Lead Substation Engineer

Columbia, Maryland Temporary USD65 - USD95 per hour Hybrid working View Job Description
Lead a team of engineers and CAD designers in General/Physical Layout as well as Protection & Control packages of substation design projects. Candidate will be the sealing engineer for the majority of work produced by the team and will also act to manage customer relations and well as business development with select clients.
  • Engineer & Design leading company supporting major grid mod projects
  • Growth path to leadership and management roles

About Our Client

This position is with an industry leader in the power and energy industry specializing in transmission, distribution, and substation projects across the US. The company values expertise and precision in delivering high-quality results for its clients and a collaborative work culture offering a direct path to leadership roles.

Job Description

This position will offer you the ability to directly apply your knowledge of protective relaying and controls systems for HV and EHV substations. As a Lead Substation Engineer, you will:

  • Work on a wide range of substation modifications and upgrades to support client requirements and reviews including creating calculations, document designs, and specifications.
  • Prepare relaying philosophies, including selecting relay, control, and communications equipment, developing SCADA and telecommunication concepts and configurations, and overseeing the preparation of I/O assignments and connection diagrams.
  • Guide junior and senior-level engineers and designers in protection and controls engineering design efforts, including providing guidance with the coordination of detailed design phases for all aspects of the engineering work.
  • Support challenging assignments that include investigating, trouble-shooting, and solving a wide variety of engineering issues.
  • Perform analysis and design of single line diagrams, substation relaying & metering diagrams (i.e. A.C. schematic diagrams), and D.C. Schematic diagrams.
  • Prepare engineering studies for client and peer review.
  • Perform independent reviews of work performed by others including calculations and drawing preparation.
  • Coordinate and provide guidance to other engineers, project managers, client personnel, and suppliers to ensure a complete and timely design.
  • Perform reviews of existing facilities to propose upgrades and replacements, and present findings and recommendations to clients and peers.

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.

The Successful Applicant

Essential skills and experience:

  • This position requires a Bachelor of Science Engineering degree.
  • 7 or more years experience designing substations at 138kV and above.
  • PE license.
  • Experience with serving as firm/client liaison in a support or lead engineering role.
  • Experience in writing and providing support documentation for relay calculations.
  • Experience with the design techniques, tools, and principles involved in the production of technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Proficiency with any of the following programs: SKM, ETAP, ASPEN, CDEGS, or vendor software.
  • Familiarity with design codes and standards, such as NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE and ANSI.
  • Experience with various vendor protective relay equipment typically used in substation protection, including SEL, ABB, GE, Areva, and Basler.
  • Proficiency with MS Office applications.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.



Valued but not required skills and experience:

  • A Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering degree is preferrable.
  • A degree from an ABET accredited engineering program.
  • Prior experience is desirable to include in-line, bus and equipment protection, breaker, transformer and similar equipment control, RTU and data concentrator based SCADA systems, telemetering and communications (fiber optics, microwave, power line carrier, etc.).
  • AutoCAD or MicroStation experience.
  • Construction and start-up experience.
  • Testing or commissioning experience.



What's on Offer

  • Hourly pay range from $65.00 to $95.00 (USD).
  • Access to medical, dental, and vision benefits.
  • Opportunity to work in a key role within the energy and natural resources sector.
  • A temporary position offering hands-on experience with impactful projects.
  • This is an excellent opportunity for a dedicated Project Manager T&D to make a meaningful impact.
  • Long-term contract opportunity with contract-to-hire intent after 6-12 months; based on performance and project needs.
  • Overtime paid at 1.5x, with strong potential for additional hours during peak project phases.
  • Opportunity to travel to project sites nationwide supporting major power delivery projects, with all travel expenses covered.
  • Work on high-impact transmission and substation infrastructure projects supporting grid modernization and reliability initiatives across the U.S.
  • Medical, dental, and vision benefits available.
  • Join a firm consistently recognized as a "Top Place to Work" for five consecutive years, known for its collaborative engineering culture and commitment to employee development.
  • Opportunity to work alongside highly experienced engineers and project teams on some of the industry's most complex and large-scale energy projects.



If you're passionate about energy and natural resources and ready to take on a leadership role as a Lead Substation Engineer, we encourage you to apply today!

Contact
Dom Delia
Quote job ref
JN-052026-7019379

Job summary

Sector
Power & Energy
Sub Sector
Electrical Design Engineer
Industry
Energy & Natural Resources
Location
Columbia
Contract Type
Temporary
Consultant name
Dom Delia
Job Reference
JN-052026-7019379
Job Nature
Hybrid working