Senior Substation Design Engineer: Lead Complex Projects

Short Description

Bowman has an opportunity for a Senior Design Engineer III, Substations to join our team in North Carolina.

Provides advanced engineering expertise for the planning, design, and execution of substation projects. This role leads complex and high‑impact engineering efforts, applies seasoned technical judgment, and ensures substation designs are safe, compliant, constructible, and aligned with company standards and long‑term system strategy.

Leadership and Direction

• Serve as a lead technical engineer on substation projects of high complexity, scope, or risk.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to Substation Design Engineers.
• Act as an engineering point of contact for cross‑functional teams, contractors, and external engineering firms.
• Influence engineering standards, best practices, and continuous improvement initiatives.

At The Operational And Company Level

• Lead engineering execution for new substations, major expansions, and system upgrades.
• Review and approve substation design packages, calculations, and specifications.
• Interpret and apply industry standards and codes (IEEE, ANSI, NESC, NEC) and internal design criteria.
• Support capital planning efforts through technical input, feasibility studies, and cost/schedule estimates.
• Participate in design reviews, safety risk assessments, and constructability evaluations.
• Coordinate engineering deliverables with Protection & Control, Transmission Line, Civil, Environmental, Construction, and Operations teams.
• Provide engineering support for outages, energized work planning, and emergency restoration as needed.

Do the Work

• Develop and review advanced substation engineering deliverables, including:
• One‑line, three‑line, and AC/DC schematics
• General arrangement and equipment layout drawings
• Grounding system designs and calculations
• Equipment specifications, requisitions, and technical evaluations
• Perform and validate engineering calculations (AC/DC loading, grounding, conductor clearances, etc.).
• Lead vendor drawing and data reviews to ensure technical compliance and quality.
• Resolve complex design and field issues during construction, testing, and commissioning.
• Ensure engineering documentation is accurate, complete, and properly archived.

• Ability to work both independently and within a team environment.
• Highly motivated and problem‑solving attitude.
• Strong sense of urgency in responding to constituents.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong work ethic and commitment to quality.
• Self‑reliance and ability to operate independently with limited direction.
• Effective working relationship with internal leaders and peers, as well as external clients.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple time‑sensitive tasks.
• Data analysis and interpretation skills.
• Complex substation projects delivered safely, on schedule, and within budget.
• Engineering designs meet or exceed quality, reliability, and compliance expectations.
• Reduced rework and field issues through sound engineering judgment.
• Effective technical leadership and mentorship of less experienced engineers.
• Advanced substation engineering expertise (physical and/or electrical).
• Strong technical judgment and problem‑solving skills.
• Leadership without authority.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Cross‑functional collaboration.
• Risk awareness and safety leadership.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in substation engineering or power delivery.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license strongly preferred; required for approval authority in some jurisdictions.
• Deep knowledge of substation equipment, layouts, grounding, and protection interfaces.
• Proficiency with engineering design and analysis software.
• Strong working knowledge of utility standards and construction practices.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and engineering document management systems.

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match
• Paid time off, sick leave, and paid holidays
• Tuition reimbursement and professional development support
• Discretionary bonuses and…