Substation Design Manager

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the full substation design process from concept and feasibility through detailed design and execution, ensuring technical accuracy, constructability, and compliance with utility and project specifications.
• Review and coordinate equipment vendor drawings and documentation (e.g., transformer, circuit breaker, switchgear, and protection equipment). Ensure vendor designs are fully aligned with the overall substation design, project requirements, and protection/control schemes.
• Collaborate closely with the Engineer of Record (EOR) to resolve design issues, review technical submittals, and maintain consistency across multiple substation designs and related balance-of-plant systems.
• Provide technical leadership for Protection and Control (P&C) design, including review of relay logic, control schematics, SCADA integration, and interconnection requirements.
• Interpret and implement utility and grid operator requirements, ensuring all designs, relay schemes, and interface points comply with applicable standards and operational practices.
• Coordinate and communicate effectively with project management, PV design teams, and construction teams to optimize design flow, resolve technical challenges, and support timely project delivery.
• Participate in site walks, factory acceptance tests (FATs), commissioning planning, and energization activities, providing technical guidance during construction, testing, and commissioning phases.
• Identify and troubleshoot design nonconformances, determine root causes, and provide corrective action recommendations to maintain quality and performance standards.
• Stay current with industry practices, technologies, and emerging trends in substation design, equipment, and protection systems to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Capture lessons learned and success stories for continuous improvement across the project lifecycle, contributing to estimating, design, and construction best practices.
• Maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships, ensuring alignment with project-specific success criteria (CPSSC) and owner objectives.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop engineering staff, promoting a collaborative, high-performance culture within the design team.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline; Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation preferred, or equivalent relevant industry/trade experience.
• Experience: 7–10 years of progressive experience in electrical or power systems engineering, including at least 2 years in utility-scale solar or renewable energy project construction.
• Proven background in high-voltage substation design, including protection and control (P&C) systems, relay schemes, and SCADA integration.
• Hands-on experience with substation testing, commissioning, and grid synchronization, including familiarity with utility interconnection and energization procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to review and interpret vendor drawings and documentation, ensuring alignment with design intent, protection schemes, and project standards.
• Skilled in identifying and communicating installation priorities to field and trade contractors, preparing and managing construction and commissioning schedules, and leading start-up and closeout processes.
• Solid understanding of contracts and subcontracts, with the ability to manage contractual obligations, project scope, and ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Strong capability to monitor, forecast, and allocate resources, identify schedule impacts, and proactively manage risks and opportunities during both the design and construction phases.
• Proven commitment to promoting and implementing a strong safety culture across design and execution teams.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and collaborate effectively with clients, utilities, and internal stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with a proactive approach to resolving technical and design issues.
• Flexible and adaptable in a fast-paced, multi-project environment, with a willingness to travel for site work, testing, and commissioning activities as required.