Substation Department Manager (Ann Arbor Substation Dept)

WSP•Ann Arbor, MI

About The Position

WSP’s Power and Energy Power Delivery Substation Business Unit is seeking a Department Manager for its Substation Department in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Reporting to the Midwest Vice President, Region Manager, the Department Manager oversees the department’s day-to-day activities and manages a team of drafters, designers, and engineers. The role is accountable for meeting department business-plan goals, maintaining quality standards, promoting teamwork, and supporting client needs and corporate initiatives. The Department Manager works with the Vice President, Region Manager, and other regional department managers to advance regional strategy, balance alliance-client backlog, and pursue competitive local work. The role also helps develop, maintain, and strengthen client relationships. The position combines department leadership with substation engineering and project oversight. Responsibilities include managing financial, technical, and staffing performance; applying engineering practices across infrastructure project phases; overseeing project teams and deliverables; and contributing to proposals and business development. Travel may be required for regional meetings or project needs, and work schedules may extend beyond the typical workweek to meet project requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related discipline, or equivalent experience.
7 to 10 years of relevant post-education engineering experience and prior design experience.
Demonstrable experience leading project and/or client teams.
Demonstrated competence in developing client teams and growing or maintaining client relationships.
Proficiency in electrical engineering principles, practices, processes, design/build, and their application to project-related work.
Specific knowledge of relevant electrical codes, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements.
Ability to perform technical computations and calculations using engineering principles, interpret plans and specifications, and compare facts with applicable regulations.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with engineering and non-engineering audiences.
Self-leadership, attention to detail, multitasking, and prioritization skills in a dynamic work environment.
Ability to work independently with minimal oversight and provide guidance and leadership to junior team or project members while adhering to QA/QC requirements.
Proficiency in technical writing, office automation, discipline-specific design software, technology, mathematical principles, spreadsheets, and tools; examples include MicroStation, AutoCAD, and MS Office.
Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to apply technical knowledge to testing results, data collation, computations, and statistical analysis, and to identify effective, economical, and logical solutions.
Proven commitment to workplace safety and ability to comply with WSP’s health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
Ability to work schedules that meet project-specific requirements and may extend beyond the typical workweek.
Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

At least 2 years of experience as a people leader in a management capacity.
Professional Engineer license.
Demonstrated competence working with other WSP departments.

Responsibilities

Advise and support the Midwest Vice President, Region Manager through regular touchpoints, teleconferences, monthly reporting, regional meetings, plan audits, and Department Manager meetings.
Manage the department’s financial, technical, and staffing performance, including timecard and expense approvals, financial reporting, resource planning, business plans, employee appraisals, and salary, promotion, and bonus recommendations.
Support department training, proposals, project design-book audits, lunch-and-learns, mentorship, and quality assurance and quality control.
Apply substation engineering techniques and processes to identify improvements across concept development, preliminary design, final design, procurement, construction, and operation.
Develop construction plans, specifications, cost estimates, safety and phasing plans, and infrastructure layout plans in coordination with owners, other disciplines, sub-consultants, and clients.
Develop and incorporate advanced technologies, monitoring devices, building materials, modeling techniques, and design requirements.
Oversee cross-functional teams executing project work, including project budgets, hours and expenses, task completion, cost and quantity tracking, technical calculations, construction, compliance documentation, and regulatory and technical analysis.
Prepare technical reports and presentations explaining research, concepts, and recommendations related to structural, environmental, design, or construction issues and opportunities.
Collaborate with engineers, professionals, and leaders on proposal and business development opportunities.
Stay current with substation engineering techniques and practices.
Make responsible and ethical decisions regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and follow WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.