Substation Front-End Engineering & Design; FEED Lead

Role Overview

HDR is seeking a national Substation Front-End Engineering & Design (FEED) Lead within our Power Delivery Practice to be part of our national Alternative Delivery (AD) Leadership Team. This position focuses on technical risk aspects of power delivery AD programs, including medium voltage through 500kV, and involves collaboration with HDR’s global power delivery staff and construction partners across utility, developer, renewable, battery energy storage, and data center markets.

• Develop, lead, and oversee technical aspects of substation AD proposals, including risk analysis, preliminary layout and design, contractor bill‑of‑material takeoff support, and HDR scope, schedule and budget development with a focus on activities and risks unique to AD projects.
• Review AD project intel, opportunities, and RFPs to evaluate technical and commercial risk and estimate technical investments prior to Go/No‑Go discussions.
• Interface with construction contractors and HDR subconsultants during the pursuit and project to drive risk identification and mitigation.
• Assist in Go/No‑Go discussions, project risk assessments, SOQs, proposals, interviews, and negotiations.
• Perform technical resource planning, workload forecasting, and staff assignment on AD projects; develop and oversee multiple substation FEED teams as the program grows.
• Serve in project technical leadership roles such as engineering manager, discipline lead, or technical advisor; manage handoffs from FEED to construction.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks through appropriate measures, including QA/QC, subcontracting, and assignment of technical expertise.
• Develop templates, standards, specifications, drawings, processes and procedures to support substation AD pursuits and projects; maintain a database of best practices.
• Lead team development, mentorship, and leadership for discipline‑specific practitioners such as substation site/civil, structural/foundation, environmental, real estate, and GIS.
• Collaborate with HDR regional and area operations leaders, market sector leaders, practice leaders, project managers, commercial managers, and project teams to deliver world‑class quality in engineering, environmental, real estate, GIS and construction support services for power delivery AD projects.
• Perform other duties as needed.
• Report to Substation Business Class Lead.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Civil Engineering.
• Professional Engineering License.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in substation design.
• Minimum 5 years of building and leading engineering teams on EPC projects.
• Proficient in CDEGS, BIM Software (Autodesk, Revit, Bentley).
• Minimum 5 years of experience developing engineering scope, schedule and budget estimates on EPC projects.
• Experience developing EPC design and construction packages.
• Experience performing all aspects of substation design, procurement and construction up to 500kV.
• Understanding of oneline and general arrangement drawings, equipment selection, and value‑engineering solutions.
• Experience optimizing substation designs with discipline‑specific SME teams.
• Experience working with environmental, real estate and GIS teams.
• Strong leadership and engineering management experience with multiple remote teams.
• Self‑starter with excellent writing and communication skills.
• Strong conceptual, organizational, problem‑solving and collaboration skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and conferencing platforms (Zoom, Web Ex, Teams).
• Position requires up to 20% travel.

• Bachelor's degree in a Professional, Architecture, Engineering or closely related field.
• 10 years experience in related field.
• Maintains a professional or Engineering registration and has related technical experience.
• Experienced in development and management of diverse teams.
• Works cooperatively with other business class regional directors, operations managers, technical directors and marketing managers on business class efforts.
• Committed to quality, improvement and HDR values.
• Active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package including…