Constructability Lead Senior - Principal

American Electric Power•Portsmouth, OH

1d•$98,993 - $151,133

About The Position

The Construction Lead provides leadership and field oversight for one or more primary disciplines, including Constructability, Construction Planning, Transmission Lines, Substations, Distribution, Fiber Communications, or Tower Communications. The role supports safe, efficient, and high-quality construction execution, with particular emphasis on identifying and addressing safety risks. It serves as a subject matter expert and primary liaison between Construction Management and cross-functional partners, supporting project planning, coordination, and execution while aligning stakeholders, schedules, and field activities. For Constructability, the role integrates construction methodology into early project development by creating and standardizing Constructability Scoping Reports. It evaluates projects conceptually to define construction approaches before detailed design and leads cross-functional scoping to align sequencing, access, and execution strategy. GIS, drawings, and other tools are used to develop construction sequences and assess access constraints, outage coordination, material flow, and logistical risks. The role incorporates site conditions and execution constraints into scoping deliverables and supports continuous improvement through lessons learned, contractor feedback, and refinement of constructability practices. The role may also cover transmission lines, substations, and distribution. This work requires knowledge of high- and medium-voltage electrical infrastructure, relevant technical documentation, and construction methods such as conductor stringing and sagging, structure erection, substation equipment installation, pole setting, framing, and overhead and underground conductor installation. The role coordinates work in energized or near-energized environments while accounting for construction and outage sequencing, switching requirements, and system reliability. The posting covers Senior and Principal levels. The Senior level requires one of several combinations of education and relevant construction oversight experience, ranging from a bachelor’s degree and six years of experience to a high school diploma or GED and ten years of direct field experience. The Principal level has higher qualifications, ranging from a bachelor’s degree and eight years of experience to a high school diploma or GED and fourteen years of relevant experience. The posted compensation range is $98,993.00–$151,132.50. The physical demand level is sedentary, with occasional lifting or moving of up to 10 pounds and sitting most of the time, with occasional walking or standing.

Requirements

For Senior: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Safety, or a related field and six years of experience overseeing or directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction; or an ABET-accredited associate degree in electrical engineering, construction management, safety, civil engineering technology, or a related field and eight years of such experience; or a high school diploma or GED and at least ten years of direct experience as an AEP/contractor line or station field employee or Construction Representative.
For Principal: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field and eight years of experience overseeing or directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction; or a bachelor’s degree in Construction Technology or ABET-accredited Engineering Technology and ten years of relevant experience; or an associate degree in Construction Management Technology or ABET-accredited Electrical or Civil Engineering Technology and twelve years of relevant experience; or a high school diploma or GED and fourteen years of experience in construction, project execution, or field operations within electric utility or infrastructure environments.
Related experience involves overseeing or directing transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction. A thorough knowledge of the transmission system from a design and operation perspective is required by the description.
Ability to lead, coach, mentor, and train junior personnel.
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and maintain working relationships; inquisitive and analytical approach.
Ability to read and interpret station one-line diagrams and transmission line switching diagrams and anticipate proper clearance points and zones of protection.
Ability to interpret conceptual scopes of work, visualize safe and effective construction methods, and identify risks and hazards to be removed.
Ability to understand, develop, and clearly present complicated construction sequencing to project teams.
Strong computer skills and ability to learn and use new technologies.
Strong analytical and decision-making skills, including visualizing conceptual projects and planning for construction risks.
Ability to conduct site visits and drive long distances to substation and transmission line sites.
Ability to concentrate and collaborate and make decisions in stressful situations.
For Principal: Understanding of Bulk Electric System operations, construction management practices, or engineering disciplines supporting transmission, distribution, or communication infrastructure.
For Principal: Strong analytical and technical capabilities, including ability to interpret project documentation, plans, and schedules.

Nice To Haves

Experience in transmission engineering and/or construction management is desired.
For Principal: Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.
For Principal: Experience using Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive for collaboration, document management, and team coordination.
For Principal: Familiarity with Power BI for data visualization and reporting, and Power Automate for workflow optimization.
For Principal: Ability to develop professional presentations, dashboards, and reports communicating project status, risks, and performance metrics.
For Principal: Experience in a digital, collaboration-driven environment using structured file management and version control practices.
For Principal: Ability to quickly learn and apply enterprise project scheduling tools, work management systems, and GIS platforms.
For Principal: Strong organizational and documentation skills supporting standardized processes, reporting, and knowledge sharing.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and field oversight to support safe, efficient, and high-quality construction execution.
Identify and address construction safety risks and hazards.
Serve as a subject matter expert and primary liaison between Construction Management and cross-functional partners.
Support project planning, coordination, and execution, aligning stakeholders, schedules, and field activities.
Create and standardize Constructability Scoping Reports to incorporate construction methodology into early project development.
Evaluate projects at a conceptual level and define construction approaches before detailed design.
Lead cross-functional scoping efforts to align construction sequencing, access, and execution strategy.
Use GIS, drawings, and other tools to develop construction sequences and assess access constraints, outage coordination, material flow, and logistical risks.
Incorporate site conditions, constructability challenges, and execution constraints into standardized scoping deliverables.
Support continuous improvement by integrating lessons learned, incorporating contractor feedback, and refining constructability practices.
Oversee or direct transmission and distribution station construction and/or transmission line construction work.
Coordinate construction in energized or near-energized environments, accounting for outage sequencing, switching requirements, and system reliability.
Lead, coach, mentor, and train junior personnel.
Read and interpret station one-line diagrams and transmission line switching diagrams, and anticipate clearance points and zones of protection.
Develop and clearly present construction sequencing to project teams.
Conduct substation and transmission line site visits, including driving long distances to reach sites.