Substation Design Manager

Position Summary

CBI is seeking an experienced Substation EPC Design Manager to lead multi‑discipline engineering execution across our substation portfolio from early pursuit and estimating through detailed design, construction support, and energization. You’ll mentor a team of engineers, coordinate external EORs and specialty firms, and serve as the technical liaison between development, estimating, procurement, and construction. This role is ideal for a hands‑on engineering leader who understands EPC workflows, delivers constructible designs, and raises the bar on safety, quality, and team performance.

• Own the engineering scope for assigned EPC substation projects (typically 69–500 kV), from proposal through commissioning support
• Define scope, deliverables, and design schedules; align engineering milestones with overall project schedule and procurement lead times
• Coordinate physical layout, grounding, raceway, steel/foundations, bus, equipment ratings, lightning protection, and protection & control (one‑lines, three‑lines, schematics, wiring, relays, settings philosophy)
• Review and approve drawings, calculations, studies, and specifications for technical accuracy, compliance, and constructability
• Lead technical risk identification and mitigation; drive value engineering that optimizes safety, cost, performance, and schedule
• Interface with utilities for POI/GO/TO requirements, interconnection deliverables, and witness testing
• Support the field with RFIs, NCRs, design clarifications, and redlines; manage change control and as‑built documentation
• Support all procurement efforts of high‑risk long lead equipment

• Lead and mentor a team of pre‑construction engineers; set clear goals, provide regular feedback, and grow technical and leadership capabilities
• Plan staffing and resources across concurrent projects; manage internal/external design partners and specialty consultants
• Standardize methods of practice, templates, and QA/QC checklists; promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement

• Partner with preconstruction and estimating to develop engineering execution plans, level‑of‑effort, schedules, and risk registers for bids
• Contribute to technical narratives and differentiators in proposals; present engineering strategies in client and partner meetings
• Build strong relationships with utilities, owners, and EORs; represent engineering in phase gates, design reviews, and readiness checks
• Track engineering budgets and KPIs; forecast needs and drive performance to plan

• Champion a safety‑by‑design mindset; integrate safety and constructability into design decisions and reviews
• Ensure compliance with applicable codes/standards and owner criteria (e.g., IEEE, NESC, NEC, ASCE, AISC, ACI, utility standards)
• Maintain rigorous document control, RFI tracking, design change logs, and configuration management
• Manage procurement of long lead equipment

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or closely related field)
• 6-10+ years of high‑voltage substation engineering experience with EPC or utility/owner projects
• Demonstrated leadership managing engineering scope, teams, and multi‑discipline coordination
• Strong knowledge of substation physical and P&C design, grounding, equipment selection, and construction sequencing
• Proficiency with common tools:
  AutoCAD, Bluebeam, short circuit/coordination tools, scheduling (e.g., Primavera/MS Project), and MS Office
• Excellent communication skills; able to engage effectively with clients, utilities, PMs, construction, and suppliers
• Ability to travel to sites, design partners, and client meetings

• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred
• Experience managing external Engineer of Record (EOR) and third‑party specialty firms
• Familiarity with EPC estimating, procurement lead times (e.g., transformers, breakers, steel), FAT/SAT, and commissioning workflows
• Utility standards experience and interconnection process familiarity
• Renewable Energy Interconnection experience

• CBI is headquartered in Fresno, CA
• In‑office employment is preferred, but hybrid options are available

Salary Range: $160,000 - $210,000

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of the Company.