Design Engineer II, High Voltage (Remote)

SOLV Energy•Remote - CA, NV

2d•$90,853 - $113,566•Remote

About The Position

The Design Engineer II, Substation owns the preliminary substation design and engineering lifecycle for assigned utility-scale solar, battery energy storage system (BESS), and related interconnection projects. The role serves as the primary technical owner from business development kickoff through the Design-to-Preconstruction handoff, aligning preliminary design, scope, schedule, risk, and technical assumptions before execution begins. This position is fully remote; specific location details and expectations will be discussed during the interview process. The engineer develops and reviews preliminary substation designs and related technical inputs; coordinates with estimating, scheduling, engineering consultants, procurement, and specialty subcontractors; and supports client and contractual discussions. The role also prepares early-execution handoff materials, reviews deliverables for compliance with applicable requirements, recommends value-engineering alternatives, maintains project documentation, and coordinates and mentors assigned technical staff. The role may require travel up to 10%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from an accredited institution.
At least 3 years of experience in electrical substation engineering.
Demonstrated proficiency in electrical design software such as AutoCAD, ETAP, or similar.
Strong understanding of substation design principles, protection schemes, and industry standards such as IEEE, NEC, and NESC.
Thorough understanding of local, state, and federal regulations related to electrical engineering and solar development.
Familiarity with utility interconnection requirements and contract language.
In-depth knowledge of applicable building codes, engineering principles, and industry best practices.
Effective communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and deliver results under tight deadlines.
Ability to travel up to 10%.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE) licensure or equivalent certification.

Responsibilities

Own the first-pass preliminary substation design approach for assigned pursuits and projects, defining the design basis, assumptions, equipment requirements, layouts, quantities, risks, and open items for the 10% design deliverable.
Review client documents, technical exhibits, PPAs, interconnection agreements, utility and ISO handbooks, owner standards, and related project information to identify requirements, assumptions, risks, opportunities, and scope outside SOLV standards.
Serve as the primary substation design subject matter expert and coordinate technical inputs from engineering consultants, procurement, estimating, scheduling, NERC support, revenue metering, security, and specialty subcontractors.
Lead development of the 10% substation design, including single-line diagrams, general arrangement drawings, equipment sizing, and related refinements to support estimating and pricing.
Coordinate with estimating and scheduling to align preliminary design, quantities, scope narrative, schedule, and commercial assumptions.
Review estimates for technical completeness and identify gaps, exclusions, owner-furnished equipment, allowances, contingencies, and items requiring clarification or escalation.
Deliver the owner-reviewed preliminary substation design to estimating and business development in accordance with the project stage-gate schedule.
Participate in client meetings to review technical exhibits, explain preliminary design assumptions, identify risks, and clarify requirements outside SOLV standards.
Support contractual exhibit reviews, markups, and technical responses needed to facilitate LNTP, escalating material commitments, non-standard requirements, and significant risks.
Communicate design decisions, open items, risks, and required owner or utility inputs to internal and external stakeholders.
Prepare and issue proposal requests to EORs and engineering subcontractors, including NERC support, revenue metering, and other specialty disciplines as needed.
Review proposals for technical scope, deliverables, exclusions, assumptions, and commercial alignment.
Align EOR and subcontractor proposals with project scope, estimate, schedule, and LNTP requirements, and submit final proposal information to required stakeholders.
Prepare engineering scope, proposal information, schedule inputs, coordination details, assumptions, risks, and open items for handoff to the Preconstruction Engineering team.
Support handoff by transferring RFIs, client comments, design risks, procurement constraints, required decisions, and unresolved technical items to the HV engineering team.
Review and approve preliminary substation design deliverables and verify alignment with PPA, IA, utility, ISO, owner, SOLV, AHJ, and vendor requirements.
Propose cost-effective, reliable, and constructible alternatives and resolve design challenges with internal teams, EORs, consultants, vendors, and clients.
Maintain documentation of design iterations, technical decisions, client comments, proposal revisions, assumptions, and handoff materials.
Use established checklists and standards, identify recurring issues, and recommend improvements to department processes and standards.
Assign and coordinate work for substation designers, engineers, interns, and technical support staff; review work for quality, completeness, and schedule compliance.
Mentor junior team members and identify training or development needs in substation design, protection and controls, metering, utility requirements, RFP review, estimating support, and project handoff.