structure, ESOP, and 401(k) are additional selling points.
Manager is open to relocation discussions. Relocation is expected to be more of a stipend/lump sum rather than full relocation.
Applicant Notices & Disclaimers
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At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws. This position’s starting pay is: $ 110000.00/Yearly.
