Senior Lead Substation Project Engineer

WSP is currently initiating a search for a Senior Lead Substation Project Engineer for our Hailey, ID office. Be involved in projects with our Power & Energy Substation Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our clients' objectives and solves their challenges. This position offers an on‑site, hybrid, or remote work arrangement, depending on candidate location, experience, and business needs.

This Opportunity

Provides subject matter technical support and leadership for multi-site/phase due diligence, investigation, remediation, impact assessment, permitting, improvement, design, development, and construction of utility, industrial, and commercial scale projects in the public and private sector.  Tasks include the research, design, concept development, planning, and construction of transmission and distribution substations, power distribution, power regulation, renewable energy, as well as protection and control systems in a wide variety of contexts (utilities, transportation, building, and Federal, State, and local government projects).  Provides situational guidance to PMs and managers that address current and future challenges, and that documentation and recommendations accurately account for and address risk, innovation, and future-ready opportunities.  Provides leadership with ensuring that responsibilities are delivered and adhered to with a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable industry standards for design, safety, and functionality.

Your Impact

• Support the Area Lead/Department Manager in achieving department goals, maintaining high‑quality standards, and strengthening client relationships.
• Support the management of relationships with alliance and key utility clients, including coordination, communication, and technical support.
• Develop and manage project schedules, budgets, quality, and deliverables for assigned substation projects.
• Support project reporting and proposal development efforts, including scope definition, technical input, and coordination with internal teams.
• Perform QA/QC reviews for technical deliverables prior to client submission, ensuring accuracy, constructability, and compliance with applicable standards.
• Provide guidance with collecting, compiling, and analyzing data relating to physical work sites, drawings, specifications, substation components, and equipment requirements.
• Apply advanced electrical engineering techniques across project phases including concept development, preliminary design, detailed design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Perform and direct others in the detailed design of medium‑ to extra‑high‑voltage substations, including one‑line and three‑line diagrams, schematics, wiring diagrams, SCADA and communications systems, station layouts, grounding grids, and lightning protection.
• Prepare supporting design documents such as sections and elevations, control enclosure details, cable and conduit plans, foundation and structural coordination details, yard lighting plans, and bills of materials.
• Review electrical studies and calculations including load flow, short circuit, grounding, protective device coordination, AC/DC systems, lightning analysis, and voltage drop.
• Contribute to and review substation equipment specifications and technical procurement documents, supporting equipment selection and vendor coordination.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight across multiple concurrent substation projects, ensuring consistency in quality, execution, and client expectations.
• Oversee and support engineers and designers through mentorship, technical review, and direction in support of project execution.
• Prepare technical reports, calculations, exhibits, and presentations to communicate design intent, findings, and recommendations to internal teams and clients.
• Interact with clients, contractors, and regulatory agencies in a professional and confident manner.
• Collaborate with internal teams on proposal pursuits, project execution strategies, and business development opportunities.
• Remain current with evolving substation design practices, technologies, and applicable codes and standards.
• Participate in occasional travel and site visits in support of project execution, construction activities, and client needs.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision‑making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 10+ years of relevant post education experience as an electrical engineer providing design deliverables for capital projects in power generation, transmission, and distribution at a utility, industrial, or commercial scale.
• Engineer license required (multi-state preferred).
• Highly proficient with electrical engineering principles, practices, process, design/build, and the application to permitting and project work-related issues.
• Highly proficient with infrastructure design.
• Experience with infrastructure planning, design, and program/construction management; including comprehensive experience in working with adjacent disciplines such as electrical engineering, P&C, SCADA, and telecom.
• Strong knowledge of relevant engineering and electrical construction laws, codes, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements.
• Highly proficient with making technical computations and calculations involving the application of engineering principles, understanding plans and specifications, and making factual comparisons to the appropriate regulations. 
• Experience with planning and conducting inspections and investigations on various aspects of the construction and design of facilities or structures, applying applicable regulations and policies
• Highly effective interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing intricate ideas effectively and professionally to an engineering and non-engineering audience.
• Strong self-leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with clients, regulators, project managers, and employees at all levels of the organization.
• Works independently to provide guidance and leadership to mid-level to senior level team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
• Proficiency with technical writing, office automation, discipline-specific design software (i.e., CADD, Aspen, CAPE, ETAP, WIN IGS, Inventor, AutoCADD electrical), technology, math principles, predictive models, spreadsheets, and tools.
• Experienced with providing critical review for documents and preparing technical deliverables and plans with a high degree of complexity.
• Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to apply technical knowledge to reach conclusions from testing results, data collation, computations, statistical analysis and arriving at the most effective, economical, and logical solution.
• Demonstrated effectiveness at coordinating and assertively directing subcontractors and others to consistently complete tasks safely and efficiently.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to change in a pressure work environment.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• 10+ years of substation design experience.
• Experience supporting or leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

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